Although the US Air Force has got into difficulties with its RQ-4A Global Hawks, the incident that sparked the trouble is actually quite comforting.
One of our reporters listened in as military controllers warned nearby aircraft that a Global Hawk was returning Edwards AFB after an engine failure. It's the sort of situation that, if it had been a manned aircraft, would have had everyone for miles around fearing for the safety of the crew, other aircraft, and even people on the ground.
But the outcome was entirely benign, with the aircraft following a pre-planned pattern to glide back to base. That's impressive: up close the Global Hawk is a fair-sized aeroplane, powered by a serious jet engine, and generally to be treated with considerable respect. Such a smooth outcome to what was a challenging situation bodes well for the unmanned aviation community, especially to the parts of it with aspirations to operate in civil airspace.
Systems will malfunction on these aircraft just as they do on manned types, but, as with manned types, it's what you do next that counts.
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