Short Final

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot encountered a military UAV ("Shadow-1") at KFHU, highlighting its increasing presence in shared airspace and initial confusion it caused.
  • The UAV's operator clarified that "unmanned" doesn't mean without human control, as a pilot "sits somewhere" to operate it remotely.
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While I was on short final into KFHU (Fort Huachuca, Sierra Vista Arizona):

Shadow-1:
“Shadow-1 at runway 26, ready to take off.”

Tower:
“Shadow-1, hold short for landing traffic.”

I then looked over at the holding aircraft and noticed that it was a Military UAV, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This being the first one I’d ever seen, I struggled between landing my plane and looking at the UAV. Landing the plane finally caught my attention.

After landing, while on rollout, I overheard:

NXXXXX:
“Tower, was that an unmanned airplane I just passed?”

Tower:
“NXXXXX: Yes, it was.”

Shadow-1:
“There is actually a man sitting somewhere … .”

Mark Harris
Flagstaff, AZ

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