Are you concerned about the sky gradually becoming filled with windowless aircraft controlled by someone miles (maybe even states) away? You’re not alone. But it may be that the real “threat” turns out to be less about midair collisions and more about increasingly complicated and restricted airspace rules to accommodate remotely piloted aircraft operations.
They are variously known as the unmanned aerial system (UAS), the term favored by the manufacturers; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); and, most popularly, “drones.” Whatever the name, the science of unmanned aircraft has changed forever due to modern satellite navigation and optical technology, and still bigger changes are just over the horizon. Some of them are technological; others are sociopolitical in nature. Just how big the changes will be, and how far over the horizon they are lurking, is causing controversy within aviation circles, and even more attention from those concerned over privacy rights.
