UAS Integration in the NAS

UAS Integration in the NAS

Simona Teodorovic

June, 2018

Airspace in the United States faces unprecedented challenges at keeping traffic flow and passenger transportation at the required standards. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is well on their way with introducing an improved practice for maintaining them through Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). This enhanced process, with focus on Performance Based Navigation (PBN) procedures, will comprise out of Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Area Navigation (RNAV). It will increase the delivery of services to users and flexibility, decrease delays and overall introduce a more adaptable and responsive National Aviation Services (NAS) (Federal Aviation Administration, 2016). According to the FAA (2015), flying PBN allows for increased precision as a direct consequence of navigating “in terms of performance standards” (p. 4). With the inclusion of space and ground-based navigational aids, aircraft can fly on any wanted flight path. Coupled with equipment on board, this procedure meets the specific need of the operation; departure, approach, en route or arrival.

            Fundamental challenges to integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) into the NAS consist of possible security risks, concerns for safety, and any matters regarding restrictions that are present in airspace. A favorable way of strategizing UAS implementation in the NAS would be drawing a parallel to its integration into domestic airspace.

            To uphold safety standards, UAS must demand for standard and technology procedures for detect, sense and avoid scenarios. This also includes signal loss. Given that physical control of the pilot is not achievable, UAS must be equipped with failsafe procedures in case of link loss. The most preferable failsafe for UAS would be an automated recovery (Gupta, Ghonge, & Jawandhiya, 2013). According to Nas, in the event of a loss between control links and command center, the UAS needs to be preprogrammed to re-establish communications for a period of time. Another solution would be completing an operation or mission independently or carrying out a departure from that volume of space (Nas, 2015).

Integrating UAS into the NAS can be accomplished safely by “NAS Voice Systems (NVS), Data Communications (Data Comm) and System Wide Information Management (SWIM)” (Williams, 2015, para. 11). These new technologies will support ground-based pilots to transfer information to air traffic controllers (ATC). This is one of the key NextGen specifications for the integration of UAS in the NAS. Notably, NVS will enhance the accuracy and flexibility of communication between UAS flight crew and ATC. As a result, a major human factor issue, situation awareness improves greatly.

In addition to the NVS, data sharing is another key component to the safe integration of UAS. Outcomes of sharing weather information by means of “same-time access” to both the NAS users and the FAA will allow for decision-making and monitoring as human factors issues to improve significantly (Williams, 2015, para 15).

More noteworthy concentration on human factors examination in the design and operation of UAS and in the improvement of training programs for their operators will advance safety and further the integration of UAS into the NAS. In my opinion, human factor concerns will always exist. However, the FAA completes technological developments safely and successfully, supporting a slow integration of UAS while mitigating human factor issues.  

References

Federal Aviation Administration (2015). U.S. terminal and en route area navigation operations. Advisory Circular 90-100A. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_90-100A_CHG_2.pdf

Gupta, S. G., Ghonge, M. M., & Jawandhiya, P. M. (2013). Review of unmanned aircraft system (UAS). International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Engineering and Technology (IJARCET), 2, 1646-1658.

Nas, M. (2015). Legal Issues Raised by the Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Retrieved from http://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/589441/air-force-releases-strategic-master-plan/

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (2016). The future of NAS. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/media/futureOfTheNAS.pdf

Williams, J. H. (2015). Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and development. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Transportation website https://www.transportation.gov/content/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-research-and-development