UAS Pilots Code: Tools to Advance UAS Safety & Professionalism

As unmanned aircraft operations become more ubiquitous in the National Airspace System, one of the key remaining challenges is instilling the precepts of safety culture, aviation professionalism, airmanship, and effective aeronautical decision-making among these non-traditional aviators. To address these challenges, researchers codified best practices and operational recommendations from across the UAS industry, collectively publishing them in a compendium titled the UAS Pilots Code (UASPC). Guidance for the UASPC was informed by material assembled from leading governmental and industry organizations including: FAA, AEA, AMA, AOPA, ASTM, AUVSI, CANSO, EAA, EASA, EUROCAE, ICAO, ISO, JARUS, NBAA, RTCA, SAE, UVS, and others. Extensive recommendations, guidance, and ongoing peer review feedback was integrated from 60 aviation and UAS industry professionals. Divided into seven sections, the UASPC highlights the general safety responsibilities of UAS pilots, imparts methods to avoid creating hazards to manned aircraft operations and people on the surface, recommends training and proficiency benchmarks, encourages practices to ensure security and protect personal privacy, promotes environmental responsibility, guides the use of technology and automation, and advocates means of advancing the overall professionalism of the UAS industry. The UASPC contains 36 core safety principles supported by 180 sample recommended practices. The UASPC is not designed to merely establish minimum standards of practice, but rather to encourage continual safety improvement and excellence through self-regulation and responsibility. The UASPC was created as a collaborative venture between the Aviators Code Initiative and the University Aviation Association as a volunteer, public service to enhance aviation safety

Assessing Small UAS Operator Flight Behavior and Potential Interference with Aviation Operations in Controlled Airspace

The rapid rise of small UAS (sUAS) operations in the National Airspace System is generating an increasing concern about possible interference with manned aircraft. Reported sightings of UAS by manned aircraft pilots rose from an average of 147 sightings per month in 2016 to 188 sightings per month in the first three quarters of 2017. The purpose of this study was to evaluate sUAS operator behaviors and identify sUAS interference with aviation operations in the sample area. The authors partnered with a UAS technology company to deploy an AeroScope, a passive radio frequency detection device, in proximity to Tampa International Airport to detect UAS flight activity. While the device only collected data from DJI platforms, the company is estimated to hold a more than 70% market share on consumer UAS in the United States. The AeroScope identified 77 unique sUAS platforms among 258 separate flight detection records over the 19-day sampling period. The research yielded several behavior characteristics of the sUAS operators including predominant sUAS models, operating altitudes, preferred flying days and times, flight durations, and launch locations. Additionally, the authors identified 93 potential violations of 14 CFR 107 regulations, which included breaches of controlled airspace, maximum altitude limits, daytime flying rules, and other provisions. The authors assessed the sUAS activity posed a potential conflict with a visual approach path to a nearby airport and created a collision hazard to three local heliports. The authors highlighted limitations of existing sUAS geofencing to protecting aviation operations in high-density airspace

UAS Pilots Code – Annotated Version 1.0

The UAS PILOTS CODE (UASPC) offers recommendations to advance flight safety, ground safety, airmanship, and professionalism.6 It presents a vision of excellence for UAS pilots and operators, and includes general guidance for all types of UAS. The UASPC offers broad guidance—a set of values—to help a pilot interpret and apply standards and regulations, and to confront real world challenges to avoid incidents and accidents. It is designed to help UAS pilots develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), effective risk management,7 safety management systems (SMS), and to encourage UAS pilots to consider themselves aviators and participants in the broader aviation community

