International Drone Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of May every year. This year, it falls on May 4. This holiday raises awareness of drones and their various applications in the civilian sector, from search and rescue operations to package delivery and dropping off medical supplies. Two British drone operators, Sarah and David John O’Neal came up with the idea for this holiday in 2014. Their goal is to highlight the positive and helpful aspects of drones. This combats the skepticism and paranoia that many people around the world have about them. Thousands have celebrated this holiday every year since then.
The earliest models of drones date back to the 1800s, in the form of balloons and aerial torpedoes. They were used by militaries for airstrikes, surveillance, and target practice. World War I marked the invention of the first unmanned aerial vehicle — a pilotless torpedo built by the Dayton-Wright Airplane Company. In World War II drones were used by both sides to train air fighters and offer support on combat missions. By the 1970s, countries like Israel used drones on military operations such as the Yom Kippur War. The 1990s saw the rise of U.S. military spending on drone development, resulting in much sleeker and more advanced models like the ‘MQ-1 Predator’ drones, and its successor the ‘MQ-9 Reaper.’
It wasn’t until around 2006 that the world saw the use of drones for non-military applications. They are now in charge of inspecting pipelines, evaluating crops, and assisting with disaster relief activities. They are also in charge of border security and surveillance. Drones had gained appeal among government agencies and enterprises by 2013, but it wasn’t until 2016 that the United States government allowed commercial drone operations. Since then, the F.A.A. has awarded thousands of drone permits each year.
The farming sector witnessed an increase in the use of drones for the inspection and management of crop fields. Drones were also used industrially, such as in the inspection of oil pipelines, marine vessels, and power generation installations like nuclear plants. In 2021, U.S. aviation regulators approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights. All companies meeting these approvals can operate drones without having operators on-site controlling or monitoring them.
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