UAV SystemsUnmanned Aerial Vehicles

“Drones”

What are “drones”•Any aircraft that does not have a human operator “on board”?•Balloons, Frisbees, kites, R/C planes?

•Not exactly…

Key characteristics:•Remote or Autonomous Control•Powered•Unmanned•Aerodynamic Forces for Lift•Can carry a Payload1

Easy acronym? C-P-U-L-P ;-)

Elements of UAS:•More than just the aircraft!

• Unmanned aircraft (UA)• Control system, such as ground control station (GCS)• Control link, a specialized datalink• Other related support equipment 2

Brief History:•Been around a while!

• 1800’s Austria attacks Venice with bomb-filled balloons• Minimal efforts during WWI and WWII• Kicked of during Vietnam War, 3400 combat missions 3

• General John C. Meyer said, "we let the drone do the high-risk flying ... the loss rate is high, but we are willing to risk more of them ... they save lives!“• As of 2012, the United States Air Force employed 7,494 UAVs - almost

1 in 3 USAF aircraft. 4

Non-Military Applications:“Please don’t call me a drone!”

Filmmaking

Crop Surveying

Search and Rescue

Power lineInspection

MedicalDelivery

WildlifeCounts

Pipeline Inspection

Reconnaissance

Border Patrol

Fire Detection

Surveillance

Humanitarian Aid

Detection ofIllegal Hunting

Land Surveying Accident Investigation

LandslideMeasurement

CrowdMonitoring

Illegal Dump Detection CatchingFugitives

Journalism

ScientificResearch

Maritime Patrol

Archeology

CargoTransport

AerialPhotography

Regulation:•A moving target!

• FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012• Deadline of September 30, 2015 for the agency to establish regulations to

allow the use of commercial drones. 5

• As of August 2013• Commercial unmanned aerial system6 (UAS) licenses were granted on a case-

by-case basis, subject to approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Previously, COAs required a public entity as a sponsor (like MTSU)

• February 15, 2015• The FAA announced that up to seven thousand businesses could get approval

to fly drones under proposed rules by the FAA

References:

1. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. (n.d.) Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. (2005).

2. "Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)" (PDF). Icao.int.

3. Robert Kanyike. "History of U.S. Drones".

4. "Almost 1 In 3 U.S. Warplanes Is a Robot". WIRED. Retrieved 8 January 2015.

5. "FAA MODERNIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2012" (PDF). Gpo.gov.

6. Ahlers, Mike. November 7, 2013. FAA takes initial steps to introduce private drones in U.S. skies CNN.