Strategy For The Successful Implementation Of An Unmanned System

8.4 - Research Blog 5: Unmanned System Implementation Strategy

Don Moore

UNSY 501 Applications of Unmanned Systems

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

A basic strategy to ensure successful implementation of a UAS that delivers Goods should at a minimum address privacy, ethics, safety, and lost link/loss of system control.

    Illustration 1

    NASA Illustration of UAS integrated into the NAS

(Bennett, 2014)

Initially, the strategy must take into consideration and understand the national airspace (NAS). Every system has a process of getting from one point to another; the NAS is no different. The reason for the creation of the NAS was to establish an airspace environment that was efficient and safe for not only civil aircraft but also military and commercial alike (FAA, 2015). One of the methods used to maintain safety within the national airspace is separating the airspace using lettered classes for the airspace.  Class A, B, C, D and, E falls into the category listed as controlled airspace however, class F airspace Falls within the category of uncontrolled airspace and is not used within the United States.  I believe that Class E would be the best choice for UAS.

Illustration 1

The regulating of airspace/ accounting for UAS introduction

(Popular mechanics, 2013)

Privacy

The push for the use of UAS in the NAS, brings concerns about privacy laws as it pertains to the Fourth Amendment. The Amendment states “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the person or things to be seized” (Matiteyahu, 2015, pp. 5).  I don’t believe that the rules for privacy should change; if information is legally obtained it should be able to be used against the person in a court of law.

Ethics

Current law would cover any ethical situation. Basically pilots will under control of the organizations operating procedures.  Any violations would fall on the company.

Safety

The technology must be thoroughly evaluated to be understood, potential failures must be identified and mitigated, and there must be a proven safety case for the intended operations before they can be introduced into the comprehensive system of safety and operation requirements that exists in today’s public airspace. Additionally, The UAS would need to have the ability to sense and avoid other aircraft that are flying VFR. See and avoid systems are also important.  See and avoid means that the pilot is in the cockpit and able to see out of the window so that they can avoid oncoming aircraft; UAS have no one in the cockpit so therefore some UAS must have a 360° capable camera to view the surroundings. The requirement for an Automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) should be made a requirement for all aircraft. This would increase safety across the board.  However, it would also create a problem for small manned aircraft most of which currently do not need the device.

Lost link/loss of system control

UAS communications systems are referred to as Command and Control (C2). C2 is the combination of radio or satellite equipment and frequencies to enable the transfer of significant amounts of data to and from the aircraft, including inputs for all the collective technologies required to safely operate a UAS (ALPA, 2015).  UAS that are flying outside of line of sight (LOS) are dependent upon a data link between the aircraft and the ground station.  Communication is of utmost importance when dealing with UAS therefore the Loss of Data link presents safety concerns within the aviation community. The reason why the data link is so important is because of the uplink and downlink; the uplink allows the controller to give commands to the aircraft and the downlink pushes information from the aircraft back to the controller. Recently the FAA issued Aircraft traffic organization policy number NJO 7210.889 that gives guidance for contingencies due to the loss of data link (McCarty, 2015). Transponder use is paramount when dealing with loss of command and control of UAS because ATC can quickly identify the UAS that has lost its link. The way it works is once the link is lost the UAS immediately squawks code 7600 (emergency) therefore alerting ATC which gives ATC the option to divert any aircraft if need be. Lost link route a flight is highly important because it works hand-in-hand with squawking code 7600. Once the link is lost the aircraft should not only squawk code 7600; it should also immediately follow a planned route for landing.

References

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA),. (2015, December). Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems - Air Line Pilots. Retrieved from

https://www.bing.com/cr?IG=E6F0F581BA884AB5A41A32C86D79B94B&CID=05DC38D592EE6B443324313693DF6A2E&rd=1&h=gJ1jKAvUU4igBaVkgpa6c5Me7n16XoomQo0i5OTA03Q&v=1&r=https://www.alpa.org/~/media/ALPA/Files/pdfs/news-events/white-papers/uas-white-paper.pdf?la=en&p=DevEx,5084.1

Bennett, W. C. (2014, September). Civilian Drones, Privacy, and the Federal-State Balance. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports2/2014/09/civilian-drones-and-  privacy

FAA. (2015, September 29). About FAA. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/about/

Matiteyahu, T. (2015). Drone Regulations and Fourth Amendment Rights: The Interaction of State Drone Statutes and the Reasonable Expectation of Privacy. Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/cu/jlsp/pdf/Spring2015/Matiteyahu.pdf

McCarty, J. S. (2015, October 27). Air Traffic Organization Policy N JO 7210.889.

Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7210.889_

Unmanned_Aircraft_Operations_in_the_NAS.pdf

Popular mechanics. (2013). This Is How the FAA Regulates American Airspace. Retrieved from http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a9397/this-is-how-the-faa-regulates-american-airspace-15894142/