The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice N JO 7210.889 outlines both small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations those of fifty-five pounds or less and commercial applications of fifty-five pounds or more in weight (U.S. Department, 2015). Even though the notice expires in October of 2016, this is expanded upon in the final rule of Part 107 for UAS NAS operations (U.S. Department, 2016). The key here is that hobbyists need to fly at 400 feet or below and maintain visual line-of-sight. For commercial applications there are blanket Certificate of Authorization (CoA) waivers for smaller UAS platforms and follow visual flight rules VFR (U.S. Department, 2015; U.S. Department, 2016). Also covered in this notice is limited coverage for satellite communication (SATCOM) for beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communication for more complex UAS, and this is usually for a larger UAS like a global hawk that is transitioning from an air base to an operational altitude (U.S. Department, 2015; Watson, 2016). With operations within the National Airspace System (NAS) above all the FAA notice says that a UAS must yield to all manned aircraft (U.S. Department, 2015; U.S. Department, 2016). This is the trouble with sense and avoid and why the FAA notice language states smaller UAS must fly within line-of-sight (LOS) of the pilot, larger platforms are still tightly controlled IFR flights (Watson, 2016).
Expanded UAS operations within the NAS will require more sophistication to ensure positive separation from manned aircraft. Companies like Amazon and Google are advocating ways to enable more commercial unmanned operations by outlining a plan for segmented airspace (Warwick, 2015). Referencing Figure 1, it is an overview of the proposal where there would be low-speed operations at or under 200 feet, comprising of low-end or hobbyist UAS platforms (Warwick, 2015). The tiers would go up in approved attitude based off of the capability of a UAS system, the more complex and the better sense and technology on board, the more integrated operations would be within more high speed manned aircraft traffic (Warwick, 2015).
UAS National Airspace System (NAS) Operations: Sense and Avoid (SAA)
Figure 1: Proposed Segmented Airspace for UAS Operations, 2015, Retrieved from http://hexoplus.com/content/uploads/2015/09/airspace-design-small-drone-operations.jpg
References
This operations model would require private airspace service providers (ASPs) that would coordinate with air traffic control (ATC). Technologies being allocated for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next Gen) could be leveraged for UAS operations as well, including Automatic Dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) in conjunction with UAS to UAS data links for positional awareness (Warwick, 2015). There are also ground base since sense and avoid (GBSAA) options, where on-board equipment is less for a UAS. This is more practical for smaller platforms that don't have extra payload space for more on board complex systems (Spriesterbach, Bruns, Baron, & Sohlke, 2013). These are only two of many types of SAA enabling technologies. There is a broad spectrum of UAS airframe designs and capabilities to consider when determine the sense and avoid technology to implement, either as ground support equipment or more complex systems on-board a UAS.
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Notice N JO 7210.889. (2015). Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/N_JO_7210.889_Unmanned_Aircraft_Operations_in_the_NAS.pdf
Spriesterbach, T., Bruns, K., Baron, L., & Sohlke, J. (2013). Unmanned Aircraft System Airspace Integration in the National Airspace Using a Ground-Based Sense and Avoid System. John Hopkins APL Technical Digest, Volume 32, Number 3. Retrieved from http://www.jhuapl.edu/techdigest/TD/td3203/32_03-spriesterbach.pdf
Warwick, G. (2015). Managing Unmanned: Delegated Responsibility, Segregated Airspace, Best-Equipped/Best-Served feature in Amazon and Google proposals for Low-Altitude Airspace. Aviation Week & Space Technology. New York, NY.
Airspace Design for Small Drone Operations. (2015). Retrieved from http://hexoplus.com/content/uploads/2015/09/airspace-design-small-drone-operations.jpg
Watson, R. (2016). Know the No-Drone Zones. Retrieved from http://www.buckley.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/731917/know-the-no-drone-zones
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. (2016). Summary of Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule (Part 107). Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Part_107_Summary.pdf
welcome
UAS Blog