Many civil and commercial uses for robotic aircraft have been identified: there are clear benefits for taking the air crew out of operations that are ‘dull, dangerous, and dirty’. Dull, repetitive operations (scanning fuel pipelines for leaks, say) tax human endurance to the point where safety can be compromised. Dangerous operations, such as tackling forest fires, expose air crews to severe risks. Dirty operations – fires again, but also smogs and other less immediately threatening pollution plumes – also put crews in danger. Robotic aircraft can use the weight saved by not carrying people and their life-support systems to greatly extend range and time on duty.