The Role of Drones in Modern Aviation

From a dream to a hobby to a powerful tool, drones have rapidly evolved with a wide range of applications. Drones have become an essential tool in many fields, reshaping industries and transforming the way we live through lots of services like package delivery and remote landscape survey. In this article, we will explore the role of drones in modern aviation, going through their commercial and societal implications.

History of Drones

According to Cambridge Dictionary, “an aircraft that does not have a pilot but is controlled by someone on the ground, used especially for dropping bombs or for surveillance.” Another dictionary, Merriam-Webster, defines drones as “an uncrewed aircraft or vessel guided by remote control or onboard computers.” The technological term for drones is unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems, according to TechTarget.

The idea of drones started with the Montgolfier brothers in France in 1782. They were the first to construct a globe-shaped balloon, experiment with it, and then fly it in 1783. Then the use of drones appeared in 1849 when Austria attacked Venice using unmanned balloons loaded with explosives. This was the first military use of UAVs.

The Impact of Drones on Aviation

Drones are now completely involved in our daily lives, making important contributions to several industries. They help monitor train operations, check highways, bridges, and waterways, and maintain the safety of electricity lines, wind turbines, and oil and gas platforms. Their application extends to many fields such as agriculture, medicine, entertainment, public rescue, filming, etc.

Shipping Services

Companies and industries all over the world are using the aviation industry for shipping. They use it in delivering packages to different countries by loading them onto cargo planes that land in another country. This service is very essential to make the delivery process faster, easier, and safer. However, the process of aviation needs lots of people and is energy-consuming. What about making the process safer and less consuming?

The idea of using drones in delivery and shipping is not new. Some companies are already using them in the delivery process, such as Amazon. Using drones in delivery has affected the process a lot because it has saved a lot of costs of fuel and employment. It also made the process faster by avoiding traffic and crowds in the streets and delivering services to customers in a few days.

Medical Industry

It is popular that in accidents or medical emergencies, sometimes helicopters are used to save patients and transport them to hospitals. The unpopular thing is that the usage of drones in the medical field now is more effective. Medical drones are used as lifesavers for many patients in critical situations. They can fly faster to the location of the victim, delivering medical services and helping him/her by measuring the required parameters and then transferring these measurements to hospitals and clinics. They can also be used to detect precise locations of victims to help find them faster.

An example of an existing method is a medical quadcopter, which is equipped with an oxygen cylinder to relieve respiratory diseases. It is used to supply oxygen.

What About the Future of Drones in Aviation?

From the previous explanation, we can say that drones have become an essential part of modern aviation. For most industries, the main idea of using drones is to save money, power, and time. Ideas are still being generated about the usage of drones, and every day, a new application comes to life. UAV technology is one of the most exciting technologies evolving every day and for sure, it will have a great impact on the aviation industry in the future.

What do you think about drones? Do you have any revolutionary ideas for development? Please share your thoughts with us in comments below

References

• Vyas, K. (2020, June 29). A brief history of drones: From pilotless balloons to roaming killers. Interesting Engineering.
• Drones & Air Mobility Benefits for European citizens and Air Transport. EASA. (n.d.).
• Gillis, A. S., Lutkevich, B., & Earls, A. R. (2024, July 26). What is a drone?: Definition from TechTarget. Search IoT.
• (PDF) medical drone – A life saver in emergency situations. (n.d.).
  
  
  
  

Roaa Khaled

Roaa Khaled Ahmad. A 21 years old Nanotechnology and Nanoelectronics engineering student studying at zewail city of science and technology. She participated in many activities throughout her years in university including technical activities and artistic ones. She is obsessed with aviation and space and hope to specialize in this field in the future.

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