A pilotless jet is more compelling news to me than a driverless car. However, a pilotless jet is less likely to directly impact my life. MSN covered this news in the Daily Aviation youtube channel - it is a jet that has been modified into a full-scale target drone for the US Air Force. The retired F-16s are converted into full-scale aerial target drones used for training to "help naval personnel practice air-to-air engagements." They mimic subsonic cruise missiles in fleet training and weapons testing.
MSN makes things sound new but it turns out that this isn't new stuff: "Other U.S. jet fighters, including the F-100, F-102, F-106, and F-4, have become target drones. Air Force experts use converted jet fighters as target drones to test sophisticated missiles and electronic warfare systems."
"Although some of these retired jet fighter target drones are destroyed during weapons tests, often the drones rely on onboard sensors to calculate the point of missile detonations to record "kills" without destroying the target aircraft."
That all seems like very expensive practice equipment.
Closer to home, the news announced in May that 20 driverless delivery vehicles are coming to Toronto as part of a pilot program. It started at the end of June! They will be under the observation of humans in cars. The vehicles are operating within an area roughly bounded by Eglinton Avenue to the north, College Street to the south, Avenue Road to the east, and Parkside Drive to the west, with an additional deployment in the Junction neighbourhood.
Now that they are here for a few days, is there any news? Only one headline from the Toronto Sun which requires a subscription. Oh well.
I went to a Hamilton home show one March and this was out front on display.
