System and Method for Suspending HF antennas

A system and method for extending and holding aloft a long-wire radio antenna using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), optimizing high-frequency (HF) radio communication where ground-based infrastructure is impractical. The UAV-based system pulls an antenna wire from a reel vertically and hovers in place holding the antenna at a length resonant on the transmitting frequency, enabling effective skip propagation. The system includes mechanisms for precise impedance matching and standing wave ratio (SWR) tuning through automatic adjustments of antenna length, facilitated by onboard sensors and control systems. The antenna wire is connected to a reel anchored to the ground and connected to a wire-mesh ground plane. In one embodiment, the system constantly feeds electric power to the UAV, with filters isolating RF and power currents, enabling both antenna and power transmission functions on the same wire. This system addresses the challenges of maintaining HF communication in remote or disaster-stricken regions.