or any helicopter pilot paying the scantest bit of attention to the news, the conclusion is inescapable: commercial unmanned aircraft –
aka drones – are no longer toys. They have grown in size, payload capacity, mission profiles, and range to become bona fide aerial platforms.
The fact that commercial unmanned aircraft are achieving “critical mass” (the minimum size or amount of something required to start or maintain a venture) raises big questions for helicopter pilots. Will the advent of drones take work away from humans? Or does this emergence open up vast new possibilities for aerial applications – and new employment opportunities for pilots as a result?