Pilotless Aircraft

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses efforts to move the technology of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) forward and place it on the same footing as human-piloted aircraft and notes the serious safety concerns involved in using them as commercial airliners. The paper shows how UAVs are an unproven technology that is only beginning to be successfully used in military applications. The paper contends that using this technology in civil airspace represents an unnecessary risk to other aircraft that cannot be justified.

From the Paper:

"Some may believe that UAVs are the next step in aviation, but it is far more likely based on the evidence to conclude that they are actually just a new hazard in already overcrowded skies (Use of pilotless planes, 2006). In the United States alone, airlines account for approximately 612 million commercial flights each year (Eng, n.d.). This is a significant number of aircraft clogging the skies each year, which is already difficult to manage. Mid-air collisions are not unheard of, despite pilot training and despite the latest technology. Into this fray imagine the insertion of UAVs using untested technology and an unreliable ability to detect and avoid other aircraft. The results of UAVs colliding with other aircraft or with structures on the ground cannot be ignored."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Eng, P. (n.d.). Plotting pilotless possibilities. Eclipse Aviation. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.eclipseaviation.com/index.php?option=com_newsroom&task=viewarticle&id=505&Itemid=51
• Fitchett, J. (1996, September 2). Will pilotless aircraft rule the skies? International Herald Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.iht.com/articles/1996/09/02/future.t.php
• Graham-Rowe, D. (2003, June). Safety fears over pilotless planes. New Scientist. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3868
• Marks, P. (2006, November 28). Airliner flown 'without pilot' in UAV test. New Scientist. Retrieved April 8, 2007, from http://www.newscientisttech.com/article/dn10675-airliner-flown-without-pilot-in-uav-test.html
• There's nobody in the cockpit--help! Pilotless planes. (2002, December 21). The Economist, 365(8304).

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