Drone and UAV Opinion Survey

[TheCanadianFlyBoy]

Hello,

I am currently undergoing a high school aerospace engineering co-op. For a final project I am conducting a survey and series of interviews to gauge the public opinion, as well as opinion of specific sectors, on the safety of drone aircraft.

The survey is a google survey found at the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/KpgVutHN5HWGaCDU2

It is completely confidential, and no specific results will be shared without consent.

If you would like to partake in an interview or just give more indepth opinion, I am more than interested.

 

[Loachman]

Hello, TheCanadianFlyBoy

I cannot see your survey at work. I'll look later.

I was a CU161 Sperwer Mission Commander in Afghanistan in late 2008 to early 2009, and ran the final Sperwer mission before it was retired.

Please do not use the term "drone". It's fashionable, yes, but wrong.

Few Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are drones. Drones are pre-programmed and autonomous. Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) or Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPVs) (interchangeable terms) have human controllers.

I may be willing to share more after I see the survey.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

very "pilot centric" the reality is that commercially most drones will not be flown by pilots, in fact looking at commercial drones and the technology advances, one will not be "flying" a drone, just directing it.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Hello,

I am currently undergoing a high school aerospace engineering co-op. For a final project I am conducting a survey and series of interviews to gauge the public opinion, as well as opinion of specific sectors, on the safety of drone aircraft.

The survey is a google survey found at the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/KpgVutHN5HWGaCDU2

It is completely confidential, and no specific results will be shared without consent.

If you would like to partake in an interview or just give more indepth opinion, I am more than interested.

No pilots, no problem!

(From an infantry guy )

 

[Loachman]

very "pilot centric" the reality is that commercially most drones will not be flown by pilots, in fact looking at commercial drones and the technology advances, one will not be "flying" a drone, just directing it.

If there is a human operator, then it is not a "drone", but an RPV or RPA. If it is pre-programmed or autonomous, then it is a "drone".

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I am afraid your nicely defined parameters are going to be swept aside by social media and common usage of terms as the masses see fit.  [

The Phantom 4 fits both those definitions, you can completely pre-program it, you can fly it in assisted or completely unassisted mode, you can target a object/person and it will follow them and self avoid obstacles in the process. I suspect the next 2 generations will be even more capable.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I am afraid your nicely defined parameters are going to be swept aside by social media and common usage of terms as the masses see fit.  [

Yes, let's all...

Because social media is always the best place to get info!  >

 

[Colin Parkinson]

except in this case the masses are paying the piper and therefore will call the tune regardless what the "experts" say

http://dronelife.com/2015/04/16/drone-sales-numbers-nobody-knows-so-we-venture-a-guess/

In March, The Verge reported DJI’s 2014 sales figures were around $500 million which is right around the number analysts had forecasted. Of course, DJI rolled out several more expensive versions of the Phantom as well as new editions of their Spreading Wings systems, driving up the average price of a DJI drone. So the conservative estimation would be DJI moved about 416,000 drones in 2014.

This would mean DJI sold 533,400 Phantoms between the initial launch and the end of 2014.

It’s a very real possibility DJI does $1 billion in sales this year which would put them in position to move 500,000 drones this year alone (taking into account the company’s new, more expensive, offerings).

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I make effort to ignore what incorrect/uneducated/amateurs think.  Makes life easier.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Good luck with that, I suggest a good whisky will make it easier.  ;D

Civilian and commercial drones will out number military unmanned aircraft by a wide margin in a very short period of time.

 

[Loachman]

They did quite some time ago, when they were called "radio-controlled aircraft".

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I find drone flyers and RC flyers two very different groups, with a bit of crossover. RC flyers like to “fly” and that is their goal, RC types will like and do well in drone racing. However most people buying a drone nowadays are doing so to accomplish something else, so flying is a means to an end, not the end in itself.

 

[Journeyman]

... most people buying a drone nowadays are doing so to accomplish something else, so flying is a means to an end, not the end in itself.

Could you give some examples?

 

[Loachman]

I find drone flyers and RC flyers two very different groups, with a bit of crossover. RC flyers like to “fly” and that is their goal, RC types will like and do well in drone racing. However most people buying a drone nowadays are doing so to accomplish something else, so flying is a means to an end, not the end in itself.

They are all operating unmanned aircraft via radio control, regardless of the purpose.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Loachman, you are technically correct, but you are missing the drivers for the sales and technology. The majority of retail drone users will never fly RC aircraft other than perhaps the cheap little helicopters in their backyards as a stepping stone. Reducing the need to “fly the machine” is a major direction of the current and future technology. In fact if you listen to the RC flyers they are already complaining the machines are “to boring to fly”. Funny enough the RC communities will benefit from the retail drone industry pushing the technology very quickly forward, when it was the drone companies that had used the RC tech to get started.   

Journeyman
Filming of real estate is very popular with real estate agents and even contractors. Sport filming from a drone is a major thing. You can see that drone use is growing and replacing helicopters in making commercials and movies. Archeologists are using drones more and more. Mining is quickly growing, Forestry will take off in the next few years. 

 

[Loachman]

Loachman, you are technically correct, but you are missing the drivers for the sales and technology.

So? The porn industry drove video, blu ray, and internet improvements, secure online transactions, and a bunch of other technology that is now used by almost every modern individual, sometimes for things other than viewing porn. A radio-controlled aircraft is still a radio-controlled aircraft, regardless of who/what drove modern improvements.

Anyway, I filled out the survey.

 

[GnyHwy]

Good for you for taking on this complex topic. Very current, relevant and has plenty of future application.

Go Arty, we got some bigger UAS coming are way in the near future. My first impression is that you are too smart for us anyway, but you could use us a stepping stone.

Cheers,

 

[dimsum]

Good for you for taking on this complex topic. Very current, relevant and has plenty of future application.

Go Arty, we got some bigger UAS coming are way in the near future. My first impression is that you are too smart for us anyway, but you could use us a stepping stone.

Cheers,

How much bigger?  A larger SUAS or are they looking at MALE, which has generally been the domain of the Air Force?

 

[GnyHwy]

How much bigger?  A larger SUAS or are they looking at MALE, which has generally been the domain of the Air Force?

The Blackjack. It is bigger than ScanEagle and is arguably in a grey area. There is still plenty or regulation and training to iron out.

Here's a relevant article.  http://www.vanguardcanada.com/2014/12/30/persistent-eye-sky/