On Apr 19, 6:50*pm, Schiffner wrote:

Not really, the only market that is remotely viable for drones would
be transoceanic flights. Domestically things are too crowded unless
they flew well over 50,000...and that's only practical if you fly
coast2coast.


I wouldn't be so sure about that:

FAA Pressed to Allow Drone Flights in U.S

(CBS/AP) Unmanned aircraft have proved their usefulness and
reliability in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the
pressure's on to allow them in the skies over the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been asked to issue flying
rights for a range of pilotless planes to carry out civilian and law-
enforcement functions but has been hesitant to act. Officials are
worried that they might plow into airliners, cargo planes and
corporate jets that zoom around at high altitudes, or helicopters and
hot air balloons that fly as low as a few hundred feet off the ground.

On top of that, these pilotless aircraft come in a variety of sizes.
Some are as big as a small airliner, others the size of a backpack.
The tiniest are small enough to fly through a house window.

The obvious risks have not deterred the civilian demand for pilotless
planes. Tornado researchers want to send them into storms to gather
data. Energy companies want to use them to monitor pipelines. State
police hope to send them up to capture images of speeding cars'
license plates. Local police envision using them to track fleeing
suspects.

Like many robots, the planes have advantages over humans for jobs that
are dirty, dangerous or dull. And the planes often cost less than
piloted aircraft and can stay aloft far longer.

"There is a tremendous pressure and need to fly unmanned aircraft in
(civilian) airspace," Hank Krakowski, FAA's head of air traffic
operations, told European aviation officials recently. "We are having
constant conversations and discussions, particularly with the
Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, to
figure out how we can do this safely with all these different sizes of
vehicles."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6579920.shtml