"Drones are Ready for Takeoff" from the June issue of Smithsonian. Many of the usual suspects and a good bit of journalistic naivete, but worth reading. It focuses on Aerovel Corp, a small company in Washington State founded by some folks who helped develop the Scaneagle (picture above of their Flexrotor UAV). Exerpt:
Until now, drone aircraft have been confined largely to war zones—most recently in Libya—and they have become controversial for killing civilians along with insurgents. But critics and boosters alike say unmanned aircraft will increasingly be used for peacetime work. They disagree about the likely scale of the industry, but the Federal Aviation Administration is already considering new rules and training staffers to adjust to unmanned aircraft in U.S. airspace. “It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” says Peter Singer, an analyst with the Brookings Institution. “Is it going to be 2012 or 2014? The point is, it’s going to happen.”
Comments
The lost comm logic for some UAV systems can be rather arcane. I can't speak for the Fire Scout, but correct placement of a lost comm route by the operator is required in many systems. Placing such a route to deconflict with terrain, airspace, traffic, and line of sight can be a challenge. Air traffic control doesn't know how each system might respond to a comm or GPS failure, and they don't like surprises... The FAA is working with several manufacturers to test the integration of a standard Flight Management System similar to what you'd find in a 737 in a GCS. This would allow the UAV to follow airways, execute standard FAA FAR 91.185 lost comm procedures, and have the GCS automatically send a message to ATC if the aircraft lost link, and what path it would follow.