Drone drivers' guide

[BEagle]

Those involved in drone driving might be interested to note that CAP722, the CAA's guide for operation of such things in UK airspace, has just been re-issued.

You can download a free copy at http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP722.pdf

[L J R]

Thank You Beagle..:ok:...
...never saw the term Drone used throughout the document however...:eek:




...oh-ho thread creep!!

[Sun Who]

Beags,

I notice it now says:
"Finally, in line with continued developments in UAS terminology, and the principle that unmanned aircraft are still to be treated as aircraft rather than as a separate entity, the term 'UAV' has been gradually phased out from this document and replaced with the simple term 'unmanned aircraft' (UA). In line with this, the term 'pilot' (i.e. the person who operates the controls for the aircraft) is used more frequently."
Strangely no mention of introducing the word 'drone';)

[TheInquisitor]

...as well as RPA, UAS, RPAS (S being "system", ie including the gcs, crew and associated gubbins).... What are we calling ourselves this week??

No, "Drone" not mentioned anywhere... I always thought that word referred to diatribes from old VC10 drivers.....

:E

[L J R]

I also see that I can be called a pilot gain.....

[27mm]

IIRC, the PC brigade demanded that these aircraft be called "Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV)", for the term "Unmanned" was clearly non-PC.....

[BEagle]

Why are these drone people so sensitive? The Oxford dictionary includes the following defintion of 'drone':
A remote-controlled pilotless aircraft

Now, whether the drone folk want to argue semantics about autonomous or semi-autonomous operation, this definition seems pretty accurate to me.

As the press are increasingly realising, for clarity of description it is preferable to use a noun (e.g. drone) rather than an acronym (e.g. UCAV) or abbreviation (e.g. RPV) - particularly if that abbreviation has a long established existing use in the same field (e.g. UAS).

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Chaps, “drone” is a well established noun in the English language. The fact that it has been regularly used in eminent aviation journals must qualify it as a legitimate word for professional aviators. For example:
1958 | 1- - 0897 | Flight Archive (http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200897.html?search=drone)

Flight, 12 DEC 58

Just before the last S.B.A.C. Display, Short Brothers and
Harland, Ltd., announced the development of the Canberra
U.IO as a pilotless, remote-controlled aircraft for use in
missile trials. Firefly and Meteor drones have for some years been
used for this type of work and it was logical to suppose that the
Canberra might also be adapted for such duties in order to provide
a drone with higher performance and longer range.


As the acronyms for these machines seem to change like ladies’ fashion, the well understood word, “drone” would appear very sensible. It is appreciated, of course, that some of you chaps hate to be associated with anything made public through popular newspapers, television or the wireless but that is where ordinary people may hope to learn something. Look on the bright side; at least they aren’t being called remote controlled toy aeroplanes.

[Mr Grim]

The Oxford dictionary includes the following defintion of 'drone':

Quote:
A remote-controlled pilotless aircraft


I think you just disproved yourself there, BEagle.

The new CAP clearly states that the operators are pilots so it obviously isn't a pilotless aircraft. Drones are aircraft that fly themselves around with no pilot input (think of a VC10 where the pie eaters are asleep).

If it helps get your head round it, just think of Reaper class UAVs as exactly the same as "normal" aircraft except with extremely long control runs! And cheaper. And more effective.

[Lima Juliet]

This isn't new...

The De Havilland DH 82B ‘Queen Bee’ was developed to the 1933 Air Ministry Specification 18/33. It combined the fuselage of the D.H.60G III Moth Major with all other components from the DH 82 ‘Tiger Moth’. It could be flown by a pilot from the first cockpit, while the radio equipment was fitted in the rear cockpit.

First conventional flight was on January 5, 1935, the radio control development started in June 1935 from HMS Orion. The Air Ministry ordered a total of 420 Queen Bee to Specification 20/35, 320 were contracted to De Havilland and 100 to Scottish Aviation Ltd (SAL - who later went on to build the Bulldog and Jetstream aircraft), deliveries were completed in July 1944. The RAF operated the Queen Bee from RAF Farnborough’s No 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit (11 Apr 1938 - 1 Oct 1942). This unit operated Pilotless Aircraft Sections (‘A’ to ‘Z’ Flt) at various locations throughout the country for summer camps (such as RAF Cleave, Henlow, Hawkinge and Weyborne). These flights returned to Farnborough during the winter and often closed. It went on to form the Pilotless Aircraft Unit at RAF Manorbier (5 May 1942 - 15 Mar 1946). A senior US Navy Admiral witnessed the Queen Bee in operation in 1936 and found the concept very interesting. He set up a US Navy program under Lieutenant Commander Delmar S. Farnhey. By 1937, Farnhey's team had converted a number of light aircraft to radio-controlled targets and used them in exercises. It is said that Farnhey invented the term "drone" for robot aircraft as homage to the Queen Bee and the fixed-pitch drone they made when the RAF’s remote operators made so few throttle demands to produce a predictable gunnery target for training.


Here is a pic of a Queen Bee...

http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/images/queen_bee_500.jpg

So I guess "Drone" is an American word like "Color", "Pants", "Drugstore", "Freeway", "Cop", "Muffler" and "Ranch"; it is not a Queen's English word in this context!

BEagle, my dear chap, are you sure that you want to speak Colonial's English?

LJ :ok: