"Paper Airplanes" Note: Emails are organized in the order received, with first received at the top. *** In safety, a UAV would be a highly valuable and easily justified tool. A tragic fire that completely destroyed a 103 year-old western Washington middle school last night occurred within hours after welders had completed a remodeling task on the roof at 10:30 pm. Whether on a school roof or in a mill, hot work is a permitted process that can prevent fires. Lack of a watchman's vigilant observation of sparks and smoldering material is often the root cause. Too often a watchman is not left on site after the work is done. Of course, a UAV with heat sensing capability could easily do this watchman task with up-close and detailed observations. Another permitted process that kills all too many workers results hazardous environments in confined spaces. While sniffing an area with meters can prevent a dangerous entry, a UAV could quickly and more thoroughly check out the entire space rather better than a sniffer with a limited length extension tube. Wasn't there a movie about miniature spaceships that rebuilt things? Could UAV's be a solution for maintaining those high capital cost mills we have limping along. I think I am getting carried away with this, but I agree it is worth some "skunk works" tinkering. UAV's tending plantations to monitor health and growth of trees, pruning best trees and marking the slow growers for mechanized thinning........hmmmm? Bill Fuller Federal Way, Washington USA --- Bill: The movie was "The Fantastic Voyage" starring Raquel Welch. By the way, NASA has just developed a chemical sensor App and plugin for the iPhone: http://bit.ly/3P71k9. It detects chlorine, methane and ammonia. Hang your iPhone from a $200 Radio Controlled Helicopter and you are in the tank sniffing business. Jim *** Jim, As I began reading your article on UAV's, my first (naughty) thought was; it's hard enough for operators to stay awake during night shift now, these flying tennis balls might make it easier to turn the process to autopilot and tuning out. Then I remembered when a bird flew off the end of the fourdrinier into the press nip on Scott Paper's Mobile No. 1 PM soon after we started up the new coaters. Hopefully the UAV's won't do that. Finally, I read and agreed with your comment that all this technology is available right now. It's just a matter of understanding the value and adapting the technology to make it happen. What a neat idea! UAV's could also really help in fighting crime, particularly in active gang areas or potential terrorist target locations. Thanks for a very interesting column. Bill LaVallee San Jose, California USA *** Jim On UAVs. My mind also wandered as I was reading your ideas on the many potential usages of these critters. Back in the seventies when I was working in a large mill there was a tragic but wonderfully visual incident. One of the machine tenders kept chickens and sold a couple to a colleague. He brought them into work and left them in the machine house, as this machine house only had sound refuges not control rooms. The inevitable happened and one of the birds escaped and flew up onto the open Fourdrinier wire. As the story went, it realised it was moving and started vainly running against the movement; increasingly agitated, but inevitably lost the race. The picture I have is similar to the cartoon character that realises it is over the cliff and in thin air. It ended up going through the press-section and on the floor under the dryers. "Foreign object through presses" was the only report, ahead of six hours of roll and felt changes. Hope your UAVs have super powerful propulsion. Keep up the good work. Chris Bennett United Kingdom *** Jim, Interesting idea with your paper UAVs. I'm reminded of at least a rumor I heard during my [tenure at a certain company] was going to arm mill personnel with remote video systems to assist in troubleshooting problems without having to travel to the mill. Somehow it does not appear that the idea has panned out yet. Jeff Reese Loveland, Ohio USA ### Have a comment? Send your email to jthompson@taii.com. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will assume we can use your name if we publish your letter.