Drones vs Manned Aircraft: Recent Close Calls

Drones vs Manned Aircraft: Recent Close Calls 

Abstract

In this essay, the author discusses manned (piloted) and unmanned aircraft (drones).  The essay explores the differences between the two types of aircraft.  It includes a brief exploration of the history of both types of aircraft, with a focus on the history of unmanned aircraft.  It also looks at the wide variety of types of drones, which can run the gamut from small drones meant to fly at low altitudes to military-level aerial vehicles. The author then goes on to discuss the challenges of having manned aircraft and drones in the same airspace, beginning with a discussion of the use of drones in uncontested airspace.  Finally, the essay focuses on recent close calls between drones and manned aircraft and the implications of those close calls on aviation safety in both military and civilian contexts.  

Essay Topics 

Exploring how drones and manned aircraft can safely navigate the same airspace. 

How to prevent accidents between drones and manned aircraft when they are in common airspace.  

Understanding how drones could increase the number of international incidents linked to aircraft and steps that governments can take to avoid those problems.   

Learning the differences between drones and manned aircraft and how those differences can impact how the vehicles are operated in shared airspaces.   

Running a root cause analysis on recent close calls for drones and manned aircraft in the same airspace.   

Essay Titles

Flying Blindly: Are Drones Less Safe than Manned Aircraft

Air Traffic Accidents

Close Calls: A Breakdown of Recent Near Misses between Drones and Manned Aircraft

How Drones Have Changed the Face of Aviation

Drones vs Manned Aircraft: Does Anybody Win if They Collide? 

Essay Outline

I. Introduction

A. Manned and unmanned aircraft

B. History of drones

C. Uncontested airspace

D. Recent close calls

II. Defining manned and unmanned aircraft

A. Unmanned aircraft (drone definition)

B. Manned aircraft definition

III. History of drones

A. When drones were created

B. Types of drones

C. Use of drones

IV. Uncontested airspace

A. Define uncontested airspace

B. Define contested airspace

C. Rules for flying in uncontested and contested spaces

V. Recent close calls 

A. Military context

B. Civilian context

VI. Conclusion

Introduction

For much of the history of aviation, most aircraft have been manned aircraft.  A manned aircraft refers to an aircraft that is piloted by a crew that is inside the airplane.  A drone or unmanned aerial vehicle refers to an aircraft that does not have a human pilot on board (Wikipedia, 2020).  While drones may seem like a relatively new concept, they actually have a history that is long and varied.  In fact, anyone who has ever seen someone pilot a model airplane was actually watching an unmanned aircraft.  While drones have been around for as long as widely-used manned aircraft, there is no question that they are becoming increasingly common.  In fact, drones are being used for more and more purposes, commercial, recreational, and military, every day.  This has led to drones being present in contested airspace, not just the uncontested airspace that was once the almost exclusive location for people using drones.  As a result, there have been a number of close calls between manned and unmanned aircraft.  

Essay Hook

Unless some precautions are enacted, it is inevitable that one of these close calls will eventually result in unintended fatalities.   

Thesis Statement

Therefore, it seems clear that society needs to adopt universal standards for the use of drones in contested or otherwise occupied airspace. 

Body

While the use of drones may seem to be a recent phenomenon because of their presence in the news and in everything from toy advertisements to Amazon deliveries to weapons, unmanned aircraft have actually always been a significant component of the aviation industry.  Understanding the difference between manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft is important to understanding how the two types of vehicles can exist in the same airspace.  Unmanned aircraft refers to any air vehicle without a human pilot on board.  They are navigated by using communication between a ground-based controller and the vehicle.  They may also be known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unscrewed aerial vehicles, or drones.  They may be operated remotely by a human operator or ground-based pilot or they may be fully autonomous, or any combination of the two types of control.  In contrast, a manned aircraft is not just an aircraft that has humans on it, but one that is controlled by a human pilot.  Though it is not standard, it is entirely possible for an aircraft to be carrying humans, but to be operated by a remote system. 

