An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is an aircraft and its associated elements which are operated with no pilot on board. UAS is an overarching term for the entire system comprising an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which is a self piloted or remotely piloted aircraft that can carry cameras, sensors, communications equipment or other payloads, as well those which support unmanned flights such as air traffic management and remote controllers of such aircraft.
Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne
Introduction(April 09, Quebec, Sri Lanka Guardian) An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) is an aircraft and its associated elements which are operated with no pilot on board. UAS is an overarching term for the entire system comprising an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which is a self piloted or remotely piloted aircraft that can carry cameras, sensors, communications equipment or other payloads, as well those which support unmanned flights such as air traffic management and remote controllers of such aircraft. The United States Department of Defence defines a UAV as “a powered aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and carry a lethal or non-lethal payload”. Ballistic or semi-ballistic vehicles, cruise missiles and artillery projectiles were not considered UAVs by this definition. The Federal Aviation Administration of the United States defines a UAS as “a device that is used or intended to be used for flight in the air that has no onboard pilot. This includes all classes of airplanes, helicopters, airships, and translational lift aircraft that have no onboard pilot”. All references to UAS that follow in this article therefore necessarily include UAVs.
UAS are used to serve different purposes and therefore come in a variety of models, shapes and sizes. Their sizes may differ from having as wide a wing span as a Boeing 737 aircraft to that of a radio-controlled model airplane. A UAS has of necessity to be guided and operated by a pilot on the ground . A strategic use of a UAS is military reconnaissance and attack where they are commonly called drones. However, they now also serve to increase efficiency, and be cost effective, enhance safety and even save lives. They could also be used in aerial photography, surveying land and crops, monitoring forest fires and environmental conditions, and protecting borders and ports against intruders.
It must be underscored that the preliminary aim of any regulation is to ensure aviation safety based on the fact that the risk of mid-air collisions between UAS and aircraft manned by pilots on board is a critical safety concern for UAS operations worldwide. Accident investigation therefore becomes crucial both in cases where accidents cause death or injury to persons and damage to property and in instances where no collision occurs between UAS and manned aircraft. In order to determine what aspect of the operation failed, whether additional, previously unanticipated hazards were contributory, and what deficiencies need to be corrected to prevent such an event from progressing to a more serious outcome in the future.
To begin with, existing treaty law requires special authorization by the State flown over by an aircraft capable of being flown without a pilot which is in fact flown without a pilot. In this context a “pilotless aircraft” is an aircraft which is flown without a pilot in command on board the aircraft but which is either remotely or fully controlled from another place (ground, another aircraft or space).
Aircraft operating without a pilot on board present a wide array of hazards to the civil aviation system. These hazards must be identified and the safety risks mitigated, just as with introduction of an airspace redesign, new equipment or procedures. In this regard, States are required to establish a State Security Programme (SSP) to include safety rulemaking, policy development and oversight. The operation of UAS in desegregated airspace would not only affect operations carried by commercial air carriers but would also affect general aviation.
Collision Avoidance
In terms of collision avoidance, the pilot in command of a UAS as responsible as a pilot of a manned aircraft for detecting and avoiding potential collisions and other hazards. Furthermore it provides that technology to provide the remote pilot with sufficient knowledge of the aircraft’s environment to fulfil the responsibility must be incorporated into the aircraft with counterpart components located at the remote pilot station. Also, remote pilots, despite not being on board the aircraft, will be subject to the same requirements as aircraft pilots who are required to observe, interpret and heed a diverse range of visual signals intended to attract their attention and/or convey information. Such signals can range from lights and pyrotechnic signals for aerodrome traffic to signals used by intercepting aircraft. This would necessitate development and approval of alternate means of compliance with this requirement.
Air Traffic Management
With regard to air traffic management (ATM), whether the aircraft is piloted from on board or remotely, the provision of air traffic services (ATS) should, to the greatest practicable extent, be one and the same. Furthermore the introduction of a remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) must not increase the risk to other aircraft or third parties and should not prevent or restrict access to airspace. ATM procedures for handling RPA should mirror those for manned aircraft whenever possible. There will be some instances where the remote pilot cannot respond in the same manner as could an on-board pilot and it is necessary for ATM procedures to be able to take account of these differences. For this purpose, ATS/remote pilot communication requirements must be assessed in the context of an ATM function, taking into account human interactions, procedures and environmental characteristics. A safety management system (SMS) approach should be employed to determine the adequacy of any communications solutions. The information exchange between ATC and the remote pilot will likely require the same levels of reliability, continuity and integrity, referred to as QOS, that are required to support operations with manned aircraft in the airspace in which a UA is intended to operate.
