“Drones overall will be more impactful than I think people recognise, in positive ways to help society.” ~Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft.
The current popular name of remote flying machines (UAVs or RAPs) is drone, reputably named by the American Admiral Standly, who during a visit to England in 1935, witnessed the Royal Navy’s target drone DH82b Queen Bee, which “buzzed”, the name stuck. Like so many developments in Aviation, the thrust and development have been military, from cameras mounted on drones, radar decoys to flying bombs in the various ongoing conflicts. It was not until the 1990s that the civilian and commercial potential of this technology was really perceived. The rotary wing technology opened the floodgates. At first drones were restricted to small machines for photography and hobby use, but they are still popular today. The transition to autonomous computer-controlled devices has been rapid and has attracted large investment. However, just as in the early years of aviation, control, regulation, international agreements and conventions are urgently needed. The potential for accidents and interference with regular aircraft operations was and is enormous. Civil aviation authorities (CAAs) had to revert to the Chicago Convention article 8 which states that separate permission is needed to fly any aircraft without a pilot. Clearly new specific rules and restrictions will continue to evolve in tandem with the developing technology and market. For example, how to legislate control in one country and fly a drone into another country?
Drones were used extensively during Covid-19, to deliver vaccines and medical equipment. Drone deliveries are highly efficient, significantly speeding up delivery times and avoiding challenges traditional delivery vehicles may encounter. After natural disasters, drones can be activated for quick response, avoiding damaged or impassable roads. This prompt response is crucial for timely decision-making and rescue operations.
ICAO regulations apply up to a point but were never intended for autonomous, semi-autonomous, or remote-controlled flying machines. The rules direct that an unmanned aircraft must have a RPIC or remote pilot who is legally responsible, which applies to both visual line of site (VLOS) and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Increased activity clearly demands a much more integrated system of control, in coordination with the local ATC. Current legislation is based on weight and dimensions, as well as the route and altitude.
The flexibility of drones became apparent in delivering medical and emergency supplies to remote and difficult locations in Africa and other inaccessible locations. Some police forces found drones to be an excellent tool for hidden observation. The drone has become an essential component of last mile deliveries and have now been adopted by many companies such as Amazon, UPS, DHL and FedEx as well as a number of specialist operators such as Winzip, flying Basket and Skylift. The global drone market in 2023 was estimated at over US$27 billion, with the industry focusing on advancements in technology, including battery life, obstacle avoidance, and flight capabilities. Several factors, including the rising demand for drones in various sectors, such as agriculture, construction, mining, and oil and gas, are driving the growth of the drone market. Simultaneously, the development of artificial intelligence, and computer vision technologies is helping to increase drone efficiency.
The potential for the air cargo industry has been demonstrated by The Black swan, a pilotless aircraft successfully developed by Dronamics, the world’s first cargo drone airline, founded by Svilen and Konstantin Rangelov.
“We started with a clean sheet design and developed a fixed-wing, aerodynamic aircraft that is cheaper to build, maintain and operate. It needs 400 metres to land and take off, making it operational with little infrastructure,” the siblings stated.
“There are around 50,000 airfields worldwide that don’t get regular commercial service. We also moved the cockpit in a mobile control station that can go where the aircraft needs to be. Therefore, our aircraft are not unpiloted, but remotely piloted by experienced commercial pilots. The Black Swan is a long-range high payload aircraft designed specifically for cargo. We don’t sell aircraft, but the capacity, operating as an airline.
“Our aircraft, the Black Swan, uses a conventional, certified engine which significantly shortens our operational path. Since the very start, we were focused on solving the challenge with middle-mile logistics – so we weren’t after a solution ‘to your front door’ but rather a flying delivery van. Only about 1 percent of cargo worldwide is transported by air, due to cost. Our goal is to unlock the other 99 percent, especially where affordability or geography is a barrier, which can often lead to stagnating economic growth locally.
“To do that, our aircraft needs to carry a significant payload of up to 350 kg over 2500 km . Currently, the battery technology doesn’t allow for that, which is why we have chosen this path to start with.
“As far as regulations are concerned, the industry has made significant progress. When we started 10 years ago, the regulations didn’t exist. We participated in early advisory groups and are the first cargo drone airline to obtain both IATA and ICAO designator codes. Cross-border flight authorisations are developing, especially in Europe, where the common market helps with harmonised regulatory framework.
“The industry projects pilot shortages in the next decade, as well as truck driver shortages.
“Our solution doesn’t remove the pilots from the equation, on the contrary – it allows them to keep their feet on the ground and go home at the end of a working day. It can be said that this opens opportunities for pilots who no longer can or want to be physically transported to other destinations every time they practice their profession”.
