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Did it look like this by any chance? https://newatlas.com/schiebel-next-generation-uav-camcopter/3865/ https://newatlas.com/schiebel-next-generation-uav-camcop

• doodlebugging 3y ago
  From memory, it was larger. From my vantage point it appeared to be a full size helicopter that could carry a pilot and co-pilot if there had been a cockpit. The shape was similar to the one in this article but from memory the underside was flatter instead of bulbous. I immediately went online once it was out of range and searched for anything about unmanned helicopters, drone helicopters, autonomous helicopter, etc and couldn't find anything that looked exactly like it though I did find a similar body on a Bell helicopter. I assumed it had to be one of theirs since they manufacture them about an hour more or less away from where I live. There is a chance that it was closer in size to the one pictured in your article. If that were true and I had/have missed on my estimates of the range/altitude then the path it flew would have been following a high-voltage powerline path that was put in as they constructed this highway bypass following the same general path across the landscape. There are lots of things that I can be wrong about on any given day and this is certainly one of them. If you work with Schiebel do you know what colors they use one theirs? I just searched again and found several autonomous helicopters available now. I guess the technology moves quickly once you nail down the flight software. I had a sense that the Cessna was tracking the drone helicopter to make sure it had no issues since they flew along above it in gentle loops along the same path as if they were keeping it in sight.
  • antonvs 3y ago
    There could have been a drone pilot in that Cessna.
    • doodlebugging 3y ago
      This is true. I suspect that someone in the plane had the responsibility of insuring that the drone helicopter did not stray from its path or run into problems.