Unmanned aircraft are increasingly being integrated into manned aviation operations to complement and enhance operational capability.
A good example of this integration is the recent announcement from the British Coastguard that they will begin trials of the Schielbel Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopter integrated alongside its manned helicopter fleets.
As the article discusses (link below) the Coast Guard can see real potential for this technology in performing tasks that would otherwise tie up manned helicopter crews.
“These systems provide us with an option to keep our Sikorsky S92 helicopter crew at Caernarfon on standby for lifesaving events, while the unmanned aircraft are tasked with providing safety overwatch and monitoring which those manned aircraft would otherwise have been sent to carry out.” (Russ Torbet, Director UK Search and Rescue, Bristow Helicopters Ltd).
If you are interested in reading the full article visit: https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/08/british-coast-guard-to-trial-camcopter-vtol-uav-for-unmanned-sar-missions/.
This trial was announced just days before the Australian Government announced it is investing up to AUD$1.3 billion (US$932 million) in a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) development program to complement its manned aviation maritime capabilities.
It seems the industry is beginning to mature as we move beyond the early adopter phase, and we can expect to see more and more organisations adapting this technology to complement their manned aviation operations.
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He is an experienced airline Captain, Licensed Avionics Engineer and a certified RPA flight examiner. He is also the lead content developer for Drone Trust.