BRAD MEARS
Many of us have dreamed about the amazing prospect of flying cars, especially when sitting in traffic jams on the way home from work.
As cities evolve and the world’s population becomes increasingly urbanised, transport systems are unable to cope with increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads.
Despite the upgrading of highways there’s been a negligible reduction in traffic-jams on our highways.
Moving passengers safely and efficiently is critical for economic growth and tourism. And although trains have alleviated the problem in the developed world, most developing economies have not employed train technology with success and impact.
Although South Africa built the Gautrain, it is expensive and has limited destinations. Hence taxis remain South Africa’s largest mover of people. And with the failure of Transnet, the largest mover of heavy goods are trucks.
Therefore, as much as we are grappling with alternative energy sources in South Africa, so too we need to be engaging alternative thinking when it comes to embracing new modes of mobility.
One of the options to consider is aerial technology that can lift loads easily, quickly and efficiently. Welcome to the world of advanced aerial mobility!
Love them or hate them, drones are part of everyday life, and have challenged the orthodox way in which transportation has been done. Drone technology is the fulcrum around which the war in Ukraine is being fought.
Whether dropping mortar shells on the Russian Infantry, or the Russians firing Iranian drones back at the Ukrainians, warfare is now fought on completely different terms. However, it’s also true that technology that emerged from wars benefits society in peacetime. The use of drone technology will be no different.
Drone technology has evolved from being a toy aeroplane with a camera attached, to aerial technologies with a high degree of utility. Following Covid-19 lockdowns in 2022, technologies adversely affected by the worldwide economic slow-down have re-emerged.
Amazon resuscitated its drone delivery project, and the UK’s Royal Mail has tested drones in delivering mail to remote island communities 90 kilometres off the coast of England. Also, instead of using traditional crop-spraying aircraft, many large and small-scale farmers are using drones to fertilise their crops.
In addition, Zipline, a US-based drone company has successfully established a blood delivery service in Rwanda, flying missions of 80 km and carrying a load of 1.8kg. To build on these beginnings there are technological, practical and bureaucratic challenges to be overcome, to move to the next stage of advanced aerial mobility.
One of the biggest challenges is the weight of batteries. Current battery technology means that batteries are heavy, and weight is the enemy of aircraft. As batteries become lighter, aircraft will be able to fly further, faster and carry heavier payloads.
One benefit of using carbon-based fuel is that the further an aircraft flies the lighter and more efficient it becomes. This is not the case with battery-powered aircraft. Hence, until we improve energy systems powering aircraft, be it batteries or hydrogen, payload, speed and range will always be limited.
A successful milestone will be when drones can lift 1000 kg and fly more than 50 km. How far away from this objective are we? A Cape Town-based drone manufacturing company is presently designing a drone capable of lifting 500 kg.
The second challenge is how advanced aerial technology is integrated into current logistics systems.
Whether the technology is piloted or autonomous, the aircraft will need to be safely accommodated in our airspace, be able to be tracked, track other aircraft, possess ground and aircraft avoidance systems, and have all-weather competence.
It’s exciting to note that advanced air-traffic management systems are being licensed in South Africa. The Western Cape government has pioneered the concept of a drone “sandbox” wherein new drone technology can be tested in a low regulatory environment.
The follow up stage will be the establishment of a drone corridor whereby drones can carry goods from point A to point B.
The third challenge to overcome is the fear experienced by the public and the aviation fraternity itself.
Currently it’s technologically possible and safe to fly a large passenger jet between two airports without any pilot on-board manning the controls. And if Reaper drones can be flown efficiently over the Middle East from thousands of kilometres away, why can’t passenger aircraft?
In generations to come people will be perfectly comfortable with autonomous aircraft, much as owners of Tesla cars are adapting to self-driving cars. Boeing has already conceptualised a blended-body (where the fuselage and wing become one entity), hydrogen-powered, autonomous long-distance airliner.
Although there are some reservations about the safety of drone technology in the aviation sector, consensus is growing that drones can safely share the sky with conventional aircraft. As the technology expands into the aviation sector it will open the market to new competitors, hopefully resulting in more safety and consumer benefits.
So what about flying cars you may ask? Joby Aviation, a company developing electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial air-taxi services, recently test flew its aircraft over Manhattan Island, New York.
If it weren’t for negative public perception eVTOLs would be demonstrated at the upcoming Paris Olympics. Using tilt-rotor technology, (tilt-rotor engines capable of lifting an aircraft vertically off the ground, and then transitioning to horizontal flight) eVTOLs have evolved from drone technology but are presently controlled by a pilot.
eVTOLs are presently able to carry up to three passengers. In the future, the pilot will be removed from the cock-pit and eVTOLs will fly autonomously.
South Africa is perfectly placed for the adoption of new and revolutionary technology. Unlike Europe and the USA, South Africa is not encumbered with high levels of aerial bureaucracy. In the planning of new urban development projects, there is an opportunity for advanced aerial mobility to be included.
A case in point is the development of the Cape Winelands Airport in Cape Town. Linked to this development is the inner-city renewal of Bellville, and the extension of the R300 highway to the airport.
The leadership of this project are on record in wanting to include the development of a drone-port, as part of the airport's development. Exciting times are ahead if we are willing to leapfrog, embrace new technology and align ourselves to the future. The choice is ours.
Brad Mears is a qualified Drone Pilot Instructor and Commercial Pilot. He is the Educational Project Manager at UKZN’s Aerotropolis Institute Africa. He writes in his personal capacity.
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