Flying Solo!

Hallelujah, earth’s space has been totally conquered! The latest amazing wonder cutting through space is the drone. How amazed at the extreme extent and speed would the the earlier space conquerors like Icarus, Abbas Ibn Firnas (Spanish) and the famous Wright siblings who are believed to have flown the first flight although this has also been disputed by claims by the Germans and the French. The good news is, we are in the air – and we are there to stay at that!

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Hallelujah, earth’s space has been totally conquered! The latest amazing wonder cutting through space is the drone. How amazed at the extreme extent and speed would the the earlier space conquerors like Icarus, Abbas Ibn Firnas (Spanish) and the famous Wright siblings who are believed to have flown the first flight although this has also been disputed by claims by the Germans and the French. The good news is, we are in the air – and we are there to stay at that!

From flying with melting wings (Icarus), to hot air balloons, helicopters, Boeings, jets, space ships to drones, the human race has totally made its mark on air! A drone is an air craft that is run without a human being on board to control it. This human free attribute enables drones to do so much such as, take medicine and supplies to very hard to get to places, and fly over dangerous places . It can also enable you to see a kaleidoscopic perspective of the world from a myriad of angles from space. These are camera drones that capture different memories at events. However, there are also human drones that have been manufactured to transport a person not weighing more than 220 pounds (time to hit the gym for some would be drone passengers) for a radius of about 31 kilometers. You get on at a specific place and alight at a predestined location. Throughout its journey, the drone is supported by internet. What happens if it disconnects itself from internet? Apparently it quickly locates a safe place and lands right there! These journeys – by the way – are happening in the air space of Dubai and they started this year, 2017!

And if you thought that was epic, wait for the epitome – flying capsules. These can cut through space at about 760 miles per hour remember the fastest a average car can travel is about 180 km per hour. In the not so distant future, the sky will sport flying cars, yes, cars imagine that! For a whooping two thousand dollars or three thousand dollars you can get yourself one!

As east Africa plans on expanding its train transport and buying more cars, elsewhere in the world, Hyperloop path ways for the capsules are being constructed!

In a country like Rwanda where traffic is increasing due to the multiplying number of vehicles on the roads as well as the hilly terrain, a human drone might be a great idea to own.

Lois Nakibuuka is an educator and counsellor