The exchange of control information between the aircraft and its remote pilot station will require an extremely high level of availability, reliability, continuity and integrity. The determination of required communication performance and associated QOS levels will be based on functionality considering the level of ATS being provided.
Aerodrome Operations
In terms of aerodrome operations and UAS, integration of RPA into aerodrome operations will prove to be among the greatest challenges. At issue are provisions for the remote pilot to identify, in real-time, the physical layout of the aerodrome and associated equipment such as aerodrome lighting and markings so as to manoeuvre the aircraft safely and correctly. The RPA must be able to work within existing aerodrome parameters. Aerodrome standards should not be significantly changed, and the equipment developed for RPA must be able to comply with existing provisions to the greatest extent practicable. Moreover, where RPA are operated alongside manned aircraft, there needs to be harmonization in the provision of ATS.
Meteorology
Meteorology is another important element that needs to be properly coordinated in the operation of UAS. Meteorological information plays a role in the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation and is provided to users as required for the performance of their respective functions. Meteorological information supplied to operators and flight/remote crew members covers the flight in respect of time, altitude, and geographical area. Accordingly, the information relates to appropriate fixed times, or periods of time, and extends to the aerodrome of intended landing. It also covers meteorological conditions expected between the aerodrome of intended landing and alternate aerodromes designated by the operator.
Meteorological services are critical for the planning, execution and safe operation of international aviation. Since the remote pilot is not on board the aircraft and may not be able to determine meteorological conditions and their real-time effects on the aircraft, obtaining meteorological information from appropriate sources prior to and during flight will be especially critical for the safe operation of these aircraft.
There is already an international requirement for aircraft on its registry operating on international air routes to make automated routine observations, if so equipped. RPA may not be so equipped. Likewise, there is a requirement for all aircraft to make special observations whenever severe turbulence, severe icing, severe mountain wave, thunderstorms, hail, dust, stone and volcanic ash are encountered during a flight. However, RPA may not be able to comply with these provisions as the pilot is remote from the aircraft, and the aircraft may not have the sensors to detect these phenomena.
It is also recognized that conversely, the RPA specifically equipped for such purposes may in fact be used to monitor meteorological conditions, relaying information back to ground sensors. These aircraft could potentially be used in conditions and locations where manned aircraft cannot safely operate such as in hurricanes, convective weather or in the vicinity of volcanic ash/gases.
Security
One of the critical elements in UAS operations is the security of the system as security is a vital issue for RPA with aspects that are both similar and unique when compared with manned aircraft. As a remote pilot station is similar in purpose and design to a cockpit, it must likewise be secure from sabotage or unlawful malicious interference.. Similarly, the aircraft itself must be stored and prepared for flight in a manner that will prevent and detect tampering and ensure the integrity of vital components.
Conclusion
It is abundantly clear that there are certain rules that States are required to adhere to in order to ensure that UAS operated under their control do not adversely affect civil air transport. The traditional approach to civil aviation has to this point been based on the notion of a pilot operating the aircraft from within the aircraft itself and more often than not with passengers on board. Removing the pilot from this equation and relegating him to the ground to operate the aircraft remotely raises important technical and operational issues, the gravity and scope of which is being robustly studied by the aviation community.
It is incontrovertible that unmanned aircraft systems are a new and vibrant component of the aviation system, one which States and the aerospace industry are working to understand, define and ultimately integrate. These systems are based on cutting-edge developments in aerospace technologies, offering advancements which may open new and improved civil/ commercial applications as well as improvements to the safety and efficiency of all civil aviation. One could expect that the safe integration of UAS into non-segregated airspace will be a long-term activity with many stakeholders adding their expertise on such diverse topics as licensing and medical qualification of UAS crew, technologies for detect and avoid systems, frequency spectrum (including its protection from unintentional or unlawful interference), separation standards from other aircraft, and development of an effective and safe regulatory framework.
Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne FRAeS FCILT
International Civil Aviation Organization
999 University Street
Montreal H3C 5H7
Quebec
Canada
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