Examining UAS Employment Expectations and Requirements

Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology is radically changing how organizations, such as government agencies, non-profit corporations, and companies, apply aviation resources. Unmanned aviation is supporting improved efficiency, expanded capability, and heightened reliability through an increasing number of uses relating to: a) research and development and training-education, b) event filming, c) industrial, utility, and environmental projects, d) real estate, e) construction activities, f) agricultural, g) press and media, and h) state/local emergency services. The increasing application, and subsequent operational growth, is occurring in response to maturing technology, refined operational management and permissibility, innovative concept development, demonstrated capability, enhanced supportability, and the availability of specialized education and training opportunities. Technological advancement, regulatory changes, economic development, and widespread adoption of this technology is also leading to an observable growth of related employment opportunities. The Federal Aviation Administration has indicated that there are currently 116,027 remote pilots certified to operate small UAS in the National Airspace System, with growth to almost 350,000 by 2023. The examination of current career opportunities, in connection with commonly advertised job types and the associated roles and responsibilities, could better inform future UAS curricula design and enhancement efforts. This paper and associated presentation will feature an in-depth examination of such positions to categorize type and summarize prevalent attributes, while also highlighting notable features such as popular hiring locations, salary estimation, and experience-levels. The intent is to provide a detailed summary of hiring expectations and identify potential opportunities for improving academic alignment and career development efforts

Evaluating LAANC Compliance and Air Traffic Collision Hazards Posed by Small Unmanned Aircraft Operations in Controlled Airspace

On July 23, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)—the system that processes airspace approvals for sUAS operators in controlled airspace—to include recreational operations. Under LAANC, sUAS operators submit flight request information to one of 14 LAANC Service Suppliers via a mobile or online application. Flight request data is checked against UAS Facility Maps, NOTAMs, and Temporary Flight Restrictions to ensure compliance. Small UAS operators then receive a digital, automated authorization in near-real time. As of May 23, 2019, 591 airports across the United States are included in the LAANC system. Researchers sought to collect and evaluate sUAS operational activity in controlled airspace using UAS detection equipment. Detected sUAS flight data was compared against airspace information, temporary flight restrictions, UAS Facility Maps, and LAANC approval data to assess sUAS operator compliance and behavior patterns. Small UAS detections and LAANC authorization data was further compared against air traffic data to identify potential UAS flight interference and collision hazards with air traffic

Clearing the Approach Path: Evaluation of Pilot Spotting of Small Unmanned Aircraft During Final

Unmanned aircraft sightings by pilots, air traffic controllers, and other aviation stakeholders have spiked in recent years. Since the Federal Aviation Administration began tracking UAS sightings in 2014, UAS sightings have ballooned from 22 incidents per month to more than 192 incidents per month in 2018. In 2018, more than 22.8% of pilot-reported UAS sightings were encountered during the final approach phase of flight. As the population of unmanned aircraft continues to grow, the likelihood of pilots encountering UAS in low-altitude airspace rises. Without additional technology such as UAS remote identification systems, pilots must rely solely on visual scanning to clear the approach path of potential collision threats posed by drones. This research examined the effectiveness of pilot visual detection of a small unmanned aircraft system during five aircraft final approach scenarios in which the UAS trespassed into the approach path. During the experiment, the UAS breached the approach corridor from various aspect angles, and either remained stationary or maneuvered laterally. During each approach, the aircraft pilot would execute a missed approach at a designated altitude, thereby preserving a vertical separation from the UAS to avoid an actual collision. Cumulatively, participants detected the UAS during 30% of approaches. During approaches when the UAS was in motion, the sighting rate improved to 50%, with a mean detection range of 1,593 ft. When the UAS remained static, the sighting rate dropped to 13.6%, at a mean range of 647 ft. The detection angle (between the aircraft and UAS) for successful sightings was determined to approximate the vectors of successful sightings. A majority of successful UAS sightings occurred when the UAS was flown within 5˚ laterally and 10˚ vertically of a pilot’s central view. Additional qualitative comments were collected from the participants and evaluated for trends. Four of ten participants indicated that unmanned aircraft in motion were significantly easier to spot. Participants also remarked about UAS contrast, potential for UAS misidentification, and ideal detection aspects. The authors note that the visual sightings data suggests that pilots would only have a limited margin of time to detect and initiate evasive maneuvers, based on the FAA’s Recommended Minimum Reaction Time Required for Evasion chart

Session 3 (continued): Personal Air Vehicles & UAS – Training and Implications for Pilots

The second half of this session focuses more on the National Airspace System. The presentations in Part 2 cover concerns about cybersecurity threats, integrating UAS with manned aircraft in shared airspace, skills need to operate UAVs, and developing UAS safety practices, professionalism, and addressing other UAS challenges