‘Drone’ – remove it from your lexicon
I really dislike the term ‘drone’. Its use is synonymous with any unmanned aircraft or aerospace system (UAS). Regardless of size or whether the application is military, industry, hobby or other, we tend to dub any and all pilotless systems as a drone. In the last five years, the taxonomy of drones has become overwhelming, yet the volume has not bred a new, more appropriate collective name for these vehicles. The etymology of the term ‘drone’, which is now widely used by the public, was coined in the 1920s in reference to the early remotely-flown target aircraft used for practice firing of a battleship’s guns. The etymology of the term ‘drone’, which is now widely used by the public, was coined in the 1920s in reference to the early remotely-flown target aircraft used for practice firing of a battleship’s guns. It wasn’t until the mid-2000s when the alternate term UAS was partially adopted by…