Can Unmanned Aircraft Mix With Commercial Planes?

coondoggie writes "The Federal Aviation Administration this week signed a research and development agreement with GE Aviation to come up with a way to safely mix the burgeoning amounts of unmanned aircraft with commercial aviation. With this research the FAA and GE hope to accomplish an aviation first by completing the research to facilitate flight of an Unmanned Aircraft System with an FAA certified, trajectory-based flight management system. Integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace will be no easy task. The Government Accountability Office last year laid out the difficulties stating that routine unmanned aircraft access to national airspace poses technological, regulatory, workload, and coordination challenges."

Self Destruct!

[Anonymous Coward]

The unmanned aircraft should carry a self-destruct radio reciever and manned aircraft would carry a low-power transmitter.

If an unmanned aircraft comes within 1 mile of a commercial flight, it self destructs!

The transmitter could be a cheap $10 piece of equipment.

Problem. Solved. What could possibly go wrong?

Re:What is the best way to kill myself?

[Anonymous Coward]

Put on a wig, some fake boobs and walk into your local LUG.

Weddings & Funerals

[Anonymous Coward]

These unmanned planes are especially dangerous to people attending a wedding or a funeral.

I learned this by reading about the war in Afghanistan.

Already been tried, and didn't go so well.

[TheModelEskimo]

I tried this once, in a comic book I wrote. It didn't really work so well and several commercial airliners crashed. Oh and a terrorist hacked into one of the drones. I wouldn't recommend following this route unless you are using it as a violent plot device.

Re:No.

[Jake73]

You haven't met enough pilots.

Re:No.

[bschorr]

Sure, computers are completely reliable and never fai#&#(@(@ NO CARRIER

Soutwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, to Sun Baked Tower,

[LifesABeach]

Over.

Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er to Sun Baked Tower requesting I L S approach, over.

Sun Baked Tower to Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, you are cleared for runway 2 2 Left, maintain altitude 2 5 0 0, at 2 7 5 over.

Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, requesting Short Final to runway 2 2 Right, over.

Sun Baked Tower to Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, that is a negative, there is Light Aircraft using that runway. You are directed to runway 2 2 Left.

Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, that's a negative Tower, I see no Light Aircraft Transponder emissions, am turning Short Final now.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT 1 0 0 9ER YOU ARE TURNING INTO LIGHT AIRCRAFT, VEER AWAY, VEER AWAY!!!

Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, wheels on the ground, encountered light turbulence on short final approach.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT 1 0 0 9ER YOU HAVE COLLIDED WITH 3 LIGHT AIR CRAFT!!!

Southwest Flight 1 0 0 9er, I am not experiencing any difficulties, no need to Roll the Crash.

Re:No.

[thenextstevejobs]

Are the new drones gonna be used in the much-publicised 'War' On Drugs or something?

There's a war on drugs in my apartment right now. And I am winning