Drones redefining the term "air mail"

Friedrichshafen - They can take off and land anywhere and reach customers within a matter of minutes. Demand for drones in civilian applications as a means of transporting of goods and information by air is strong, These new, very flexible flying machines can send images to a ground station or even individually deliver diverse kinds of goods to a destination. The modern successor to good old air mail and pneumatic tubes has finally been found, one that is already in use at industrial sites and that makes the rapid internal of transport goods possible.


This is why the use of drones in civilian applications will also be an important topic at the AERO, the global show for general aviation, on April 15-18, 2015. The show’s RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) expo will offer a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of these unmanned flying machines. Industry visitors will learn how far the development of civilian drones has already advanced. Manned as well as unmanned aircraft from various manufacturers, equipped with the most modern sensor and measurement technology, will be on display. There is already a wide spectrum of applications for the unmanned aircraft in general aviation, ranging from environmental research to observations of the earth’s surface to search and rescue work. The AERO will also present an indoor flying display where the aircraft will show off what they can do.


"We would like to illustrate the opportunities and potential uses of drones in the civilian sphere”, said Roland Bosch, project leader of the AERO, convinced that the presentations deserve a broad platform at an aviation exhibition. "The aircraft are technically mature and multicopters and hybrid aircraft are also in use. Of course, high security standards for hardware and software are essential. This is especially problematic where non-commercially operated UAS are concerned - the safety of air transportation must not be negatively affected.”


The range of different applications is very diverse: monitoring traffic, the environment, police and fire services, protecting pipelines and power lines, and so on. Drones can also be used in first aid missions and to quickly transport defibrillators to the scene of an emergency. The aircraft are also be used in insurance for conducting inspections and assessing damage in hard to access areas. Today, drones are already used for communication during disasters and for filming commercials and television programs. Other potential application fields for drones include geodesy, cartography, surveying and digital landscape modeling.


The aim is to appeal to all of the relevant target groups at the AERO: energy suppliers, geographers, geoinformatics experts, geologists, cartographers, disaster management organizations, fire departments and rescue services, supervisory and monitoring authorities, local governments, public agencies, environmental analysts, surveyors, water managers and trainers of RPAS pilots as well as higher education institutions and research institutes.


The following program is planned for the AERO:

  • UAV user conference with workshops
  • Exhibition area in Hall A2
  • Indoor airfield in the immediate vicinity of the exhibition
  • Outdoor aviation area above the Trade Fair Lake at the West Entrance

In the UAV-DACH e.V., the umbrella association for unmanned aircraft, the AERO Friedrichshafen has a strong partner with which it can shed light on the topic of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in a high quality, substantive way. With the help of forums, panel discussions and workshops at the expo, it will be possible to specialists to specifically advance this topic.


The most important trade show for general aviation will take place in Friedrichshafen, situated on Lake Constance, from April 15 to 18, 2015. Across 11 exhibition halls and at the static display between the airport and the fairgrounds, more than 630 exhibitors from 35 countries will present the industry’s innovations - ranging from ultralights and gyrocopters to twin-engine propeller aircraft, from helicopters to business jets.