Will drones get a place in CAP?

[Holding Pattern]

I hope you all don't mind the open ended topic. But I'm now at the point where I'm seeing SAR groups make the news with use of drones, cadets asking about drones, and local companies asking if we want drones.

So rather than drone on I thought I'd ask here what people thought with regards to drones for the purposes of AE and ES.

[Eclipse]

For AE, sure.  why not?

For ES?  Not any time soon.  Until the FAA relaxes the rules regarding line-of sight, they aren't much use, legally...

[vento]

Drones are for pilots with limited bladder endurance!
J/K.

The drones that government agencies are using for surveillance are not any cheaper than the Cessnas that we fly. And since our volunteers are donating the pilot time and cost, I'd say that drones are not yet cost effective to maintain. It could be a good force multiplier, no doubt. Also, it can not provide and Cadet O'rides. 

[Storm Chaser]

It will be years, but eventually I believe CAP will use them for SAR and other missions. There are limitations right now with FAA regulations, technology and cost. But all of those will change with time.

[Eclipse]

Honestly, when they get to the point of being legally autonomous, I can't imagine CAP will be involved
much - maybe as ground crew, but not on the scale it exists today.

Why bother?  The AFRCC could blanket every wing with UAVs for what CAP costs today, and run them
all from their EOC.

Presumably we're talking about something more sophisticated then a Quad Copter from Brookstone,
but less expensive then a Cessna.  With multispectral imaging and plenty of high-res cameras, the Mark 1 eyeball
will be obsolete right around the time GA pilots are.

I say about 10 years(ish).  This isn't matter transportation or warp drive, the technology already exists and
works today, it's just refinement and getting the cost down, plus wrangling the goobers who think they
are going to go out with a shotgun and "shoot the revenuers down".

The same goes for autonomous cars.  Barring some major catastrophe, I don't expect the average person to
be touching a steering wheel much in about 20 years.  The insurance industry is going to see to that.

[TheTravelingAirman]

The insurance industry is going to see to that.

Excuse my ignorance, but what need will there be for insurance then?

[SarDragon]

The insurance industry is going to see to that.

Excuse my ignorance, but what need will there be for insurance then?

Who pays when the car's nav system fails and [insert horrible accident scenario here]? People die, property is damaged, businesses can't operate; stuff like that.

[Luis R. Ramos]

Let me guess, SAR in real life is a lawyer or an insurance salesman

(Just kidding, I was going to post the same message but your fingers were faster.)

[vesryn]

The same goes for autonomous cars.  Barring some major catastrophe, I don't expect the average person to
be touching a steering wheel much in about 20 years.  The insurance industry is going to see to that.

Very Related. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU According to CGP, the #1 job category in the US, transportation, will be completely taken over by "autos." (He believes that "driverless car" is the same as "horseless carriage," and it severely limits our thinking.)

[Eclipse]

^ Wow - shockingly astute.

Seriously, I don't know what my great grandkids are going to be able to do.
There's always a place for people who can fix things, util the things fix themselves, then what.

I'd bet 1/2 the transportation itself, driving and flying, is based on needs which will disappear
as things become more and more autonomous, and stuff like 3d printers take over manufacturing.

There's a STEM+CDI conversation for you!

[vesryn]

^ Wow - shockingly astute.

Seriously, I don't know what my great grandkids are going to be able to do.
There's always a place for people who can fix things, util the things fix themselves, then what.

I'd bet 1/2 the transportation itself, driving and flying, is based on needs which will disappear
as things become more and more autonomous, and stuff like 3d printers take over manufacturing.

There's a STEM+CDI conversation for you!

I thought of it only because (instead of teaching the Web Des. 1 kids what websites were) my teacher spent the entire class talking about this. It really makes me think what I'll do when I get out of college. I'm hoping Computer Engineers will still be in existence.

[Garibaldi]

We already have drones. They're called cadet airmen basics.

"WE ARE CAP. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."

[vento]

^ Wow - shockingly astute.

Seriously, I don't know what my great grandkids are going to be able to do.
There's always a place for people who can fix things, util the things fix themselves, then what.

I'd bet 1/2 the transportation itself, driving and flying, is based on needs which will disappear
as things become more and more autonomous, and stuff like 3d printers take over manufacturing.

There's a STEM+CDI conversation for you!

[rustyjeeper]

We already have drones. They're called cadet airmen basics.

"WE ARE CAP. YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED. RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."

really? cadet airmen basics are the drones..... I think not
the real drones are the Wing Staffers.
the ones who wont tell the Wing King he/she has no pants on....

[ZigZag911]

Maybe, eventually, for damage assessment and disaster relief work.

Though prior posters pointed out, correctly, that the drones are costly, and other agencies already have them.

Still, many items have filtered down to CAP through the years, so I wouldn't rule it out...just don't expect to see them any time soon.

[Garibaldi]

Maybe, eventually, for damage assessment and disaster relief work.

Though prior posters pointed out, correctly, that the drones are costly, and other agencies already have them.

Still, many items have filtered down to CAP through the years, so I wouldn't rule it out...just don't expect to see them any time soon.

Still waiting on the Hummers and the NVGs.

[ZigZag911]

Still waiting on the Hummers and the NVGs.

I heard they are being delivered by the NHQ black helicopters!

[Eclipse]

The NVGs are >in< the hummers, unfortunately the hummers were all painted super-stealth, visible light
absorbing colors, so they can only be seen with the NVGs.

The Wing LGTs were to be sent the key fobs, the idea being that you would chirp the one assigned to your unit to
find it, unfortunately, the fobs were shipped in the NVG boxes, so...

[LSThiker]

Still waiting on the Hummers and the NVGs.

That is because NHQ requested Hummers instead of M998 HMMWV (NSN 2320-01-371-9577).

[LSThiker]

Saw this today, thought it was interesting:

https://gma.yahoo.com/drones-gets-waiver-search-missing-texas-woman-christina-131655987--abc-news-topstories.html