Pilotless planes: science fiction or reality?
A little over a century ago, in the not so distant 1903, humanity has made the world's first controlled horizontal flight. The aircraft called Flyer-1 held in the air for 59 seconds, flying a distance of 260 meters. Back then this achievement meant a huge technological breakthrough and the realization of the long-standing dream of mankind - to fly. A small biplane, controlled by a pilot situated on the lower wing of the vehicle, weighed only 80 kilograms. Of course, there was no question of transporting any passengers in such aircraft.
Since the first flight of the aircraft, the aviation industry has gone a long way. To date, no one is surprised by the huge passenger aircraft that can simultaneously carry hundreds of passengers across the sky. People have learned not only to overcome huge distances sitting in an armchair, but also to travel with supersonic speed. What once could be seen only on the pages of science fiction novels, for the current population has already become an everyday reality.
What awaits air passengers in the foreseeable future, and what kind of development should we expect in the aviation industry? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to make a short excursion into the sphere of development of modern transport technologies ...
Such inventions as cars that run on more environmentally friendly diesel fuel and even electricity, can now be seen on the roads far more often. Reducing exhaust emissions has become an integral part of the sustainable development of world transport, and the corresponding developments of automakers appear with an enviable regularity. According to many representatives of the automotive industry, the next step in the future will be the growing use of so-called "pilotless" technologies, that is, vehicles that move without the help of a driver. This will significantly improve the level of road safety and reduce the risk of road accidents. A number of countries, such as the United States, Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates, are already creating the necessary ground for widespread use of pilotless cars in the passenger transport segment. So, the leadership of the UAE has already started developing a set of rules governing the movement of unmanned passenger vehicles on the territory of the country.
While the world is increasingly inclined to use unmanned vehicles, aircraft travel on remote control can become the next automated mode of transport.
The aircraft manufacturer company Boeing has already announced its plans to test pilotless aircraft in 2018.
