Delta, Romeo, Oscar, November, Echo, Sierra (DRONES), in the National Airspace
When I was eight years old, I was absolutely giddy when I realized that my initials were the same as my childhood hero, Amelia Earhart — “AE.” I wanted to change my name to “AE” instead of Angi but that was a no-go from my parents. My young years were spent lying in the backyard watching planes land at the Charlotte International Airport. We lived so close to the landing path, I could read all the numbers on the bottom of the planes. Hours were spent watching planes and wondering who was on the planes, where they were coming from, where people were going to and what it must be like to actually be on one. About the same time, I also got my first camera. I photographed everything I could find and would take pictures from all angles.
I’d carefully set up landscape photos of the beautiful Piedmont uplands of North Carolina…all with my little Kodak Instamatic X-15 snap and shoot.
Now as a boomer adult, I’ve taken my fair share of flights around the world (as a passenger) and I am still fascinated with seeing the world from the air.
I am always with at least one camera, often two wherever I go. So, when drone technology with cameras started to get traction, I started learning about drones and began flying them this year. It was a marriage of the two things that have held a lifelong fascination with me; photography and flying. In 2014, I added a Master’s Degree in Security Arts from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security and became very curious in how drone technology and drone photography can be used in homeland security, emergency management, search and rescue operations and first responding of all types.
Naming Conventions
For the purposes of this blog, the words, “unmanned aerial systems” (UASs), “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs) and “drones,” are used to meet the definition from the Federal Aviation Administration’s definition as: “An unmanned aircraft system is an unmanned aircraft and the equipment necessary for the safe and efficient operation of that aircraft. An unmanned aircraft is a component of a UAS. It is defined by statute as an aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft (Public Law 112–95, Section 331(8)).”
History of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
I think it is important to understand how unmanned aerial vehicles have evolved and progressed from their early beginnings till present day. In Air & Space magazine, Ed Darack* gives a brief history of the evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles early beginnings. All of the examples below are taken with permission from Ed Darack’s May 17, 2011 article called, “A Brief History of Unmanned Aircraft.”
Bomb-Dropping Balloons
The Union and Confederate armies both used balloons for spying on the enemy during the U.S. Civil War, with pilot-observers onboard. At least one person — Charles Perley of New York City — imagined that they could also be used to deliver weapons. His patent dated February 24, 1863 calls for a “divided basket” which would open like a clamshell when a timed fuse expired, thereby releasing a bomb. “A balloon can be made to pass over any object, and…any-sized bomb or missile of destruction can be carried up over the place to be destroyed,” he wrote.
The Kettering Aerial Torpedo
The Kettering Aerial Torpedo, later called the “Kettering Bug,” was a small biplane powered by a De Palma 4-cylinder engine and guided by gyroscopes, a barometer, and a mechanical “computer.” It flew in 1918 and had a range of up to 75 miles. The onboard computer counted engine revolutions (to gauge distance), then powered down the engine and jettisoned the torpedo’s wings at a pre-determined distance (calculated before launch based on prevailing wind speed and direction). At that point the fuselage would crash into its intended target with an explosive payload onboard. The Bug was never used in actual combat.
Fu-Go Balloons
The first truly intercontinental weapon system, Japan’s “Fu-Go” balloons were designed to cause widespread forest fires and damage to North American cities, civilians, and croplands during World War II. The hydrogen-filled balloons measured 30 feet in diameter. Each carried a payload of 32 paper sandbags, two incendiary devices, one small bomb, and an altitude regulation mechanism.
Launched from Japan, the balloons would rise to roughly 30,000 feet, where they would hitch a ride on the jet stream and travel at speeds of up to 120 miles per hour eastward. As hydrogen leaked out slowly, the balloon descended. At 25,000 feet, the altitude regulation system would drop one of the sand bags, causing the balloon to rise back to 35,000 feet. This continued until just the incendiary devices and bomb remained; then they too were dropped on the last dips to 25,000 feet. The Japanese launched up to 9,300 of these balloons, but only 300 actually reached North America. They caused six deaths: a woman and five students who happened upon one of the unexploded bombs during a church picnic in Oregon.
Operation Aphrodite
The United States attempted to weaponize unpiloted bombers during World War II, using specially modified B-17 Flying Fortresses and other airplanes loaded with explosives. In Operation Aphrodite, the U.S. Army Air Forces installed radio-controlled actuators to each aircraft’s flight controls, along with two television cameras (one looking out the nose of the craft, and one aimed at its instrument panel). Two pilots set out in the drone B-17s. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, they armed the explosives, passed radio control to another B-17 (the “mothership”), then bailed out using parachutes. Personnel on the mothership (which was fitted with television receivers and radio control equipment) would then guide the drone to German V-2 launch sites. That was the plan, anyway. None of the B-17s (or B-24s or PB4Y-1s also used as makeshift UAVs) ever made it to their intended targets, and a number of crew — including Joseph Kennedy Jr. (pictured) — died during these attempts.
