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25Engineering / Aviation

When the plane has to go farther

Waterloo researchers are exploring pilotless aircraft for places that are difficult to reach.

Reported by Darren McAlmont, University Relations

Pilotless planes for the hardest-to-reach places
EngineeringPilotless planes for the hardest-to-reach placesPhoto: University of Waterloo / original source page

Research on pilotless planes looks toward missions where distance, weather and access make ordinary travel hard.

The summer image is simple: a machine carrying a question beyond the road, while people on the ground decide what useful reach should look like.

Sources 1
  1. Original reporting · uwaterloo.ca
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This story is from the August 2026 issue of Alumni Digest · Waterloo. It's free, monthly and independent.

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