By Kyle Garrett – AviationSchoolsOnline.com The Federal Aviation
Administration has approved the use of the first Predator UAV
(unmanned aerial vehicle) to patrol the U.S./Mexico border
between Sierra Vista, AZ and Fort Huachuca, Texas, starting as
soon as June 1, 2010. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
initially requested the use of UAVs and plans to bring another
Predator online soon to patrol the remainder of the Texas
border. According to a May 15, 2010 article on the El Paso Times
web site, the Predator UAV will “look for potential underground
tunnels and the travel patterns of drug-trafficking
organizations.” The article goes on to say that the Department
of Homeland Security has been testing drones for border
surveillance since June, 2004. As UAV technology improves and
the uses for UAVs expand, more and more UAV pilots and sensor
operators will be needed. Expect to see more schools offering
UAV training in the future.