3 myths about drones to debunk

Some clichés and (understandable) fears about drones that we want to debunk

Drones are talked about a lot these days. You read about them on the web, in military newsletters, in technology and IT magazines.
This is not surprising, since, as we have seen in several previous articles, they have countless fields of application that multiply day by day as all their components are implemented and refined.

However, getting properly informed is not easy, and many non-specialists are a bit frightened by this new technology.
In this article we will try to guide you through some clichés and partial information about RPAS, in an attempt to debunk them together.

Drones will be everywhere...

I've heard phrases like 'You can bet on it, before long we'll be overrun and overflown by swarms of noisy drones, put in the hands of kids playing with these gadgets'.
This scenario is very unlikely. The doubt probably stems from the handiness and affordability of some quadcopters, which look like small high-tech toys. In truth, the recent ENAC regulations have established precisely that drones are not next-generation toys and that to fly them you need a licence and must follow very strict rules. Not only that: owning and using RPAS will also require self-certifications, registration in a national register for drones exceeding 25 kilograms, and taking out insurance. Let's say that hobbyist kids and their parents will prefer another PlayStation game as a gift.

They're dangerous... we're all going to die!

Another widely shared perception, linked to the first one we just debunked, is the danger of an out-of-control drone suddenly falling on top of you. As much as bad luck can always be just around the corner for everyone, unfortunately, the probability is not worth considering at all: in fact, again thanks to what is established by the rules of the Italian National Civil Aviation Authority , the restrictions on flying a drone in crowded places will be even stricter, so much so that these operations will be allowed only for experts and professionals. For example, the Civil Protection service will be able to fly a drone over inhabited areas if and when they are exposed to seismic risk or other environmental disasters. Or the State Police and the Guardia di Finanza will be able to monitor inhabited areas at risk of illegal contamination, as could and should have happened in the unfortunate 'Terra dei fuochi'.

Drones? Aren't those the things used for bombing?

True only to a small extent. Drones were born for military purposes, with experimental attempts as early as World War II, and were then perfected and used in the first war in Afghanistan. In reality, RPAS technology has also evolved very quickly in the civil field, helping populations hit by natural disasters, enabling more ecological fertilisation of large farmland, and making it possible to map, monitor and save endangered animal species.

Drones are, quite simply, one of the many fruits of human genius. As are their fields of application and the rules created to regulate their use.

Do you remember the story of Frankenstein? To sum it up, it was a good 'invention' that received a bad upbringing and was badly used, because of the fear it generated... and a bit of ignorance too.

Common sense is another wonderful invention of our species. Let's always protect it, no matter what.