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?
According to Wingfield at the New York Times drones or UAV's are used just for leisure for civilians. A lot of civilians also use drones for aerial photography. The FAA released regulations for drones last summer in which businesses or the civilians have to abide by; the drones must be under 55 pounds and to operate the drone the pilot must pass a written test and be at least 16 years old. The drones can only be flown below 400 feet and be at least 5 miles away from any airports.
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.
According to Hughes at CNSnews.com that if the FAA integrates drones in the NAS that it would be an $82.1 Billion economic benefit to the United States. If that is true I believe it could be a real benefit just for that reason. I think the problem that could occur from it is an over population of drones in the NAS. I also feel that the sectional charts would have to be completely rewritten and redrawn for adding those "airspace's". However, the economic impact could outweigh the other issues.
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)?
According to Bowden at The Smithsonian the predator drone has made an incredible impact in how it has been used to track down enemies. I would say that it has been ethical to an extent, because it has been used for the safety of the United States but I think it could be abused if not done properly. There is a lot of issues in the United States with privacy and the NSA and if the military started abusing that, I think it could be an issue but for the safety of American's it can be very useful.
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.
I went to glassdoor.com which is a very useful job search site and looked up civilian UAV jobs and came up with nearly 924 openings throughout the United States. I believe that if the UAV's integrate with the NAS that there would be many more opening and positions available. I attached the link as well: https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/uav-operator-jobs-SRCH_KO0,12.htm
Works Cited
Bowden, M. (2013, November). How the Predator Drone Changed the Character of War. Retrieved February 09, 2017
Hughes, B. M. (2015, August 19). FAA Aims to 'Seamlessly Integrate' Drones Into National Airspace; Industry Report: $82.1B Economic Benefit to U.S. Retrieved February 09, 2017.
Wingfield, N. (2016, August 29). A Field Guide to Civilian Drones. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
Hey Scott,
ReplyDeleteI also feel that if the military were to start using their drones within the United States for pubic surveillance, it would be very unethical. The public has rights and if abused, these rights will be violated.
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteI really liked what you found for the second question. I only question what would bring in THAT much money by implementing UAV’s into the NAS. That is a very large amount of money that could sole and help a lot of problems. I also agree that drone use in the military is a big plus. Not only can they be used to track down enemies, but they cost so much less than using actual pilots in expensive jets. I also don’t think the military would abuse the use of drones, and hopefully they use them for only what is necessary.
Hey Scott,
ReplyDeleteI also found that many civilians are using UAVs for photography. They are a growing hobby for many civilians. I also found it interesting that there are so many job positions that are available for drone pilots. I believe this will keep many people and companies invested in UAVs.
I agree I feel the drones are great but they can not be abused. The weapon is only as good as the surveillance used to find the target. It is nearly 100% precise but if our intelligence is not accurate the accuracy of the weapon itself doesn't matter.
ReplyDelete