scholarly journals Integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System-Efforts by the University of Alaska to Support the FAA/NASA UAS Traffic Management Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 3112
Author(s):  
Michael Hatfield ◽  
Catherine Cahill ◽  
Peter Webley ◽  
Jessica Garron ◽  
Rebecca Beltran
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Management ◽  
Federal Aviation Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
National Airspace System ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
The University

Over the past decade Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, aka “drones”) have become pervasive, touching virtually all aspects of our world. While UAS offer great opportunity to better our lives and strengthen economies, at the same time these can significantly disrupt manned flight operations and put our very lives in peril. Balancing the demanding and competing requirements of safely integrating UAS into the United States (US) National Airspace System (NAS) has been a top priority of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for several years. This paper outlines efforts taken by the FAA and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to create the UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system as a means to address this capability gap. It highlights the perspectives and experiences gained by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) as one of the FAA’s six UAS test sites participating in the NASA-led UTM program. The paper summarizes UAF’s participation in the UTM Technical Capability Level (TCL1-3) campaigns, including flight results, technical capabilities achieved, lessons learned, and continuing challenges regarding the implementation of UTM in the NAS. It also details future efforts needed to enable practical Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) flights for UAS operations in rural Alaska.

‘There’s always a [white] man in the loop’: The gendered and racialized politics of civilian drones

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Olson ◽  
Christine Labuski
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Federal Aviation Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Aircraft Systems

In 2014, the United States Federal Aviation Administration chose six sites at which to conduct research crucial to integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace. Analyzing data collected from five focus groups that we conducted at one of these test sites, this article centers on the gendered and racialized politics of civilian unmanned aircraft. Civilian drone use remains a relatively unchallenged space for displaying hypermasculinity via technological expertise. Focusing on the topic of surveillance, we argue that a very particular, intersectional perspective – white technomasculinity – profoundly influences how civilian unmanned aircraft are imagined, designed and deployed. While this perspective went unmarked and was taken for granted by most of our focus group participants, our analysis highlights the constructed and contingent nature of white technomasculinity, and we argue that a critical technological consciousness is necessary to prevent these technologies from reinforcing or exacerbating unequal distributions of rights and responsibilities among differently located social actors. We conclude our paper on a cautiously hopeful note, drawing attention to moments in which more distributed, or ‘sousveillant’, uses of civilian UAS appeared possible.

scholarly journals Instructions on the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

EDIS ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sri Charan Kakarla ◽  
Yiannis Ampatzidis
Keyword(s):  
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles ◽  
Federal Aviation Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Law ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Appropriate Use ◽  
State Laws ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Commercial Activities

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the appropriate use of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAV) or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the State of Florida. All research and commercial activities involving the use of UAVs shall be conducted in compliance with applicable federal and state laws, statutes, and regulations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has jurisdiction over all navigable airspace in the United States. All aircraft, whether manned or unmanned, are subject to FAA rules and regulations and violations carry severe federal penalties. The FAA allows small (under 55 pounds) unmanned aircraft operated solely for hobby and recreational purposes to be flown under the rules and restrictions outlined in Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform act of 2012 (Public Law 11295). Currently, the FAA considers the use of an unmanned aircraft for educational or training purposes to be commercial in nature. Below, we provide step-by-step guidance for operating an UAV for commercial (or research) purpose.

scholarly journals Perspective: Agricultural Aerial Application with Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Current Regulatory Framework and Analysis of Operators in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 1475-1481
Author(s):  
Roberto Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Federal Aviation Administration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
List Type ◽  
Aerial Application ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Agricultural Operations ◽  
The U.S

HighlightsThe FAA has used two exemptions (17261 and 18009) as precedents for approval of numerous agricultural operations for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).While many operators have received exemptions, a significant portion have not received an agricultural aircraft operator certificate (AAOC), despite the need for both to operate UAS in agricultural operations.Operators who have both an exemption and an AAOC tend to be clustered in geographic areas, with many states without a single such operator.Abstract. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have seen rapid growth in many industries in the U.S. since the introduction of small UAS regulations (14 CFR § 107). However, adoption of UAS for agricultural aerial application has been limited. Two landmark regulatory exemptions by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have laid the foundation for commercial agricultural aerial application with UAS. Since the initial introduction of these exemptions, the pace of new exemptions for agricultural aerial application with UAS has remained steady. By the end of 2019, 64 operators had received exemptions in which the FAA cited one of the two landmark exemptions as a precedent. This study analyzed these exemptions to determine geographic distribution, aircraft manufacturer, number of employees, and time to operator certification. Results indicate that less than half of operators who received an exemption from the FAA became certified for aerial application. Additionally, certified operators were not evenly distributed throughout the U.S. despite the broader distribution of exemption holders. Two UAS manufacturers dominated the market, with over 80% of exemptions requesting UAS from one or both manufacturers. While regulatory hurdles for agricultural aerial application with UAS have been substantially reduced through the introduction of standardized exemptions, this has not resulted in the anticipated influx of certified operators. There are additional impediments preventing operator certification, including technological limitations of currently available UAS, which need to be addressed to improve the rate of UAS integration into agricultural aerial application. Keywords: Chemical applications, Drone, Precision agriculture, UAS, UAV, Unmanned aerial vehicle, Unmanned aircraft systems.

