Definition
An aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from on or within the aircraft. The pilot or operator controls the aircraft remotely from a separate ground-based station, or the aircraft flies an autonomous or pre-programmed flight profile.
Plain English
An aircraft with no one on board. It is flown by a person on the ground using a remote control link, or it follows a flight path that has been programmed in advance.
Context Anchor
Seen in drone operations, airspace information, flight restrictions, and pilot/controller discussions about aircraft that have no onboard pilot.
Derivation
‘Unmanned’ simply means ‘without a person on board.’ The term is used by the FAA to cover everything from small drones to large remotely piloted aircraft. ‘UA’ refers to the aircraft itself; the broader system, including the ground station and control link, is called a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System).
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must recognize unmanned aircraft to maintain visual and radar separation and avoid conflicts in the same airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “unmanned” as “no human involved.” It means no human is inside or on the aircraft to fly it.
Example Sentence 1
The controller advised the pilot of unmanned aircraft activity within five miles of the airport.
Example Sentence 2
Unmanned aircraft must yield right-of-way to manned aircraft under current airspace regulations.