What Am I? Aerial innovation

They can be as small as the palm of your hand, as large as a microwave, or the size of a manned aircraft. They can take photographs, measure water density in farm fields, or detect bad guys in buildings. Realtors use them, farmers use them, the military uses them. And they go by several names: drones, UAS (unmanned aircraft systems), and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles). But by whatever name they are called and for whatever purpose they are used, this aviation revolution is changing the skies. Drones are the fastest-growing segment in aviation and represent tens of thousands of pilots flying aircraft—from small systems operated for fun to large drones used to patrol, record, observe, inspect, and complete many other missions across the country.

Many have called them “aerial robots” because they perform duties while being controlled by human hands. Often made from lightweight composite materials, they are also both rugged and replaceable, which is one of the reasons the military was an early adopter of the technology: Drones don’t put human lives on the line. Many also know when to return to home: The drone pilot can initiate the action, a low battery can trigger the drone to head home, or loss of transmission capabilities will send it home. Many refer to the remote-control systems manned by humans as the “ground cockpit” and the operator as the “pilot.” On June 21, 2016, the FAA finalized the regulatory framework for UAS. FAA Part 107 regulations created the drone certification process that covers most of the low-risk, commercial, small-UAS flight operations.

AOPA offers drone pilot memberships. Learn more about this evolving aviation segment.