Highly reliable detect, sense and avoid (DSA) technology as early as 2012 could begin to liberate large unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from most of today’s restrictions on sharing the U.S. national airspace system (NAS), according to several UAS manufacturers.1
In presentations to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Public Forum on Unmanned Aircraft Systems in April 2008 in Washington, however, they voiced concerns about whether UAS safety policy, airworthiness standards, operating regulations and other prerequisites for this coveted, relatively “unfettered” integration of UAS into the NAS will be ready in this time frame. Airlines, airline pilots and general aviation representatives told the forum that they support this integration so long as safety issues are addressed.
The typical UAS comprises an unmanned aircraft (UA) without a cockpit; a ground control station (GCS) occupied by the pilot(s) and other mission specialists; and comma…
