Autonomous Flight
Testing a rotor.
Technology exists to operate aircraft through autonomous flight. Although the flights of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are highly restricted, their use is inevitable. For cargo airships routinely operating in remote areas, UAS control is desirable, and arguably, safer than piloted vehicles. In a harsh environment that would be difficult to reach in the event of an accident, UAS airships would avoid putting humans in harm’s way. BASI is investigating UAS technology for cargo airships.