http://uk.news.yahoo.com/plane-without-pilot-trial-over-uk-114122038.html

Quote:

The aim of the trials is to demonstrate to regulators such as the Civil Air Authority and air traffic control that such aircraft, known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, will be able to be used safely in UK airspace

Talk about reinventing the wheel. A quick trip to a couple of hot and sandy places and you will be able to see UAV's in action doing their thing down to the last square foot, as quite a few deceased terrorists can attest. I would think that it is not UAV's in civilian airspace that is the problem, the problem is the human factor. Any collision for example and all will scream (The Daily Mail the loudest  ;D) that it is/was the UAV's fault and not the pilot who was monitoring his instruments or keeping a proper lookout. Also the remote unattached factor of any UAV pilot being potentially on the other side of the world could also bring big problems in the event of any accident. Who is responsible, legal access to the pilot, extradition, or even identifying the pilot and does the "pilot" really fly a UAV. When I sign over an aircraft to a pilot, he signs for it, checks the maintenance record, makes a walk around, gives the aircraft the once over. How does a pilot who is in another country convince himself that the aircraft is ready and fit to fly. I would think that there are greater questions than that of just flying a UAV in civy airspace. It would be a legal nightmare in the event of an accident.

Matt