writes:

Sing For Supper wrote:

Is there an effort to develop flight software and avionics integration
to allow for a remote pilot (using remote control) to co pilot a general
aviation plane? I with SatNav readily available and with cameras on the
nose (regular and night vision) there is really no reason that any GA
plane with advanced glass panel avionics could not be remotely flown.
The technology is all there and working in drones, radio controlled
model aircraft. An incorporation of fly-by-wire technology, satellite
communications and all computerized cockpits can be configured to be
remotely flown.

And the reason for doing this would be?

The reason the military does it is because no crew gets killed when the
aircraft is shot down.

And because the aircraft can be lighter, and can have a smaller
stealthier shape, and because the aerobatics possible aren't limited by
the G tolerance of an on-board pilot. Oh, and can stay up longer
(changing shifts of pilot on the ground, rather than either requiring
immensely long shifts by one pilot, or taking on even more weight for
additional crew).

The reason the cops want to do it is because they think UAV surveillance
is cheaper than manned surveillance but cops generally run helicopters
for manned surveillance so the whole issue is muddled as they could
save lots of money just by switching from helicopters to fixed wing.

Being able to fly slower than a running suspect is useful, isn't it?
I'd think a fixed-wing would have to lose sight and loop back and hope
to reacquire the suspect -- which mostly would fail fairly soon.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, ; http://dd-b.net/
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