- What civilian purpose, if any, are UAVs currently being used for in United States? How are these civilian UAVs currently regulated (if they are regulated)? What are some of the details of the regulations that apply to the commercial use of UAVs?
Today civil use for UAVs vary from hobbies to people who are trying to start a business and profit from them. Many people just generally like flying UAVs. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to learn how to fly. Their isn't much regulations regarding civil use. According to the Drone Registering website, after purchase of any UAV over 0.55 lbs. must be registered with the FAA. (DRONE REGISTRATION.) Commercial users of UAVs must abide by Part 107. A general guideline for commercial users is the following, pilots must have a remote pilots certificate, must be 16 years of age, have to be flown in visual line of sight, no higher that 400 feet, no faster than a 100mph groundspeed, and operation is only allowed during daylight hours or twilight with appropriate lighting.(Vincent,J)
2) Do you foresee UAVs integrating into the NAS? If so, how? Also, what problems do you foresee resulting from this? Be sure to include not only logistical problems, but also potential perception problems.
I do see UAVs being integrated into the NAS in the future. I believe UAVs are still pretty new on the scene and people are unaware of UAVs full capabilities. I think with time and continuous proof that UAVs are reliable and can be potentially safely programed to fly out of line of sight, they will find a way into the NAS. I think a good idea to for the FAA to monitor UAVs in the NAS is for the operator to file a kind of flight plan for the benefit and safety of other aircraft flying. That way controllers and pilots could know when and where these UAVs are in relevance of there flight. There is a ton of more technology that could be integrated in with UAVs, but then again, with more technology comes more time and money.
3) As for the military application of UAVs, how have they transformed military strategy? Has their integration been efficient (consider all aspects - from financial to ethical)?
Drones in the military are closely associated with the Predator, which is a drone used by the military. Someone can fly this drone on the ground or from a computer with a programed route of flight. The Predator can be used for surveillance or used for actual combat. The drone’s cameras can quickly be swapped with two hellfire missiles. There is also an online computer onboard that calculates trajectory and distance. One other unique thing about the Predator is that it can be easily transported. The drone can be broken down into 6 pieces and put into a box called a “coffin”. This is how they are transported from mission to mission (Valdes, 2014).
It may be hard to imagine that these unmanned flying killing machines could have any downside. However this is not the case. The military is not the only one with this new technology. According to New American Foundation the CIA has carried out 349 drone strikes in Pakistan. Many U.S. citizens think this gives the government too much power and say.
4) Finally, do some research and find out if their are UAV jobs that are advertised for civilians (both flight and management students). If so, include this as your link. If you are unable to locate a job posting, reference your above answers to brainstorm the potential for types of UAV jobs in the future.
The Job that I listed at the bottom of the page is a job listing for a company called SkySpecs that is located in Ann Arbor Michigan. To my knowledge, this company’s main focus is capture video of large wind turbines with the help of UAVs.
References
DRONE REGISTRATION. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://federaldroneregistration.com/?gclid=CKmLlv2TjNICFYW1wAodPFYLxg
Vincent, J. (2016, August 30). FAA regulations for commercial drones are now in effect. Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/30/12707502/drone-regulations-legality-us-faa
Valdes, R. (2014). On The Road - How the Predator UAV Works. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 11 December 2014, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/predator7.htm
I would agree with you that there is a future with UAV's and the NAS. It seem inevitable at this point. Have you considered possibly getting your license to fly UAV's? I think you would be an excellent UAV pilot!
ReplyDelete