Droning Onward: Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Aircraft (UA), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or simply “drones,” as they are colloquially known, are now ordinary fixtures of society.  They’ve become so commonplace in fact that their range spans broadly from childhood playthings, such as remote controlled miniature quad-copters generally bought for less than $20 USD, to complex military reconnaissance systems, such as the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) with costs reaching upwards of $187 million USD per production unit as of 2017.  The wide gamut of variety in use today is inclusive of more types than would be practicably listed.  Platform uses vary from recreational hobby and sport, to commercial and industrial utility, as well as civil and military missions.  Continued growth is expected with their current and potential use cases; yet, only the future will reveal how they might become fully integrated into the fabric of the current aviation system.

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Henceforth, for clarity’s sake, the term Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) will be generally used in reference to UAVs, UA, UAS, and drones.  U.S. Congress, Public Law 112-95, otherwise known as the “FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012” defines:

 

Unmanned aircraft system. – The term “unmanned aircraft system” means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements (including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system (FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012).

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was tasked by the “FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012” for development of UAS regulations within the National Airspace System (NAS) of which oversight is their responsibility.  This was deemed necessary to maintain the integrity of NAS safety following an exponential growth of UAS manufacturing and availability and a resultant increase of civilian UAS operating within proximity of aircraft operations.  The FAA responded with creation of new Title 14 CFR Part 107, Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) regulations, with specific sUAS definitions, operational limitations, aircraft requirements, and remote pilot in command certification and responsibilities.

 

The FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems webpage titled “Fly under the Small UAS Rule” explains in summary (2018):

 

To fly under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (14 CFR part 107), you must:

 

• Get a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA.
• Register your UAS as a "non-modeler."
• Follow all part 107 rules.

 

Remote Pilot Certification:

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Pass an aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center.*

(* A person who already holds a pilot certificate issued under 14 CFR part 61 and has successfully completed a flight review within the previous 24 months can complete a part 107 online training course at www.faasafety.gov to satisfy this requirement.)

• Undergo Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) security screening. 

Registration Requirements:

• Unmanned aircraft not flown under section 336 must be registered under part 107.

 

Part 107 Operating Rules:

• Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 pounds, including payload, at takeoff.
• Fly in Class G airspace.*
• Keep the unmanned aircraft within visual line-of-sight.*
• Fly at or below 400 feet.*
• Fly during daylight or civil twilight.*
• Fly at or under 100 mph.*
• Yield right of way to manned aircraft.*
• Do not fly directly over people.*
• Do not fly from a moving vehicle, unless in a sparsely populated area.*

(*These rules are subject to waiver. (FAA, 2018.))

 

The FAA regulations however received considerable backlash from the well-established nationwide model aircraft community for overreaching and negative impact upon their hobby which previously operated safely and in harmony with the NAS.  The FAA responded with the “Special Rule for Model Aircraft” with provisions that exempted hobbyists from specifics within the sUAS Part 107 regulations.

 

The FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems webpage titled "Fly under the Special Rule for Model Aircraft" explains in summary (2018):

To fly under the Special Rule for Model Aircraft you must:

• Fly for hobby or recreation ONLY.
• Register your model aircraft.
• Fly within visual line-of-sight.
• Follow community-based safety guidelines and fly within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization.
• Fly a drone under 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization.
• Never fly near other aircraft.
• Notify the airport and air traffic control tower prior to flying within 5 miles of an airport.*

(*The person flying the model aircraft is responsible for contacting the airport directly.)

• Never fly near emergency response efforts.

 

For more information about what you can do with a model aircraft, please read FAA Advisory Circular 91-57A or read the Interpretation of the Special Rule for Model Aircraft.

If you do not meet these requirements, you must fly under the FAA's small UAS Rule (part 107).

 

Many airports have processes for people who fly near their airport, and the model aircraft operator can talk with them directly about how to meet this rule.

 

Registration Requirements:

 

The FAA requires you to register as a "modeler" and mark your model aircraft with your registration number in case it is lost or stolen.

 

Registration costs $5 and is valid for 3 years (FAA, 2018).

 

The special rule while less restrictive than sUAS regulations overall, still in the end was less well received by many of the affected community for restrictions that were previously unimposed upon their hitherto self-regulated hobby.

 

Aviation Acronym Segue:  Yes, apologies are in order for the streaming plethora of acronyms – admittedly these may have become quite confusing.

 

Aviation is one of those specialized industries, encamped with the sciences and medicines amongst others, which has developed a unique flavor of acronym soup.  Selected excerpts from the academic-comedic article "Acronymesis: The Exploding Misuse of Acronyms," written by authors Fred, H. L., & Cheng, T. O expand nicely upon the acronym phenomenon (2003):

 

In fact, improper use of acronyms has become a nemesis.  Hence, our term ‘acronymesis.’ … We are not saying that all acronyms are ‘evil.’  On the contrary.  Acronyms can simplify and facilitate communication, enhance recall, and save time, space, and effort for everyone involved. … Failure to define acronyms is all too frequent and reflects inconsiderate writing, careless editing, and irresponsible publishing. ... In conclusion, acronymesis has become a Macho-driven Major Malady of Modern Medical Miscommunication (MMMMMM).  Meaningful Management of this MMMMMM Mandates Maximum effort to Minimize acronymic Misuse (MMMMMM).  Oops!  We just used the same ‘acronym’ for 2 different messages.  Does that ring a bell? (Fred, H. L., & Cheng, T. O. 2003.)