V-1 Buzz Bomb
Perhaps the best-known unmanned vehicle of World War II was the German Fieseler Fi 103, also called the V-1 “Buzz Bomb” (“V-1” stood for Vergeltungswaffe Eins, or “vengeance weapon one”). Meant to kill British civilians — per Adolf Hitler’s order for a weapon to be used against “non-military targets” — the V-1 was powered by a pulsejet engine that made a distinctive buzz. It carried a 2,000-pound warhead approximately 150 miles, and had a sophisticated guidance system consisting of gyroscopes, barometers, and an anemometer, which was used to calculate distance flown. Once over the target, the guidance system put the V-1 into a steep dive. The Germans launched roughly 20,000 V-1s at Allied targets, primarily in London and Antwerp, Belgium. The Buzz Bombs proved devastating, killing more than 10,000 civilians and injuring nearly 28,000.
First Reconnaissance Drone
Reginald Denny’s Radioplane Company, which was acquired in 1952 by Northrop Aircraft Incorporated, led the way in post-World War II UAV development. While most of the drones designed and produced during this period were used for target practice, 1955 saw the U.S. Army’s first reconnaissance drone, the Northrop Radioplane RP-71 Falconer (designated the SD-1 by the Army), based on a target vehicle design. Launched by two rockets and recovered by parachute, the Falconer carried a still film camera and could transmit crude video.
UAV Developments
A second-generation turbojet-powered Firebee, built by Ryan Aeronautical Company and developed from a target drone initially developed for the U.S. Air Force, led to the AQM-34, which ushered in modern unmanned reconnaissance aircraft. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, the AQM-34 flew tens of thousands of missions over North Vietnam, parts of China, and even the Soviet Union, obviating the risk posed by manned reconnaissance flights.
In the 1970s, Israel began to modify existing UAVs and develop new designs. One of the most ingenious Israeli uses of UAVs came during the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, when a “swarm” of Northrop Chukar unmanned craft was sent toward the Golan Heights. The Syrian military was tricked into thinking a massive air attack was under way against its potent surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, and launched dozens of SAMs against the incoming aircraft, substantially depleting their air defenses. In subsequent years, Israel took the global lead in certain types of UAVs, particularly in the 1980s with the development of lighter, smaller unmanned aircraft like the RQ-2 Pioneer (pictured). Along with its sibling, the IAI RQ-5 Hunter, the Pioneer flew extensively in the 1991 Gulf War.
RQ-1 Predator
The RQ-1 Predator, probably the best-known modern UAV, made its first test flight in 1994. Produced by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems — based on a design by Abraham Karem, a former engineering officer for the Israeli Air Force — it was designed for “long loiter” reconnaissance work. The RQ-1 has evolved, and today its variants patrol the U.S.-Mexico border, collect air samples for scientific research, and unleash Hellfire air-to-ground missiles on military targets.
The Modern Drone Era
Despite the historic focus on military uses, UAV designers see an ever-expanding non-military role for their vehicles as airframe designs, control systems, and onboard sensors become more reliable, smaller, lighter, longer-lasting, safer, and cheaper. Now unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones are taking on new and surprising uses. Just a couple of years ago, there were few drones that got permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly drones for the purposes such as weather reporting, hurricane tracking, 3D mapping and search and rescue efforts. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, “[a]lthough these aircraft are “unmanned,” UAS are flown by a remotely located pilot and crew. Physical and performance characteristics of unmanned aircraft (UA) vary greatly and unlike model aircraft that typically operate lower than 400 feet AGL (Above Ground Level), UA may be found operating at virtually any altitude and any speed. Sizes of UA can be as small as several pounds to as large as a commercial transport aircraft. UAS come in various categories including airplane, rotorcraft, powered−lift (tilt− rotor), and lighter−than−air. Propulsion systems of UAS include a broad range of alternatives from piston powered and turbojet engines to battery and solar−powered electric motors.”
In response to the drastic rise in drone usage in the airspace, the FAA has developed an app called B4UFLY to help drone pilots determine what restrictions to airspace are currently in effect. B4UFLY is available for free download in the App Store for iOS and Google Play store for Android. B4UFLY is an easy-to-use smartphone app that helps unmanned aircraft operators determine whether there are any restrictions or requirements in effect at the location where they want to fly.