The state of the art and operational scenarios for urban air mobility with unmanned aircraft

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
F. D. Maia ◽  
J. M. Lourenço da Saúde
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Management ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Civil Aviation ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Standards And Regulations

ABSTRACT A state-of-the-art review of all the developments, standards and regulations associated with the use of major unmanned aircraft systems under development is presented. Requirements and constraints are identified by evaluating technologies specific to urban air mobility, considering equivalent levels of safety required by current and future civil aviation standards. Strategies, technologies and lessons learnt from remotely piloted aviation and novel unmanned traffic management systems are taken as the starting point to assess operational scenarios for autonomous urban air mobility.

UAS Pilot Assessments of Display and Alerting for the Airborne Collision Avoidance System XU

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-163
Author(s):  
Casey L. Smith ◽  
R. Conrad Rorie ◽  
Kevin J. Monk ◽  
Jillian Keeler ◽  
Garrett G. Sadler
Keyword(s):  
Collision Avoidance ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
National Airspace System ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Collision Avoidance System ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Initial Iteration ◽  
Integrated Display

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) must comply with specific standards to operate in the National Airspace System (NAS). Among the requirements are the detect and avoid (DAA) capabilities, which include display, alerting, and guidance specifications. Previous studies have queried pilots for their subjective feedback of these display elements on earlier systems; the present study sought pilot evaluations with an initial iteration of the unmanned variant of a Next Generation Airborne Collision Avoidance System (ACAS XU). Sixteen participants piloted simulated aircraft with both standalone and integrated DAA displays. Their opinions were gathered using post-block and post-simulation questionnaires as well as guided debriefs. The data showed pilots had better understanding and comfort with the system when using an integrated display. Pilots also rated ACAS XU alerting and guidance as generally acceptable and effective. Implications for further development of ACAS XU and DAA displays are discussed.

Integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems into State Department of Transportation Highway Bridge Inspection Procedures: Challenges, Implications, and Lessons Learned

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110444
Author(s):  
Michael Plotnikov ◽  
John Collura
Keyword(s):  
State Department ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Highway Bridge ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Bridge Inspection ◽  
Aircraft Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bridge Inspections

Rapid proliferation of small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) promises to revolutionize traditional methods used to carry out civil engineering surveys and analyses and conduct physical infrastructure inspections. One of the most promising areas of implementation of innovative UAS technology includes the integration of UAS into current state Department of Transportation (DOT) bridge inspections. While regular bridge inspections are paramount for road user safety, many traditional inspection methods and procedures are cumbersome, expensive, and time consuming; present significant hazards to both the traveling public and the inspection personnel; and are disruptive to normal operations of the transportation facilities. The results of recent studies indicate that UAS can serve as a useful tool in many highway bridge inspection procedures, while significantly reducing costs and time and improving safety. The major factors that affect the success of integrating UAS into the bridge inspection process relate to selection of the proper types of UAS platforms and avionics, data collection sensors and processing software, as well as conduct of task-specific pilot training. The paper provides an examination of current standard bridge inspection procedures and protocols currently carried out by state DOTs; an evaluation of state DOT experiences with the integration of UAS technology into bridge inspections; and an assessment of the issues and challenges associated with this technology. It is expected that this paper will be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders representing state and federal governments, academia, and industry.

scholarly journals A Performance-Based Airspace Model for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management

Aerospace ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Nichakorn Pongsakornsathien ◽  
Suraj Bijjahalli ◽  
Alessandro Gardi ◽  
Angus Symons ◽  
Yuting Xi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Management ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite Systems ◽  
Communication Overhead ◽  
Satellite Systems ◽  
Aircraft Systems

Recent evolutions of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) concept are driving the introduction of new airspace structures and classifications, which must be suitable for low-altitude airspace and provide the required level of safety and flexibility, particularly in dense urban and suburban areas. Therefore, airspace classifications and structures need to evolve based on appropriate performance metrics, while new models and tools are needed to address UTM operational requirements, with an increasing focus on the coexistence of manned and unmanned Urban Air Mobility (UAM) vehicles and associated Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) infrastructure. This paper presents a novel airspace model for UTM adopting Performance-Based Operation (PBO) criteria, and specifically addressing urban airspace requirements. In particular, a novel airspace discretisation methodology is introduced, which allows dynamic management of airspace resources based on navigation and surveillance performance. Additionally, an airspace sectorisation methodology is developed balancing the trade-off between communication overhead and computational complexity of trajectory planning and re-planning. Two simulation case studies are conducted: over the skyline and below the skyline in Melbourne central business district, utilising Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The results confirm that the proposed airspace sectorisation methodology promotes operational safety and efficiency and enhances the UTM operators’ situational awareness under dense traffic conditions introducing a new effective 3D airspace visualisation scheme, which is suitable both for mission planning and pre-tactical UTM operations. Additionally, the proposed performance-based methodology can accommodate the diversity of infrastructure and vehicle performance requirements currently envisaged in the UTM context. This facilitates the adoption of this methodology for low-level airspace integration of UAS (which may differ significantly in terms of their avionics CNS capabilities) and set foundations for future work on tactical online UTM operations.

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