The Current Status of UAVs

Today’s discussion will cover the topic of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), examining some of their uses, and the regulations concerning them.

How are UAVs being used for civilian purposes in the US, and how are they Regulated?

Personal UAVs have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and with the release of DJI’s Mavic Pro, and the GoPro Karma, this trend appears to be continuing. Drones such as these are commonly used for aerial video photography, with YouTubers such as “Devinsupertramp” using them to achieve video angles previously not accessible. Other uses of drones include “surveying, real estate photography, and site inspections” (Vincent, 2016). With this increase in popularity, comes an increase in regulations and rules as well. The rules differ slightly depending if you are operating for recreational or commercial proposes.

If operating for recreational proposes, the pilot must fly “in accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Public Law 112-95 Section 336)” (“Unmanned Aircraft Systems”, 2016), which includes:

1.     Fly for hobby or recreational purposes only

2.     Follow a community-based set of safety guidelines

3.     Fly the UAS within visual line-of-sight

4.     Give way to manned aircraft

5.     Provide prior notification to the airport and air traffic control tower, if one is present, when flying within 5 miles of an airport

6.     Fly UAS that weigh no more than 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization

7.     Register the aircraft (“Unmanned Aircraft Systems”, 2016)

If operating for commercial proposes, the pilot must follow the requirements of the Small UAS rule (14 CFR part 107) (“Unmanned Aircraft Systems”, 2016). Some of the main points of the rule states:

1.     Class G airspace

2.     Must keep the aircraft in sight (visual line-of-sight)

3.     Must fly under 400 feet

4.     Must fly during the day

5.     Must fly at or below 100 mph

6.     Must yield right of way to manned aircraft

7.     Must NOT fly over people

8.     Must NOT fly from a moving vehicle (“Fly for Work/Business”, 2016)

Having dabbled in drones before (and still being interested now), I understand the frustration and difficulties having to work through these different systems and regulations have recently caused for drone operators and hobbyist. Yet, being in the aviation field, I also understand the need for some form of system to keep people out of the path of aircraft. Alas, if only people could follow the “watch-out and don’t be dumb” rule, maybe we wouldn’t require so many other regulations.

Will UAVs be integrated into the NAS?

I personally have a hard time imaging small UAVs being integrated into the NAS, and do not see them being so anytime soon. They simply do not behave, and are mostly not equipped, to operate under the same rules as aircraft. Would the “pilot’ have to be in radio contact with ATC when flying in controlled airspace? Or would the drone have to have a transponder or ADS-B system? Public perception, where maybe not crucial, may also offer some difficulty to integrating UAVs into the system as there are many people that still don’t trust UAVs.

How are UAVs used for military purposes?

The concept of unmanned aircraft dates back further than one may think, with U.S. military experiments beginning as early as 1917 with the Kettering Bug (an unmanned aerial torpedo). Modern military drones are slightly more sophisticated, such as the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper. Besides being used in combat strikes, the MQ-9 Reaper is “also capable of supporting a wide range of operations such as coastal and border surveillance, weapons tracking, embargo enforcement, humanitarian/disaster assistance, support of peacekeeping and counter-narcotic operations (“MQ-9 Reaper”, 2015). Besides keeping the pilot out of harm’s way, the drones are also more financially efficient. The cost per-flight hour for the MQ-9 Reaper is $4,762 (Thompson, 2015). In comparison, the cost per-flight hour to run an F-16 is $22,514 (Thompson, 2015) – nearly 5 times higher. As for their ethical use, I would have to side with supporting the use of drone strikes. Surprisingly, I am not alone in this, as a study performed by Pew Research Center found that among its tested groups, “58% approve of the U.S. conducting missile strikes from drones to target extremists in such countries as Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. [And] about a third (35%) disapprove of U.S. drone attacks (“Public Continues to Back U.S. Drone Attacks”, 2015).

What are some job opportunities available for civilian UAVs pilots?

With the growth of the industry, there has also been a growth of jobs offered. Below are just a few of the many opportunities available:

Position: UAS Operator for Airware
Link: http://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=87ba7c36fc7e7169&q=Uav+Operator&tk=1av1qm7jt18dd6pu&from=web
Summary: Planning flight operations, Flying and collecting aerial data, Discussing results with customers, and Performing any maintenance on aircraft if necessary.

Position: Drone Pilot for Dronegenuity
Link: http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Dronegenuity-LLC/jobs/Drone-Pilot-5651fea064565eb8?q=Uav
Summary: Independent contractor capturing aerial imagery for clients

Position: UAV Operator/Pilot for Industrial Skyworks
Link: http://www.indeed.com/cmp/industrial-skyworks/jobs/Uav-Operator-Pilot-488ccaffacc7ed4d?q=Uav+Operator
Summary: Flying drones to obtain geo-referenced data in various types of environments.

References:

Fly for Work/Business. (2016, September 19). Retrieved from
            https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/fly_for_work_business/

MQ-9 Reaper. (2015, September 23). Retrieved from
            http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104470/mq-9-
            reaper.aspx

Public Continues to Back U.S. Drone Attacks. (2015, May 28). Retrieved from
            http://www.people-press.org/2015/05/28/public-continues-to-back-u-s-drone-attacks/

Thompson, M. (2013, April 02). Costly Flight Hours | TIME.com. Retrieved from
            http://nation.time.com/2013/04/02/costly-flight-hours/

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions/Help. (2016, October 07).
            Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/

Vincent, J. (2016, August 30). FAA regulations for commercial drones are now in effect.
            Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/30/12707502/drone-regulations-
            legality-us-faa