UAV - The early years

If you want a copy of this article printed in InterPilot, please mail me on per.gram@hesbynett.no

 

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAV`s

By Per Gram

 

Some time ago I discussed the development and use of UAV`s via e-mail with the Norwegian Airline Pilots` Association`s IFALPA Director. This followed the first trials at Lista Airport in Southern Norway. At that time we could not see them as a threat to civil aviation.  Today, celebrating the Wright Brothers` 100 years of their famous 40 yard flight, I may have to reconsider.

 

In Flight Intl. of September 2 – 8 1998, one could read that an ”Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle” had completed a 2000NM transatlantic flight in 26 hours. Prior to the flight of this small 13kg. vehicle, trials had taken place in Western Australia, Vancouver Island and the South China Sea. On August 21 1998 this vehicle flew from Bell Island on Newfoundland via a pre-programmed flight path to the Benbecula military range in Scotland where controllers took over manual control and landed it on South Uist Island in the Outer Hebrides. It should be added though, that altogether three vehicles were launched; one crashed just after take-off and one disappeared en-route. This was an American/Australian civilian venture. Unmanned ”spy planes”, missiles and drones had flown well before this in many countries, but this was really a first as far as operation outside line-of-sight and range goes and using GPS for navigation.