Love them or hate them, drones are here to stay. On June 21, 2016, the FAA posted a press release that stated, “We are part of a new era in aviation, and the potential for unmanned aircraft will make it safer and easier to do certain jobs, gather information, and deploy disaster relief,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “We look forward to working with the aviation community to support innovation, while maintaining our standards as the safest and most complex airspace in the world.” According to industry estimates, the rule could generate more than $82 billion for the U.S. economy and create more than 100,000 new jobs over the next 10 years. The Economist magazine in 2015 wrote an article called, “Welcome to the Drone Age,” which highlighted some interesting uses for drones and made a predictions that “[s]ome analysts think the number of drones made and sold around the world this year (2015) will exceed 1 million. In their view, what is now happening to drones is similar to what happened to personal computers in the 1980s, when Apple launched the Macintosh and IBM the PS/2, and such machines went from being hobbyists’ toys to business essentials.”
Modern Use of Drone Technology
I have highlighted some of the various uses for drone technology below. These are only a few and new uses are being discovered and utilized every day.
Archaeology
A n Economist article points out that, “archaeologists and historians are taking advantage of software that permits drones fitted with ordinary digital cameras to produce accurate 3D models of landscapes or buildings. This lets them map ancient ruins and earthworks.
Fighting Terrorist Antiquities Looting
Sarah Parcak, winner of the TED prize uses satellite and drone technology to find antiquities before terrorist organizations can use their plundering for black market funding of terrorism. “For the first time technology has gotten to the point where we can map looting,” said Sarah H. Parcak, a pioneering “satellite archaeologist,” founding director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Laboratory for Global Observation and an associate professor there. According to the New York Times, as early as September of 2014, reports of looting of museums began to surface. There have been many efforts by archivists to preserve the remains of ancient sites. The terrorists not only seek to eliminate symbols of social identity, culture and meaning, but spoils from looting are used to fund terrorist activities. And since ISIS has a limited human bandwidth in its military forces, it crowdsources its looting tasks to the locals who receive a percentage of the monetary value of the treasure.
Wildlife Conservation
The Economist points out that, “[p]ublic servants, too, are putting drones through their paces. In the case of nest-counting, the idea is not to disturb the wildlife in question. In Ottawa officials have taken the opposite approach, with a “goosebuster” drone that is fitted with speakers which play the calls of birds of prey. This has kept a city park on Petrie Island free from the hundreds of geese whose droppings were causing problems. Drones can also go where manned aircraft cannot, including the craters of active volcanoes and the interiors of caves. A drone operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in Massachusetts, has even snatched breath samples from spouting whales for DNA analysis. And drones are, as might be expected, particularly useful for studying birds. A standard shop-bought drone can, for example, be used unmodified for counting nests high in a forest’s canopy.”
3-D Mapping of Ecosystems
A company called Drone Adventures is doing a lot of great work related to conservation with drone technology. Drone Adventures promotes the civilian use of drones and fly missions throughout the world, connecting people who know drones best with people who need them the most. By using eBee drones to generate aerial maps, researchers are able to better manage the area and track how it changes over time.
Weather
I n 2007, an Aerosonde UAV took off from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and headed into Hurricane Noel, a Category 1 storm churning up the eastern coast of the United States. During its 17 hour, 27 minute flight into Noel, the Aerosonde flew as low as 300 feet above sea level, far lower than a piloted airplane would dare travel inside a hurricane eyewall.
Fighting Wildfires
Boeing’s Insitu, the American drone maker, is using drones to fight wildfires — and it’s relying on Microsoft’s HoloLens. Essentially two futuristic technologies — drones and holograms — are fighting wildfires. Unmanned systems removes the risk of human injury and death but also supplies extraordinary situational awareness.
Car Crash Reconstruction
I n July 2016, the Department of Justice ran drone test to measure how well unmanned aircraft systems could reconstruct automobile accidents.
Search and Rescue
T he Justice Department also aims to assess potential future applications of unpiloted aircraft systems such as using them for search and rescue and finding missing persons. Police in Michigan are considering using drones for mapping the scenes of accidents, so that roads can be reopened more quickly. And drones can save lives, as well as keeping parks clean and traffic moving. In June, for example, Frank Roma, a fireman, rescued two boys from a river in Maine with the help of a drone. The boys were stuck on a rock in the middle of a powerful current. Mr. Roma employed a drone to carry a line out to them, along which he passed life jackets that they were able to put on before an inflatable boat went out to perform the tricky maneuver of picking them up. In the following video, an Aerialtronics Altura Zenith Drone is used to help find avalanche victims using infrared technology that senses body heat.
Land Mine Detonation
Every day, someone in the world is being killed by a landmine. The Mine Kafon Drone, an airborne demining system hopes to change that. MK has developed a drone to clear all land mines around the world in less than 10 years.
Industrial Inspection
DJI, a very popular drone company has partnered with Swiss aerial tech company Flyability to make the Elios UAV aircraft even safer using a special image transmission system known as the Lightbridge 2. The result is a rescue drone that’s able to navigate tight spaces and smaller enclosures more efficiently so humans don’t have to.
