Originally Posted by
cardiomd
They are getting better all the time.
DCNS and Thales have overcome a new hurdle for the automatic deck-landing of UAS | sUAS News
I think one of the most convincing arguments was made by goodman - the technical challenges will all be sorted out, but this will only become widespread when it is economically favorable, and then it will happen quite quickly. I see multiple unmanned cargo planes that are tracked by a single pilot sitting in a console, just as drones are now. They land at specialized airports that are out of city centers, and if there is a major failure preventing landing it ditches at sea with subsequent attempts at salvage recovery. Not too much more dangerous than a piloted cargo plane even in its current form, and could ultimately save lives in the future...
Cargo plane crash.
Who is going to build these specialized airports for just cargo and where are they going to put them? If recent history is any example building any airport is a uphill battle. Planes cost hundreds of millions of dollars they are not expendable assets.
Also, nice dig at cargo operators. Especially from a doctor who probably flies a bonanza.
