The particular mission that I am discussing is the use of UAV for search and rescue missions. Search and rescue is a broad mission that operated all over the world, in every condition, and in every environment. Missions such as these require a host of different techniques and platforms such as fixed wing, and VTOL aircraft. Search and rescue missions require aircraft that can fly slowly at low altitudes as well as high speed, high altitude surveillance aircraft that can scan large sections much quicker than searchers on the ground (Handwerk, 2013).

                  A Texas base group called EquuSearch utilizes a Spectra Drone; a small propeller craft that can be hand launched and flies at an altitude of around 400 feet. It is equipped with a camera and relays photos, videos, and coordinates back to a ground controller that can interpret and dispatch rescuers to marked locations. This group has been under fire by the FAA and grounded the volunteer organization because under current guidelines, UAVs and remotely operated aircraft cannot be utilized for business and profit. The organization argues that they are not a for profit business and that they have been overly successful at finding missing persons in less time than it would take people on the ground. The group continues to fight the FAA and has filed a lawsuit. This discusses one area where UAV use is used in a specified area, low altitude fixed wing surveillance. However, legally the group is no longer in operation until the FAA concerning drone use for profit releases the new guidance (Subbaraman, 2013).

                  A second use for unmanned aircraft for search and rescue are VTOL aircraft; better know as rotor drones such as helicopters, octocopters, quadracopters, etc. Craft such as the Draganflyer X4-ES helicopter was used last year in a remote area of the woods in freezing conditions. After unsuccessful attempts by a manned search and rescue helicopter, a Draganflyer with a similar FLIR as the manned helicopter was able to find heat signatures of the man in the last general area that signals of his cell phone were used. Because this small drone was able to meticulously navigate at low altitudes in the dark, the whereabouts of the man were sent back to rescue crews who were able to get in and save the mans life. Missions such as this that may be too dangerous (flying at night, in treacherous conditions, at very low altitudes in wooded areas), by manned aircraft, can safely be conducted with drones such as the X4-ES. Because this type of search and rescue mission was operated out of Canada, by the police and not under the rule of the FAA, there was no red tape and a life was saved. Canada does not operated under the same limitations as the US in terms of UAV use (Franzen, 2013).

                  The third use for UAVs in search and rescue missions comes in the form of drone use for search and rescue in mines. Search and rescue efforts inside of mines can sometimes be too dangerous for manned operations and is better suited for small aircraft such as quad rotor aircraft. Other implications with mine search and rescue missions are that other humans cannot always access the miners in question. Drones can more easily locate the miners and transmit any kind of correspondence whether it is health statuses, oxygen levels or other potentially hazardous gas levels (University of Kwazulu Natal, 2013).

                  Benefits of unmanned aircraft for search and rescue missions are immense. Using unpiloted aircraft for these types of situations takes out the risk of human life in scenarios where the search and rescue efforts are in high altitude mountainous terrain where whether and elements can be a factor to pilots. Searches that cover large search areas that may take days, weeks, months can use drones for the “dull” factor where streaming media can be investigated by crews on the ground and not by a flight crew that might be tired worried about things such as suitable landing in an emergency situation.

                  Legal implications such as the ones listed above are what restrain companies like EquuSearch from assisting with search efforts. Until laws are passed outlining suitable and legal uses for UAV’s, there is a potential that lives could be lost from not using resources such as the Spectra Drone to located injured or missing individuals. Ethical challenges that are faced that tie into search and rescue missions could be as simple as a drone on a search and rescue mission for someone and coming across a field of marijuana in the middle of a farmer’s cornfield. Or flying over a house on the way to a certain area and capturing a nude pool party on video inadvertently. The use of drones for search and rescue missions, if used correctly could greatly improve the chances of finding lost or hurt people as well as saving valuable resources such as police officers from searching on foot.

References

Franzen, K. (2013, May). Canadian mounties claim first person's life saved by a police drone | The Verge.

 http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/10/4318770/canada-draganflyer-drone-claims-first-life-saved-search-rescue

Handwerk, B. (2013, December). 5 Surprising Drone Uses (Besides Amazon Delivery). http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131202-drone-uav-uas-amazon-octocopter-bezos-science-aircraft-unmanned-robot/

Subbaraman, N. (2013, May). FAA Search-and-Rescue Drone Suit Could Have Widespread Impact - NBC News.

              http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/faa-search-rescue-drone-suit-could-have-widespread-impact-n87776

University of Kwazulu Natal. (2013, December). New UKZN-Developed Technology to Aid Mining Search and Rescue Missions.  http://www.ukzn.ac.za/news/2013/12/01/new-ukzn-developed-technology-to-aid-mining-search-and-rescue-missions