INTEGRATION OF RPAS INTO CLASS G...

INTEGRATIONOFRPASINTOCLASSGAIRSPACE

APAPERBYFASVIG

26 FEBRUARY 2017 FASVIGLIMITED

31WalkerAvenue,WolvertonMillEast,MiltonKeynes,MK125TW


26/02/2017 INTEGRATIONOFRPASINTOCLASSGAIRSPACE P a g e |2OF14

FASVIGLimited,31WalkerAvenue,WolvertonMillEast,MiltonKeynes,MK125TW

S1. ExecutiveSummary

S1.1 Situation.TheUKClassGAirspacecurrentlyplayshosttoover34,000aircraftofalltypes.Theseaircraftareregulatednationallyandpilotsreceiveappropriatetrainingin

ordertogaintheirlicencestooperate.Althoughdifficulttoquantifyaccurately,asimilar

orderofmagnitudenumberofRPASarenowbeingoperatedinthesameairspacebyamix

ofprofessional,hobbyistandleisureusers.WiththenumberofRPASlikelytomorethan

doubleoverthenext20yearstherisksofcollisionorinfringementarelikelytorise

commensuratelyunlessmeasuresaretakentointegrateorsegregatethevariousClassG

Airspaceusers.

S1.2 RPAS/VFRIntegration.Thereareexistinginitiativesdesignedtoinformand(toa

degree)regulatethe4identifiablegroupsofRPASuser(military,commercial,hobbyistand

leisure).Inparticular,theNATSRPASAirspaceAwarenessProgrammeseekstoeducate

RPASusersandfacilitatecertainRPASoperationsinregulatedairspace.TheCAADronecode

advisesRPASoperatorstomaintainatorbelow400ftandthissimpleregulatorymeasure,

aidedbytechnologysuchastheNATSDroneAssistAppcouldbeausefulfirststeptowards

RPAS/VFRintegration.

S1.3 InordertogaugethelevelofconcernamongstGeneralAviation(GA)pilots,

concerningRPASoperations,FASVIGconductedasurveyamongstacross-sectionofClassG

Airspaceusers–thesurveyresultsareatAnnexA.Inbroadtermsthesurveyidentifiedthat

GApilotsstronglybelieve:thereisaVFR/RPASintegrationissue;thatregulatoryaction

shouldbetakentomitigatewhattheyperceivetobethemainthreattomannedaircraft;

thattechnologicalmeasuresbetakentoaidthe“seeandavoid”processand;that

educationalandpublicitymeasuresbetakentoimprovethelevelofaviationknowledgeof

RPASoperators.

S1.4 EASAiscurrentlyconsultingonUnmannedAircraftPrototypeRegulationswhich

couldinformpartoftheregulatorydebate(operatoraccountabilityandheightseparation).

TheUKGovernmentissimilarlyengaged,withaDfTsurveycurrentlybeingconductedon

theSafeUseofDronesintheUK.Thissurveyhasalreadyhighlightedissuessuchas

insuranceandelectronicidentificationforfurtherdevelopment.

S1.5 ConsiderationsforFutureChangestoRPAS/VFRIntegration.Theopinionsgatheredinsurveys,backedbystatisticalevidenceclearlyidentifythatRPASposean

additionalhazardtoexistingoperationsinClassGAirspace.Theformaltrainingof

professionalRPASoperatorsandeducationofthosehobbyistswhoaremembersofthe

BritishModelFlyingAssociation(BMFA)wouldseemtobeproductiveinmitigatingmuchof

theriskassociatedwithmixedVFR/RPASoperations.However,suitablestepstoapplythe

samemeasurestotheRPASleisureusershaveyettobetabled.ToolssuchastheNATS

DroneAssistAppandapplicationoftheCAADronecodewillnotbefullyeffectivewithout

appropriatepublicity,backedbyregulatoryactionandtechnologicalsolutionstoaid“see

andavoid”principles.Summarisedrecommendationsthatfallfromtheanalysisand

conclusions,developedinthispaper,areasfollows:




S1.5.1 RPAS>250garelimited,electronicallyandlegally,to400ftAGL(unless

coveredbyaCAAexemption).

S1.5.2 RPAS>250gareregistered.

S1.5.3 CAAinvestigatesVFR/RPAScollisionriskthroughtheuseofmodellingtools.

S1.5.4 LargeRPAS“segregatedairspacegrowth”behalted.

Once“seeandavoid”technologyisCAAapprovedandappropriatelymandated:

S1.5.5 RPASarefullyintegratedintoClassGAirspace.

S1.5.6 BVLOSshouldbefurtherregulatedbytheCAA.

WithintheextantRPAS/VFRintegrationsystem:

S1.5.7 TheANObeamendedtolimitallsmallRPASto400ft.

S1.5.8 NATSprovidetheDroneAssistdatabasetoRPASmanufacturers.

S1.5.9 PrivatestripownersbeencouragedtoensuretheyarelistedintheNATS

DroneAssistAppdatabase.

S1.5.10ManufacturersofconsumerRPASprovideaprintedcopyoftheDronecode

withallRPASsales.

