Research Paper on "FAA Atc Guidelines to Operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems UAS During Taxi Airfield Operations"

Research Paper 3 pages (1034 words) Sources: 6 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Aviation

Much is being said about the operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the air and during flight operations, but less is being said about the equally as important issue of UAS during taxing and airfield operations. It is crucial for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) guidelines to be revised to include provisions for UAS on the ground. New rules for ground, taxi, and airfield operations in multi-use airfields are especially important as UAS become more integrated with commercial manned vehicles. Taylor (2005) notes that one of the main obstacles to the wider deployment and use of UAS is a lack of regulatory guidelines that can be universally applied.

Current "sense and avoid" protocols for in-air procedures need to be applied to ground procedures for UAS. As Taylor (2005) points out, there are only three standardised acceptable systems available for UAS integration within current ATC operations: Automatic Dependence Surveillance Broadcast (ADS -- B), Tactical Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) and Traffic Information System Broadcast (TIS -- B). These systems can and should be upgraded and integrated to work on runways at commercial mixed-use airports.

The FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) program is "multi-disciplinary effort that will offer a host of air transportation operational, technical, economic, and environmental advantages," (Joint Planning and Development Office, 2011). Addressing issues such as equipment, personnel, and communication links, NextGen offers opportunities for mixed-use airports to make room for and accommodate the needs of unmanned aircraft. NextGen (2013) asserts their commitment to ground safety: "in anticipation of future air traffic growth, NextGen capabilities will help commercial airports accommodate the demand for additional capacity in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner."

There is little in the way of regulations that will facilitate UAS integration into manned aircraft and multi-use airports. The Joint Planning and Development Office (2011) points out that currently, UAS are in segregated airspace and are likewise in segregated facilities on the ground. They are "restricted due to a lack of appropriate operational procedures, standards, and policies, because the NAS is tailored to accommodate manned aircraft." This gap between manned and unmanned craft needs to be addressed immediately because it is estimated that by 2018 there will be more than 15,000 UAS in service and many of those UAF will be in the civic sector and designed for commercial and non-military use (Joint Planning and Development Office, 2011). Safety, human resources, and resources allocation issues all need to be taken into consideration when revising FAA and ATC guidelines.

Thus, the changes that are required to the FAA/ATC guidelines include the following. First, Air Traffic Control stations need to be fully fitted to accommodate for unmanned vehicles. Some analysts are positing the importance of creating the means by which to integrate unmanned Air Traffic Control centers in multi-use airports, which highlights the need to robust data links (Sheridan, 2012). It makes sense that automated systems and datalinks will be better positioned to address the role of unmanned vehicles within their domain. Software and hardware systems can emerge to accommodate both the coordination efforts of the… READ MORE

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