Many people think of the history of aviation beginning with the Wright brothers’ iconic flight.  However, it is important to distinguish between different types of aircraft.  For example, “hot air balloons predate airplanes by more than a century.  The first successful hot air balloon flight with people on board was in Paris in 1793, while Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first successful airplane flight didn’t happen until 1903” (Turrell, 2019).  Unmanned aircraft have been in use even longer than that, though the first successful use of drones in a military application was probably not until the 1850s (Vyas, 2020).  Originally, drones were created as weapons and consisted of remotely-guided aerial missile deployers (Vyas, 2020).  Today, drones are used for a variety of different applications from recreational to business to military.  These applications include, but are not limited to, photography, surveillance, filming, search and rescue, deliveries, monitoring climate change, and military applications. 

As drones have become increasingly popular, they have moved beyond their military applications.  This means that they have also moved into areas where one is likely to find traditional, manned aircraft.  Uncontested airspace refers to airspace that is considered to be firmly under the control of a particular government or power.  The airspace over a country that is not at war is generally the uncontested airspace of that country.  Contested airspace refers to airspace that is currently in disputed ownership or control by opposing factions.  In most intentional conflicts between aircraft, the airspace may be considered contested.  Drones are sometimes considered ideal to use in conflicts in contested airspaces because they do not put troops at risk.  However, when one looks at the lessons of the first drone vs manned aircraft conflict in a military application, this statement seems to be an oversimplification.  “The first recorded air-to-air engagement was in December 2002, between an Iraqi MiG-25 and an American Predator UCAV armed with Stinger missile. Both fired a missile at each other. The UAV was shot down and the same could be seen through the video downlink. A fighter aircraft has the positioning and speed advantages and better chance of an air-to-air kill” (Chopra, 2013).  While there have been advances in drone technology, manned aircraft continue to retain an advantage in intentional conflicts. 

The problem is that many incidents between drones and manned aircraft are not intentional military actions but almost-collisions.  Many of these occur because ground-based operators fail to understand that there are rules governing how aircraft can operate in certain areas.  In the United States, aviation rules are established by the Federal Aviation Administration and these rules vary on location, type of drone being used, the skill level of the operator, and the purpose for which the drone is being used (FAA, 2020).  In addition, flights below a certain level may also be subject to certain state and local ordinances.  Other countries have similar regulatory agencies and guidelines.  Generally, these guidelines are designed to keep drones from being flown in the same airspace as manned aircraft, or, when they are, to track the drones’ flight paths to prevent collisions. 

However, ignorance of these rules and some lack of skill among drone users has led to some near-misses between drones and manned aircraft.  In fact, it would be impossible to thoroughly examine all of these near-misses.  According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s records, there were “1,171 near misses between drones and planes nationally in the first six months of 2019” (Van Osdol, 2019).  The number of collisions and near misses is only expected to increase as the number of drones in the air increases.  One of the major causes of these collisions or near misses is ignorance on the part of drone operators, who are intentionally flying the drones outside of their own lines-of-sight, and interfering with the use of restricted airspace.  Only by educating drone operators about air safety rules and regulations can the risk of accidental collisions be reduced.  However, that leaves the problem of intentional interference.  It is very possible that a large enough drone could take down a small manned aircraft, which means that drones have to be considered as a possible means for terrorist attacks if operated by people with bad intentions.  

In addition, the use of drones in a military context can really increase the danger of deaths from friendly fire.  For example, the United States Air Force UAV accident rate is more than four times as high as the accident rate for manned aircraft.  In addition, “collateral damage from UAV attacks continues to be high at 32 percent” (Chopra, 2013).  This leads to an increase in deaths from friendly fire, including civilian deaths, and has threatened relations between allies, notably between the United States and Pakistan after a drone attack killed a number of civilians in Pakistan.  

Conclusion

Given that drones are becoming increasingly common in the air, it should come as no surprise that near-misses between drones and manned aircraft are increasing.  Partially, this is due to the fact that people can operate many drones from the ground without having the experience or knowledge that would allow them to pilot a manned aircraft.  This can put the crew aboard a manned aircraft in danger, while also threatening property and anyone who might be impacted by a collision.  Therefore, it is important to quickly develop protocols designed to protect air safety, while still allowing for the expansive use of drones in everyday life.