Sunday, February 11, 2018

UAVs

 1) 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?
There are many civilian purposes that UAVs are being utilized for in the United States. For example, Copter Kids use their drone for film. They have used their drone for the movie; ‘Chips,’ Katy Perry’s music video, ’Rise’ and others. Not only can UAVs be used for film purposes, but they can also be used for: search and rescue, pipeline patrol, mapping, and photography. Not just anybody can pick up a UAV and start flying it everywhere. There are some ‘loose’ regulations. CFR part 107. Like you need a certificate, need to be over 16 years old, read and speak English. The one regulation I have noticed being broken is the airspace location. When I was flying a couple months ago, a drone was spotted flying over US23 in Willow run(KYIP). Tower could not see it and therefore put us in a hold on the south side of the airspace. Right now, there is no requirement for UAVs to have a Mode C transponder within the Mode C veil. Also, to go along with that statement, I was tubbing along a river in Ann Arbor and noticed a drone flying above. This was also directly in the Class D of KARB. Both these incidents were probably being operated by your regular personal drone use, but it just goes to show that the current regulations are still trying to work themselves out.
2) Are UAVs being operated commercially in other countries? If so, where and for what purpose? 
Apart from the commercial business for UAVs in the United States, other countries are beginning to offer permits for commercially operated UAVs. In Europe, UAVs are used for industrial purposes right now. There is not a huge market for personal use as of yet. Just like in the United States UAVs biggest market is that of the media and entertainment sector. But within the next few years they believe that construction, inspection and public safety sectors will surpass the entertainment sector. They predict that construction will be worth $147 million in 2018. (Sharma, 2018)
3) 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 becoming a part of the NAS. This is because they are advancing with technology. Pretty soon UAVs will be flying packages from the warehouse to someone’s door step. There is only a matter of time before the public sees the UAV as a helpful tool and not a conspiracy theory for spying. I do foresee the issue for the line of sight rule and for communication issues. Some more regulations would have to be in place for proper radio knowledge. There would also need to be away for the line of sight rule to be changed. I would think have redundant video cameras mounted on the UAV would be something the FAA is looking into. If the military can fly drones from miles away or even across the globe, I think UAVs at home are on track to becoming part of the NAS.
4) 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)?
 In the early stages of UAVs in the military, they were mainly used for reconnaissance. After years of use, it was determined that missiles could be outfitted on them and used for attack missions to keep pilots and ground soldiers safe. This brought up the topic of is it ethical to attack someone without confirming with ground units that the target is the actual target. It also makes for a very stressful job. UAV pilot’s recon for days on end, one target, depicting patterns and people before they attack. Which makes the attack more personal say if they see children playing nearby. This makes it hard for UAV pilots to strike. From a financial standpoint UAVs have been an issue for the military. Up to 500 pilots and ground crew support are required for a 24-hour coverage.
5) Finally, do some research and find out if there 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.
This job is located in, Phoenix, AZ flying for contract. They work with real estate agents, builders and developers. Pay is between $50-$100 and hour. “Must have a killer portfolio and 2 years of drone videography.”

References
Dilbert at war. (2014, June 23). Retrieved February 7, 2018, from https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21604608-stressful-lives-chair-force-dilbert-war
Palmer, T. (n.d.). Retrieved February 8, 2018, from https://www.copterkidsllc.com/our-work



1 comment:

  1. This was a good read and I like how you structured your blog. easy to answer the questions and follow along. There was no ambiguity while I was reading it as to which questions you were answering.

    Referring to number 4, about the military drone pilots. What's your thought on the idea of having a pilot specialized in dropping ordinance, and other pilots specialized in just surveillance. This way one person can be trained in taking the personalized load of watching and learn the behaviors of the people on the ground, and other people can become very skilled in blowing things up. This transfer of control is beyond easy for them to do and would let (drone) pilots become very good at one thing, instead of just okay or good at everything.

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