We need to stop calling the things we fly drones!

[G Saunders]

A 'helicopter' has a big rotor with a swash plate. Helicopters can be drones. But our multi-rotor drones are not helicopters. I'm happy with the 'drone' term and don't mind that there are all grades and sizes of drones.

 

[old man mavic]

of course we could go all out ,and call them
that expensive wonderful electronic gadget with a camera that trees hate so much for some reason

nah drone will do for now

 

[The Fat Controller]

I can't see them being referred to as anything other than drones any time soon. That's how TV, radio, newspapers, government, emergency services, Tom, **** and Harry, and Uncle Tom Cobley and all commonly refer to them. If I said to anyone I know 'I'm just taking the UAV out to get some photos' they wouldn't have the faintest idea what I was talking about, but they all understand what I mean when I say 'I'm just taking the drone out to grab a few shots'. You might just as well decide you don't like the word 'car' and try to get people to change what they should call their vehicles.

 

[Crashdummytest]

I usually call it quadcopter, to avoid war/crime association.

 

[chiangmaicharlies]

Never called mine a Dr One.
Always refer to it as a toy helicopter with a camera on it.
To me a drone is something like a military Reaper.

I hope you can play the ukulele better than you describe a drone. : )

 

[Glenh]

I don't like the term 'Drone'. Reminds me of the Star Wars thing where drones were mindless drones. Wiki: The term drone has been used from the early days of aviation, being applied to remotely-flown target aircraft used for practice firing of a battleship's guns, etc. The misconception by local authorities etc is that UAVs (The Mavic range) are mindless drones. Maybe there is a disconnect. How about Controlled Aerial Vehicles. I like that'- CAV

 

[Alejandro Villegas]

Hi everyone, with all the confusion about “drones” recently, I think we need to stop calling them drones and start calling them something else. I know this idea has been thrown around for a long time but no changes have really been made. A drone is any thing from a tiny 1 inch toy from Amazon to a military UAV that is the size of an airplane, costs millions, and kills hundreds if not thousands of people.

A drone is a drone, is a drone is a drone.
This is why my drones/UAS have names!
I have the USS Enterprise ( Mavic 2 Enterprise Advance )
& the Enterprise D ( Mavic Air 2S )

 

[The Fat Controller]

Tom, **** and Harry

The swear checker never even crossed my mind when I typed that common expression

 

[John Lueck]

If you are in a situation where you need to communicate with another aircraft or aero drome control, you need to identify yourself, and Uniform Alpha Victor is much easier than spelling out DELTA ROMEO etc. I say we go for UAV. Although in Canada they are commonly referred to as RPAS.

 

[Peterson]

I think the "drone" has left the launch pad on this topic.

 

[millbah]

The drone term is similar to car or bike or plane. Everyone knows what it means. No point to fix it.

 

[eljimb0]

R.C. Camera. It may be too late, but we really should get as far away from the word "drone" as possible.

 

[Searunner]

Absolutely we should start using the term UAV. Drone has too much of a negative connotation.

 

[Torque]

In 1993 I bought my first Drone - a Phantom 1. Within weeks there was a push to stop calling quadcopters "drones" because of the negative impact.
The only "negative impact" I've seen has been from foolish pilots, nothing to do with what we call our flying toys/cameras, but from the actions of the pilots.
Which leads to another (IMO) silly arguement: "We shouldn't call ourselves pilots! What have we done to earn that title? We fly toys not jets! We should call ourselves "operators"!"
Nah. I pilot drones.

 

[Martin9597]

Aerial Camera (AC)

 

[ANT0407]

Hi everyone, with all the confusion about “drones” recently, I think we need to stop calling them drones and start calling them something else. I know this idea has been thrown around for a long time but no changes have really been made. A drone is any thing from a tiny 1 inch toy from Amazon to a military UAV that is the size of an airplane, costs millions, and kills hundreds if not thousands of people.

Sometimes I'll use the word drone, however most of the time I just refer to it by name. "I'm going to fly my Air 2S, or Mavic 2 or Spark"

 

[Skywatcher2001]

We lost the option to NOT use the term drones many Many MANY moons ago. As soon as the media utilized the term it was a DONE deal. Your time would be well spent on doing just about anything else besides trying to change the "Standard" term used around the world.

@BigAl07 I just love you . . .

 

[Skywatcher2001]

I'm in favor of trying to get back control of the narrative (if possible).

Sub 300 grams = Drone:
These are kids flying 249 gram drones (with added attachments) into the back of heads of people and into pets. When the media reports on these incidents; its just a drone. They try to call it a sUAS accident (now we can correct them). At present, a drone (to the media) is either a kid with a paper airplane or a military predator.

sUAS(v) = small Unmanned Aerial Systems (or Vehicle):
This is us! Mostly (MOSTLY) responsible and knowledgeable. Tested and certified pilots adhering to FAA's CFRs.

MUAV or MUAS = Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (or Systems)
For civilians and media describing military birds (I'm sure the military calls them something different).

If we could just get the narrative back into our control . . . it could be glorious!!

 

[SimonP]

Depends who I’m talking to. Flying Camera, Curly (Air 2 S ) or drone, a name I don‘t like because most people think of the irritating invasive toy drone, or miltary killing machines. Call it what you may, but as Shakespeare said ; “ a rose by any other name would smell as sweet .”

 

[Hidden]

Drone sounds fine, sometimes I call it a POS, then I realize it was not the poor drone's fault. I give it a kiss, and it starts making droning sounds, then I discover one of my fingers has been lacerated.