When is a drone not a drone? When the people who manufacture them say so. That's their hope, at any rate.
The drone industry — sorry, the unmanned aerial systems industry — is in the midst of a massive rebranding campaign. For most Americans, the word "drone" conjures images of lethal spy planes raining down missiles.
That perception doesn't bode well for burgeoning drone companies looking to shake up the civil aviation sector and convince government regulators — and the public — that unmanned vehicles can be used off of the battlefield in new, safe and uncontroversial ways.