 

However, the use of acronyms is practically required for efficient communications between air traffic control (ATC) and pilots operating within the NAS.  Nonetheless, aviation and acronyms are more than likely forever and symbiotically intertwined with one another.  For this reason, handbooks will continue to exist with sole dedication to aviation acronym definition.  Sincerest apologies for so many three letter descriptors laid down in quick succession.

 

Now, we shall return to regularly scheduled UAS programming.

 

Following the FAA sUAS regulations, commercial UAS business ventures were required to comply with Part 107 in order to continue operating legally.  Market areas impacted greatest by the regulations were the aerial photography and videography media, and aerial real estate property surveyor, segments.  Of which had previously experienced a surge in growth with the access to more affordable and technologically capable mass produced UAS; such as UAS market leader “DJI Innovations” Phantom series of quad-copters and other competitor like kinds.  The UAS media capture market had become a wild west of sorts and businesses were popping up, a dime-a-dozen, across the country, across the globe.  The FAA sUAS regulations were in all probability expedited by the flush of UAS that were suddenly buzzing around the NAS.

 

Commercial UAS market utilization has been projected with an outlook of considerable fiscal growth.  Business Insider, an online business news website, published the July 13^th, 2017 article “Drone Technology and Usage: Current Usage and Future Drone Technology” supporting the promising UAS outlook (Business Insider, 2017):

 

From technically manning sensitive military areas to luring hobbyists throughout the world, drone technology has developed and prospered in the last few years. Individuals, commercial entities, and governments have come to realize that drones have multiple uses, which include:

 

• Aerial photography for journalism and film.
• Express shipping and delivery.
• Gathering information or supplying essentials for disaster management.
• Thermal sensor drones for search and rescue operations.
• Geographic mapping of inaccessible terrain and locations.
• Building safety inspections.
• Precision crop monitoring.
• Unmanned cargo transport.
• Law enforcement and border control surveillance.
• Storm tracking and forecasting hurricanes and tornadoes.

 

The commercial drone industry is still young, but it has begun to see some consolidation and major investments from industrial conglomerates, chip companies, IT consulting firms, and major defense contractors.  For now, the industry leaders are still a handful of early-stage manufacturers in Europe, Asia, and North America.

 

As it becomes cheaper to customize commercial drones, the door will be opened to allow new functionality in a wide array of niche spaces.  Sophisticated drones could soon be doing everyday tasks like fertilizing crop fields on an automated basis, monitoring traffic incidents, surveying hard-to-reach places, or even delivering pizzas.

 

At the end of the day, the impact of commercial drones could be $82 billion and a 100,000 job boost to the U.S. economy by 2025, according to AUVSI “The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International” (Business Insider, 2017).

 

The most innovative contemporary UAS application that I've discovered to date and possibly the most directly positive, in terms of direct humanitarian impact is that of Zipline International, Inc.

 

The U.S. based company and Government of Rwanda partnership UAS system is especially unique and best described from the Zipline webpage (2018):

 

Lifesaving Deliveries by Drone:

Zipline operates the world’s only drone delivery system at national scale to send urgent medicines, such as blood and animal vaccines, to those in need – no matter where they live.

 

How Zipline Works:

Zipline provides a seamless delivery service, rain or shine.  We manage all aspects of the service, obsessing over every detail, so you can focus on patient health.

 

1. Order by Text Message:

Health workers at remote clinics and hospitals text orders to Zipline for the medical products they need, on demand.

 

2. Packed in Minutes:

Zipline safely stores medical products at its Distribution Center, enabling immediate access to even the most sensitive or scarce items. These items are packaged here and prepare for flight, maintaining cold-chain and product integrity.

 

3. Takeoff:

Within minutes, health workers receive confirmation that their order has launched. Racing along at 110 km/h, products arrive faster than any other mode of transport, no pilot required.

 

4. Direct Delivery:

Fifteen minutes later, the medical products are delivered gently by parachute, landing in a designated area the size of a few parking spaces. Hospital staff are notified via text message.

 

5. Recovery:

Zipline's drones return home, only landing at Zipline's distribution center for a a quick pit stop before taking off again.

About Zipline:

 

Zipline is an automated logistics company based in California.  The company—which includes seasoned aerospace veterans from teams like SpaceX, Google, Boeing, and NASA—designs and operates an autonomous system for delivering lifesaving medicine to the world’s most difficult to reach places.

 

Zipline’s long-term mission is to build instant delivery for the planet, allowing medicines and other products to be delivered on-demand and at low cost without using a drop of gasoline.