S1.5.11ManufacturersofconsumerRPASshouldnotstateperformancecapabilities

thatarecontrarytotheDronecode.

S1.5.12LeisureuserscompleteaticktestaspartofRPASregistration.




1. Introduction1.1 TheFASVIGImplementationProgrammecontainsanumberofairspaceefficiency

enablers.PackageA.2.7entitled“UASPolicyCompatiblewithVFROperations”wasenabled

duringFASVIGyear1workandsoughttoinitiatedialoguewiththeUAScommunitytoseek

toimprovemutualunderstanding.Thissuccessfulengagementledtofurtherfundingbeing

agreedinyear2work,asmilestonef),andsoughttodevelopRPAS1/VFRpolicyalongside

theNATSprogrammetointegrateRPASinnationalairspace.Thispaperseekstoexposethe

risksassociatedwiththeunregulatedoperationofbothmannedandunmannedaircraftin

thesameclassofairspaceandmakerecommendationstomitigatethatrisk.

2. CurrentSituation2.1 Asof1January2017,theCAAlistsatotalof20,027fixed-wing,rotary-wing,glider,

gyroplane,hang-glider,balloonsandmicrolightaircraftregisteredintheUK2.Additionally,

themilitaryhaveapproximately404fixed-wingandrotary-wingaircraftthatareregularly

flownatlowlevel3.Therearealsointheregionof7000unregisteredaircraft.Thistotals

over27,000UKmannedaircraftthatflymainlyinClassGAirspace.

2.2 ThereisnosubstantiateddataforsalesofcommerciallysoldRPASintheUK;

however,MaplinElectronicsisoneofseveralUKretailerswhosellconsumerRPASandin

2014soldapproximately17,0004.Ontheassumptionthat25%areforuseindoors

5over

12,000fromthatonecompanyalonewillhaveaccessedClassGairspacein2015.TheCAA

doesnotpublishRPASdatainitsUKAviationForecastsreport;however,iftheFederal

AviationAuthority(FAA)AerospaceForecast6weretobemirroredintheUKthengrowth

overthenexttwentyyearsforconsumerRPASmightbeforecasttobe226%.

2.3 AsofSeptember2015theCAAissued1036PermissionsforAerialWork(RPAS

CommercialUse<20kg)andasat19August2016thatfigurehasrisento21737.

2.4 TheUKAirproxBoardAnnualreportof2015notedthatin2014therewere6Airprox

reports(possiblecollision)thatpositivelyidentifiedRPASandin2015thatfigureroseto29.

Asummaryreportfor2016hasyettobepublished.

2.5 FromthefigureslistedaboveitisclearthatuseofClassGairspaceisinhigh

demand,fromaneclecticmixofusers.RPASuseisrisingandwillcontinuetodosofor

quitesometime;thebenefitsforcommercialuseandtotheUKeconomyarebeingseen

eachyearasthistechnologydevelopsbutwithitcomesanincreasedriskofacollisionwith

1ForthepurposeofthispaperthetermRemotelyPilotedAircraftSystem(RPAS)coversunmannedaircraft(UA),UA

Systems(UAS),dronesandmodelaircraft2CAAwebsite-UKregisteredaircraftbyclass,weightandCofA,singleyeardata

3Gov.UKwebsite(NationalStatistics)–UKArmedForcesEquipmentandFormations(2016)

4BBCArticle“Aredronesdangerousorharmlessfun?”dated5Oct2015.

5Dronesdirect.co.ukSurveydated28Nov2016

6https://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation/aerospace_forecasts/media/FY2016-36_FAA_Aerospace_Forecast.pdf

7CAASmallUnmannedAircraftList28Nov2016




mannedaircraft.TominimisetheriskshouldRPASbeintegrated(andtowhatdegree?),

segregated,orshouldamixofthesemeasuresbeadopted?

3. RPAS/VFRIntegration3.1 RPASCategories.RPASfallinto4groups:Military;Commercial(CAApermission

required);Hobbyist(memberoftheBritishModelFlyingAssociation(BMFA)and/orits

affiliatedclubs)and;leisureuse.

3.2 NATSRPASAirspaceAwarenessProgramme.TheNATSRPASAirspaceAwarenessandIntegrationprogrammecoversthreeareas:

3.2.1 EducateRPASusersonthesafeandappropriatelocationstouseRPAS

throughtheavailabilityofonlineairspaceawarenesstoolsandresources.

3.2.2 Captureinitialuserrequirementsforanautomatedflightplanapproval

processforRPASoperationswithincontrolledorotherrestrictedairspace.

3.2.3 ProgressthestateofthearttowardsBeyondVisualLineofSight(BVLOS)

operations;assesstheneedanddefinehighlevelrequirementsforUnmanned

TrafficManagementsystem(s)(UTM)tofacilitatesuchoperations.

3.3 FASVIGhascommongroundwithNATSonthefirstareaandthisiscoveredin

Section4.TheseconddoesnotrefertoClassGairspace.Itispossiblethattheremaybe

commongroundinthethirdareawithrespecttoensuringthatBVLOSoperationsandits

accompanyingUTMshouldnotimpactmannedClassGuserswithnewrestrictionsor

additionalprocedures–forexample,byrequiringVFRoperatorstofileaflightplan.

