Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System

Coming soon to airspace near you…..UAS-101

Presented At: Pecora Conference/ Unmanned Aircraft Systems By: Roger Trevino, Team Manager, Operations Support Group, Central Service Area Date: November 19, 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

What are UAS?

• Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) historically were called by various terms:  Drone/ROA/RPV/UAV/Model/R-C • Today they are Defined as:  Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)  Aircraft Control Station   Command & Control Link/s Pilot October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

Characteristics

• UAS can range in weight from a few grams to thousands of pounds and can operate at altitudes from near surface to the edge of space. • Some UAS can remain aloft for minutes or days for others. • Future designs allow for the possibility that some UAS will be able to remain aloft for months. • Some UAS fly slowly while others are capable of very high speeds. • Some UAS require a prepared runway while others can be launched and recovered from unprepared fields, ships, aircraft, rooftops, or by hand.

October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

Who is Operating UAS in the NAS

• • • • • • • • • •

Public Use Aircraft – Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

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 State Law Enforcement

Civil Aircraft – Special Airworthiness Certificates Experimental

•

Issued in all 3 Service Areas

  Raytheon AAI Corporation  General Atomics   Boeing And more October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

What are they doing?

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

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

When are they doing it?

• Daily • Mostly Daylight Operations • Some Night Operations

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

Where are they doing it?

United States – Special Use Airspace

Part 73 of Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14 “. . . Activities must be confined because of their nature . . .” • • 6 Flavors of Special Use Airspace only 3 provide for “confined” airspace – Prohibited Areas (Regulatory) – Restricted Areas (Regulatory) – Warning Areas

Other types of airspace that may not require observers:

– – – Class A Class C Temporary Flight Restrictions • 99.7

• 91.137 (a) (1) October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

Where are they doing it

(cont’d)

?

• Class A, C, D, E, and G Airspace • Domestic and Oceanic • Outside of SUA

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

How are they doing it?

Specific authorization is required for operations outside of active restricted/warning area airspace, with aviation activities authorized —NO EXCEPTIONS

•

Certificate of Waiver or Authorization

 Public operators •

Special Airworthiness Certificate, Experimental Category

 Civil (commercial operations are not allowed in US at this time)

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

Challenges Integrating UAS into NAS

• No “see and avoid capability” Must be mitigated – Restricted Areas – TFR’s – Visual observers – Chase aircraft – With RADAR in Class A • Lost control link procedures • Lost Comm procedures • Latency (response delays)

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

Certificate of Authorization (COA)

• FAA Form 7711-1 • Authorization to operate UAS in the NAS • Consists of multiple provisions:  General Provisions  Safety Provisions  Airworthiness Provisions  Pilot/Observer Provisions  Special provisions - specific to mission  Special Provisions – Air Traffic Procedures October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

FAA/DoD Memorandum of Agreement

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Signed September 24, 2007 by FAA Administrator and Deputy Secretary of Defense

•

Provides for Enhanced DoD UAS Access to the NAS in Class D and G Airspace Applies to all categories of DoD UAS operations conducted wholly within Class D airspace that have an associated DoD-controlled, non-joint-use airfield, provided 2 :

• Operations are not conducted over populated areas or within airspace covered in Section 91.215 (b)(2) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR § 91.215(b)(2)).

• DoD shall develop uniform air traffic control procedures to be applied at all locations. These procedures will be developed in coordination with the FAA prior to implementation and a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization issued to the appropriate DoD air Traffic facility.

_________ 2 The DoD, as a service provider for this airspace, does not have the authority to issue waivers to 14 CFR Part 91.

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

FAA/DoD Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) (cont’d)

Operations that are conducted within Class G airspace, below 1200’ AGL (not applicable to airspace identified by 14 CFR § 91.215 (b)(2)) over military bases, reservations or land protected by purchase, lease or other restriction provided: • The UAS weighs 20 pounds or less • The UAS remains within clear visual range of the pilot, or a certified observer in ready contact with the pilot, to ensure separation from other aircraft.

• The UAS remains more than 5 miles from any civil use airport or heliport.

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

    

UAS Challenges

Ensuring safety of the NAS – For all users and public on the ground

Safety impacts:

– Inherent low visibility of many UAS aircraft - more difficult to visually detect – Increased time between detection and avoidance – UAS aircraft performance limits in collision avoidance

Developing standards, procedures and separation standards for an industry already in operation Supporting national defense expanding access requests Other Government Agencies into the mix

October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration

Trends

• FAA UAS Office has seen a 100% increase in COA requests.

– Active COAs = 119 (80 issued in CY 2008) • 49 of 119 belong to DoD – Currently working 84 applications (29 DoD) • Moving from “routine” to more sophisticated UAS missions requiring extensive coordination with multiple affected ATC facilities.

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

October 2008

Information

http://www.faa.gov/uas

Federal Aviation Administration

Points of Contact

–

Ardy Williams Air Traffic Manager, Unmanned Aircraft System 202-497-7688 [email protected]

– –

Roger Trevino Team Manager, Operations Support Group, CSA 817-222-5595 [email protected]

Doug Davis Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Program Office 202-385-4636 [email protected]

Federal Aviation Administration

October 2008

QUESTIONS?

October 2008

Federal Aviation Administration