CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS A DRONE You look down at a snow-covered mountain Like an eagle you swoop close to a lone snowboarder going down the slope White powder sprays behind the board Trees pass by in a green blur You see it all the snowboarder the sparkling slope and the blue sky Drones enable users to record events and views from exciting places and angles 5
A US military drone flies a combat mission in Afghanistan How is this possible You are controlling a drone that flies just above the snowboarder The snowboarder ends her run in a powdery swoosh The drone flies back up the mountain to you 6
A drone is an aircraft that can fly without a human pilot on board Drones come in a variety of sizes and prices The US Air Force has many large drones They weigh thousands of pounds and can fly more than 50 000 feet 15 240 m above the ground RADIOPLANE OQ 2A The Radioplane OQ 2A was a remote controlled target drone flown in 1943 It had to be launched by a catapult The OQ 2A had a wingspan of 13 feet 4 0 m and weighed 108 pounds 49 kg The OQ 2A could fly 8 000 feet 2 400 m high A Radioplane OQ 2A is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton Ohio