 

Zipline is supported by some of the smartest investors in the world, including Sequoia Capital, Google Ventures, SV Angel, Subtraction Capital, Yahoo founder Jerry Yang, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen, and Stanford University (Zipline, 2018).

 

This is by far my personal favorite contemporary application of commercial UAS technology.  It is in my opinion the best current use case example of how UAS should be used toward positive impact upon humanity.  This seminal UAS development will likely serve as the framework for other such similar developments to be considered for integration within the NAS.  The challenging aspect of course would be the shared use of airspace with traditionally human piloted aircraft.

 

With advancement of technology, the aviation industry will likely one day see a future where UAS and manned aircraft will harmoniously share the NAS.  The expected 2020, FAA NextGen ADS-B, sunrise rollout will probably be the next foundational step toward this endeavor.  In time, I do believe we will see interesting changes within the NAS, both here and around the globe.

 

The aforementioned Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAS actually poses quite exciting advancements with regard to the idea of NAS integration.  The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO): Report to Congressional Committees: Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapons Programs, March 2017 report outlined how the U.S. Navy has been researching and developing technology to integrate UAS and manned aircraft technology (GAO, 2017):

 

The Navy's MQ-4C Triton is intended to provide persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data collection and dissemination capability.  Triton is planned to be an unmanned aircraft system operated from five land-based sites worldwide as part of a family of maritime patrol and reconnaissance systems.  Based on the Air Force's RQ-4B Global Hawk air vehicle, Triton is part of the Navy's plan to recapitalize its airborne ISR assets by the end of the decade.

 

The program is developing new capabilities for Triton, including enhanced intelligence sensors and an aircraft avoidance capability.  The program plans to integrate these into production aircraft beginning in fiscal years 2020 and 2024, respectively.

 

The program now intends to demonstrate the software for the baseline configuration, along with the enhanced intelligence capabilities, by the May 2021 full-rate production date.

 

According to program officials, the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system program continues to demonstrate success during development and early operational flight and ground test (GAO, 2017. p. 117-118.).

 

The MQ-4C UAS is one among many U.S. defense UAS weapons systems that are being developed with intention of full integration with human piloted aircraft assets.  The GAO report outlined a long list of such UAS technology advancements that are under continuous development.  While the nature of advanced military technology applications are generally tasked toward maximum efficiency of life-taking – aka military power superiority – those same advancements could later ultimately become repurposed life-saving technologies.

 

This territorial area of ethics approaches taboo and is generally advised best to be left away from the dinner tables; however, most military technologies eventually are cascaded in a trickledown effect to the civilian sectors where they are often implemented as tremendous advancements to systems safety.

 

One might argue that the dark side, just may be as necessary, as the light side certainly is – the yin and yang.  It’s an idea to think about at least.

 

It is my belief that UAS technologies are truly only in their stages of infancy, perhaps even, they are only at the "zygote" stage of development.  What the future holds for them is uncertain but I have strong suspicion that autonomous or pseudo-autonomous aircraft systems are on the horizon.  What impact this might have upon the careers of human pilots currently tasked with operating aircraft in the NAS is unknown.

 

Removing the human pilot from aviation systems entirely has become an actuality that society generally accepts as technologically possible and is practically proven.  Although, this concept doesn’t sit well with people considering the consequences entailed in weighing the potential cost of their own lives when giving entirety of control over to the machine.

 

Society generally finds difficulty in fully trusting technology alone to maintain the assurance of their continued livelihood; this is due to a psychological theory described as “shared fate” where passengers believe humans piloting the machine have as much skin in the game to survive as they do.

 

UAS are posed to replace manned aviation tasks in certain markets and are currently transitioning to do so in select hazardous areas where reduced potential loss of life through UAS use exists; creating the double-effect of reduced overall economic operating cost and mitigating unnecessary risk to human lives.

 

However, potentiality of danger exists in removing the human factor completely from complex aircraft systems control.  Reliance on software, machines, and artificial intelligence of which are engineered and/or programmed to make life or death decisions are technologically unproven to be superior to human aeronautical decision making.  Strong ethical considerations of applicability exist regarding catastrophic automation failures and the potential cost measured in loss of human life.

Automated and human interdependent systems which rely upon linked redundancy of one another should be further explored.  There exists across the technology and humanity divide of automation in aviation, a middle ground where we should aim our innovations.  More research and development must be completed before society will entrust fully automated aviation models to maintain their safety.

 

– Aviator in Progress

References

Business Insider. (2017). Drone Technology and Usage: Current Usage and Future Drone Technology. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-7

FAA. (2018). Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/

FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. (2012). Public Law 112-95. U.S. Government Publishing Office. Retrived from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-112publ95/html/PLAW-112publ95.htm

Fred, H. L., & Cheng, T. O. (2003). Acronymesis: The Exploding Misuse of Acronyms. Texas Heart Institute Journal, 30(4), 255–257. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC307708/

GAO. (2017). United States Government Accountability Office: Report to Congressional Committees: Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs. March 2017. GAO-17-333SP. United States Government Accountability Office. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-333SP

Zipline. (2018). Lifesaving Deliveries by Drone. Zipline International, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.flyzipline.com/