Drone Delivery Systems
Although drone delivery systems are not legal in the United States yet, consider airspace with anti-collision systems that would be able to deliver items directly to you. Here’s an intriguing example.
Medical Supply Delivery
A startup company, Zipline plans to start using drones in the summer of 2016 to drop medical supplies and blood to remote areas of Rwanda, where access to roads is often cut off during flooding — all for the same cost as delivery via truck. The device is a fixed-wing drone capable of carrying 3.3 lbs and can travel a range of 74.5 miles. Despite its lightweight body, the drone can operate in rough weather conditions.
Overthrowing Dictators: The Aeryon Scout
According to Popular Science, “the Aeryon Scout is a small quadrotor that NATO allies supplied to the Libyan rebels in the campaign to overthrow Gaddafi. The scout weighs less than 3 pounds and can fly for about 25 minutes, making it useful for checking around corners. It’s operated with a touch screen, too.” The Aeryon Scout made an appearance on Sunday March 16, 2014, for the CBS 60 Minutes program. The show included a 13-minute segment, Drones Over America, that explored the growing commercial Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) industry, the value of the technology, the regulations and the concerns that the public and regulators have regarding privacy and safety of the systems in a variety of applications and environments.
Types of Drones
As you can see from the various videos above, drones can be used for a vast variety of missions and purposes. When I first got interested in drones, it was because I was taking a photography trip to Iceland and wanted to capture some video landscape footage. I bought a DJI Phantom 4 for the task, although I decided to learn the basics of drone flight from smaller practice drones. Drones come in all sizes and shapes. In Popular Science magazine, Kelsey Atherton reports, “Drone” as a category refers to any unmanned, remotely piloted flying craft, ranging from something as small as a radio-controlled toy helicopter to the 32,000-pound, $104 million Global Hawk. If it flies and it’s controlled by a pilot on the ground, it fits under the everyday-language definition of drone.”
Now that I’ve shown the various usage of drone, here’s the hard part for many…..following the rules and getting a certification to fly.
THE RULES: Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 14 Part 107: Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
If you want to fly commercially, you are going to need to get certified through the FAA. The interest in drone technology for all the uses I’ve talked about above is exciting.
Sally French, expert drone reporter says, “It’s good news for the commercial drone industry, which is expected to grow into a $20.6 billion global market over the next five years, according to a March 2016 report from Goldman Sachs. The image above is a Drone Market Environment Map of 2015 which lists many of the current companies interested in using drone technology……and the list is growing!
But the U.S. market had long been hampered by restrictive rules that have left drone operators confused about how they can legally make money in the drone industry.”
The biggest change is that commercial drone operators will need to take a written, drone-specific, aeronautical knowledge test.
In 2016, there has been an explosion of drone purchasing and flying all over the world. In 2014, federal and industry officials, reported that there were daily close calls between drones and airplanes and helicopters, as well as, sightings of drones at airports. The vast majority of drones must not fly higher than 400 feet, must remain visible to the operator, and stay at least five miles away from airports, but many people are ignoring these rules. This is especially worrisome since air traffic controllers cannot see small drones on their radar, and if a drone were to collide with a plane or get sucked into the engine, it could cause a crash.
Driven by safety concerns, the FAA has now released the Code of Federal Regulation 14, Part 107 to allow the operation of small unmanned aircraft systems in the National Airspace System. These changes address the operation of unmanned aircraft systems and certification of their remote pilots. The rule takes effect August 29, 2016 and a summary of the rule and other publications can be found on the FAA website. A free online course to help understand Part 107 has been developed with a 35 question test.
French continues, “[u]nder the new rules, drones still legally cannot fly over people or go past the operator’s visual line of site, which means Amazon’s plans for drone delivery will have to wait. Drones are restricted to flying only during daylight, which means Disney’s DIS, -0.20% ambitions of incorporating drones into nighttime entertainment also won’t be possible at the moment. It also means that operations occurring at night, including search and rescue or firefighting, won’t be legal either. Though, operators can apply for a waiver to be exempt from limitations.”
The use of drones and how to make sure operators are flying them properly will be an ongoing struggle. Drone use is very decentralized. Many build their own drones in their garages under the radar (pun intended) of any company that has the ability to sell a drone to a person and track the purchase. I’m hopeful that the current rules and system will evolve to a point where air space can be carved out for different levels of drone certification.
Angi English has a Master’s in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security and a Master’s in Educational Psychology from Baylor University. She is a licensed Remote Unmanned Aerial Systems pilot. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Texas. She lives in Austin.
* A big thank you to Ed Darack for his permission to use his history research for this blog article.
