FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Update

Presented to: MAPPS 2012 Summer Conference By: Randy Willis, Acting Air Traffic Manager, FAA UAS Integration Office Date: July 12, 2012

Federal Aviation Administration

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Overview

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FAA Role Reorganization – UAS Integration Office Vision Perspectives Critical UAS Integration Issues Current UAS Operations

– Certificate of Waiver or Authorizations (COAs)

Current Integration Activities Legislation Summary Test Range Selection A Look Ahead UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 2

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FAA Role

FAA is a Regulator

– Must ensure the safety of operations in the National Airspace System •

FAA is a Service Provider

– Must preserve the efficiency of all of the airspace delegated to the United States

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FAA UAS Reorganization

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UAS Integration Office, AFS-80

– Establishing a division-level organization reporting to the Director of Flight Standards – Single executive focal point • James H. “Jim” Williams (started March 26) – Combining former Air Traffic and Flight Standards UAS offices • Unmanned Aircraft Program Office (UA PO), AFS-407 • Unmanned Aircraft Systems Group (UASG), AJV-13

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Vision Statement

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Safe, efficient, and timely integration of UAS into the airspace

–

Safe

• Because that is the FAA Mission!

–

Efficient

• FAA is committed to reduce delays and increase system reliability –

Timely

• FAA is dedicated to supporting this exciting new technology

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Perspectives on UAS Integration into the National Airspace System (NAS)

• • •

Today

– Accommodation

Mid-term

– Integration into the NAS

Long-term

– Integration into the NextGen NAS

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Who is Operating UAS in the NAS?

•

Public Use Aircraft – Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA)

– Department of Agriculture – Department of Commerce – Department of Defense – Department of Energy – Department of Homeland Security – Department of Interior – Department of Justice – NASA – State Universities – Federal/State/Local Law Enforcement

UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012

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Civil Aircraft – Special Airworthiness Certificates in the Experimental Category and Special Flight Permits issued coast to coast

– Raytheon – AAI Corporation – General Atomics – Boeing – Others

Federal Aviation Administration 7

Where Are UAS Operating?

• •

UAS are operated in most classes of airspace Currently, flight over populated areas has not been approved UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 8

How Are UAS Being Used?

• System Development • Operational Missions • Training for Ops Missions • Research • Sensor Development & Testing • Marketing • Border Patrol • Firefighting • Disaster Relief • Search and Rescue

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Authorization Required?

• Activities completely contained in active Special Use Airspace (Restricted and Warning Areas)

– No FAA approval required - range rules apply

• Private recreational use

– Advisory Circular 91-57,

Model Aircraft Operating Standards

• COA

– Only available for Public operations – Agency determines pilot certification and airworthiness

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Authorization Required?

• Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category and Special Flight Permits for production flight testing

– Only means of access currently being used by civil operators – FAA determines airworthiness – No commercial operations – FAA Order 8130.34,

Airworthiness Certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Optionally Piloted Aircraft

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COA Types

• Standard • Renewal

Standard

:

A first-time authorization issued to a public agency to operate in the National Airspace System (NAS). (60 working days)

Renewal

:

A reissuance of the initial authorization with no changes proposed by the proponent.

(30 working days)

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Special COAs

• • •

DoD / FAA Memorandum of Agreement

• Non-Joint Use Military Airfield • Over Military Lands

Disaster Relief COA

• DoD (Predator and Global Hawk) • Customs & Border Protection (Predator)

Emergency COA

– Issued to proponent that already has a COA to operate in response to an emergency situation in another location

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Examples of Disaster/Emergency COAs

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Disaster Relief COAs

– Haitian Relief (January – February 10) – Red River Flooding (CBP) – North Dakota (March 10) – Mississippi Canyon (Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill) (June 10) •

Emergency/Humanitarian COAs

– Japanese Earthquake/Tsunami (March 11) – Red River Flooding (UND) – North Dakota (March 10) – Oil delivery for Nome, Alaska (March 12) – Numerous Law Enforcement

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COA Operator Statistics

•All data as of 5/31/2012

UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012

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COA Applications Submitted by Proponent Federal Aviation Administration 15

COA Approval Statistics

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COA Applications Approved

•All data as of 5/31/2012

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Critical UAS Integration Issues

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Unmanned aircraft reliability Aircraft certification standards Control station (cockpit) layout/certification Pilot qualification standards Dedicated, protected spectrum Sense and avoid capability NextGen ground systems design ATC Interoperability UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 17

Current Integration Products

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FAA Civil/Public UAS NAS Integration Roadmap (UAS Integration Office, AFS-80)

– Recommendations/inputs from the UAS Aviation Rulemaking Committee – Projected for Summer 2012

FAA Concept of Operations (ConOps) (FAA NextGen Organization)

– Projected for September 2012

Comprehensive Plan (JPDO)

– Projected for Fall 2012

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Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 107, Rule: Small UAS

• • •

Purpose of the regulation

– Enable small UAS to operate safely in limited portions of the NAS and gather data

Focus

– Enable the widest range of activity that can be safely conducted within the shortest rulemaking timeframe

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to be released later this year UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 19

Legislation Summary

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UAS Provisions

– FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 – National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) 2012

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Legislation Summary

• • • •

FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012

– Enacted into law on February 14, 2012

Subtitle B – Unmanned Aircraft Systems

– Sections 331-336

Many tasks with timelines included Most prominent task calls for establishment of six UAS test sites UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 21

Test Range Selection Plan

• • • • • •

Request for Comment published in Federal Register on March 9, 2012 60 day comment period Webinars during comment period

– April 10 th (455 participants) – April 11 th (371 participants)

Screening Information Request (SIR) Selection Process Six sites selected, December 2012 UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 22

A Look Ahead

• • •

Today/Ongoing

– Improve COA guidance and process – Refine FAA Civil/Public UAS NAS Integration Roadmap – Plan/oversee research and development activities – Gather safety data!!

Near term

– Implement advanced mitigations (Ground Based Sense and Avoid (GBSAA), others) – Increase NAS access through small UAS rule

Long term

– Reduce dependency on COAs, move towards integration into the NextGen environment

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UAS Integration

SAFE!

EFFICIENT! TIMELY! UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 24

UAS Integration Office Update July 12, 2012

Questions?

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