The Maltese pilot who flew the world’s first unmanned cargo drone described what it was like to control an aircraft which cost almost €1 million while sitting kilometres away.

“We wanted to prove it could fly,” said Julian Scicluna, pilot and Dronamics director of flight operations on the drone’s first flight.

On May 25, airline Dronamics took a technological step forward as their flagship aircraft, the Black Swan, successfully soared in what was the world’s first cargo drone test flight.

The Black Swan travelled some 12 kilometres after taking off from Balchik Airfield, Bulgaria, before returning to cheers from elated engineers and staff.

The drone, which looks closer to a single-engine propeller plane with no front window than the quadcopters generally associated with the term, made its maiden journey with no crew on board.

Instead, the Dronamics team watched on from the tarmac while Scicluna piloted the airborne vehicle from their ground-control station – essentially a plane’s cockpit but housed in a van on the tarmac.

Since Dronamics is not just an airline but also a manufacturer with its own research and development department, Scicluna and his team are able to create specific equipment for their unique needs.

“It is really customised and targeted [to us],” Scicluna explained, describing the control station as a normal cockpit but trimmed of all the switches and levers.

Yet, all the custom equipment in the world does not change the fact that, as a pilot, Scicluna received no physical feedback during the flight.

“There is a complete lack of feel which, up to a point, is a good thing but it of course has its challenges as well.”

The 51-year-old pilot explained that on a normal flight, pilots can feel what is happening through the vibrations they feel and the sounds they hear, but Scicluna only had sight to guide him. This can create a sense of disconnect, he said.

The best way to combat the detachment is to forget about where you are and imagine you are on the flight, he explained, which has led to some slight confusion in the past.

Scicluna recalled a taxying test where, after parking the drone, he stepped out of the control station and was surprised to find that he was nowhere near the plane which he had just immersed himself into.

Although the experience itself is fun and exhilarating, Scicluna explained that contributing to Dronamics’s mission is a special feeling in itself as they aim to get things people need to places they normally cannot get them.

With a 16-metre wingspan, the Black Swan is able to carry a 350kg cargo up to a distance of 2,500km at a top speed of 200 km/h.

This enables same-day shipping of medicine, food or even spare parts, the website reads.

The Baby Swan

Before the Black Swan took its first flying test, Scicluna and the team were extremely confident that the drone would successfully leave the runway as they had already tested the technology on a smaller version.

“There’s a Baby Swan,” Scicluna said, describing the smaller drone as a quarter-scale version that allowed them to test aerodynamics and electronics without taking the bigger drone out for a spin.

A complete lack of feel which, up to a point, is a good thing

The Baby Swan tests finished in December, which gave the team five months to adapt procedures and techniques in preparation for the full-scale version.

“It is very physically demanding,” Scicluna said, explaining that the team spent months working long weekends and odd hours. On the day of the test flight, preparation began at 3am so that the drone could be in the air three hours later.

Despite the flight’s success, advancing technology is not the only hurdle Dronamics needs to jump because, as an airline, they need to follow all the industry’s regulations.

For example, May’s flight required the booking of airspace with a specific route in mind, while the operation had to follow industry-standard procedures.

Describing it as one of the most regulated industries on the planet, Scicluna said that they also need to prove themselves to the regulators as every airline needs to demonstrate their safety.

“We are like the 16-year-old who went to Paceville with friends and you have to prove to your parents that you will be home on time,” he said.

“For me, there is that element that I was the first one to fly it,” Scicluna said with a grin.

But the humble pilot emphasised how important the team is when it comes to every step before, during and after such tests.

“It’s a bit like an orchestra,” he said, explaining that everyone needs to function at a top level in unison with each other.

Asked whether commercial flights could become pilotless, Scicluna explained that the physical presence of a pilot on a flight can help ease the mind of passengers.

On the other hand, not having pilots on a flight makes the process much simpler from a practical perspective as no overnight accommodations are needed and pilots do not need to disrupt their regular routine too much.

Even some of the other technological aspects of the drone may be able to contribute to the industry, such as landing and take-off which the drone can do without human assistance.

“I think it is the future,” he said.