Smaller Drones = Less Likely Injury

This Washington Post article highlights another problem with military-grade UAVs or drones: size. Of course, in physics, the larger the mass times the speed of the object, the greater the energy released. With commercial drones, size is often limited due to the economic constraints of constructing a vehicle large enough to carry out a specific objective, versus the monies a firm has to invest. With the government, and the military in particular, drones are often based on full-size aircraft. While the appeal of flying massive unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has great appeal, it is this author's opinion that, as the pilot-in-command is not physically present when flying the craft, he or she has less incentive to keep that craft safe, and away from innocent people on the ground.

For example, in this story, the FA-18 pilot avoided a school full of children when his aircraft was in danger -- he was willing to risk injury or death to prevent others from coming to harm. When a UAV pilot is sitting in an air conditioned office flying a massive craft at speed, will he or she have the same reactions?

As with the Google Car, this author would be most comfortable with a large increase in the number of aircraft overhead in the CONUS should the government put forth guidelines on using autonomous control as a means of ensuring greater safety.