3.4 CAADronecode.Thiscode8advisesthatRPASpilotsshouldremainatorbelow

400ft.Thismakesgoodsenseas,exceptfortake-off,landingandauthorisedaerialwork,

mannedaircraftmustmaintain500ftfrom“persons,vehicles,vesselsandstructures”9but

thishasnoplaceinlawforRPASthatarelessthan7kg10.ForBHPA/BGAaircraftthe400ft

DronecodeadviceforRPAScouldbeanissue-theyoftenflybelowthisheightwhenhill

soaring11andmanyarenearsilent.UseoftheNATSDroneAssistAppwithanextensive

BHPAoperatingsitedatabasecouldhelpalleviatethis12.However,fromdiscussionsonthis

topicwiththeBHPA,theremaybeareluctancetopubliciselaunchsitesassomeareonly

permittedbyagreementwiththelandownerforverylowusagebylocalBHPAmembers.

TheNATSAppisdiscussedinmoredetailinSection4.

3.5 RPASIntegrationSurvey.InordertogaugeopinionfromthewiderGeneralAviation

communityaFASVIG-sponsoredsurveyentitled“RPAS/VFRIntegrationintoUKClassG

Airspace”wasconductedattheendof2016.Asummaryofresultsfromthatsurveyisat

8CAADronecodedated29November2016

9StandardEuropeanRulesoftheAir(SERA)923/2012,asamendedbytheCAA

10AirNavigationOrder(ANO)2016

11Allglidersareexemptthe500ftrulewhenhillsoaring(Rule5oftheUKRulesoftheAir1996)

12BHPAlaunchsitesareoften(butnotalways)neartohillsoaringareas




AnnexA.Thesurveywastargetedat100pilotsbasedontheCAAwebsitelistofUK

registeredaircraftbyclass,weightandCofA,mentionedearlier.Themainoutcomesofthe

surveyareasfollows:

3.5.1 75%believethereisanintegrationissue,withthemainreasonsgivenbeing:

3.5.1.1 Collisionrisk-asRPASaregenerallydifficulttoseeandavoidduetotheirsmallsize.

3.5.1.2 Lackoftraining/aviationeducationofleisureuseRPASoperators.

3.5.2 90%consideredthattheANOshouldbechangedtorequirethatall

unmannedaircraftlessthan20kgtobelimitedto400ftandnotjustthe7-20kg

category.Themainreasonsgivenwerethat“visuallineofsight”wastooambiguous

andthat400ftwouldprovideabufferfromtheSERA923/2012500ftrule.

3.5.3 92%thoughtthatleisureuseRPASwerethemainthreattomannedaircraft.

3.5.4 90%consideredthatmanufacturersshouldlimittheirdronesbydesignto

complywiththeCAADronecode;themainreasongivenbeingthattoomanyleisure

usersdidnothaveanaviationeducation.Severalrespondentscommentedthatif

droneswerelimitedthencommercialoperatorsshouldbeallowedtohavetheirs

delimitedinaccordancewithanyissuedCAAexemption.

3.5.5 72%considerthatallRPASshouldberegisteredand65%believethatthey

shouldallbeinsured(currentlyallbutleisureusershaveinsurance).However,

severalrespondentsfearedthatanysuchsystemmightbedifficulttoenforce.

3.5.6 88%recommendedthat,beforeRPASarepermittedtooperateBVLOS,they

mustbefittedwith“seeandavoid”technologytoavoidmannedaircraftaswellas

eachother.Severalrespondentsremarkedthat,ifRPASareoperatedBVLOS,thena

NOTAMshouldbeissued.

Inthefinalquestionofthesurvey,respondentsweregiventhechancetoaddanyother

comments.Recurringthemeswere:

3.5.7 RPASusersmustbeeducatedaboutmannedaviation.

3.5.8 PrivateairstripsneedpublicisingtoRPASoperators.

3.5.9 Regulationmaybedifficulttoenforce.

3.5.10 TheDronecodeheightlimitadviceof400ftistoohigh.

Onerespondentwrote“Ipaytofly,viaregistration,license,training.Thosewhowantto

'integrate'needtodothesame,otherwisethisisanaccidentwaitingtohappen”.




3.6 Fromthesmallcross-sectionofmannedaircraftoperators,operatinginClassG

airspacethattookpartinthesurvey,itwas(perhapsunsurprisingly)clearthattheybelieve

thatRPASposearisktomannedaircraft.ThegeneralfeelingbeingthatRPASshouldbe

limited-usingacombinationoflegalbackingtotheCAADronecode;byamendmentofthe

ANO;andRPASmanufacturerslimitingtheirdronestoassistuserscomplywiththeCode.

ThiswouldnotcaptureRPASthathavebeenbuiltfromkitsbutthemajorityoftheseaircraft

willbeusedforracingatultra-lowlevelinorganisedandnormallycagedenvironmentsor

operatedcommerciallywithaCAAPermit.Generallackofaviationeducationamongst

leisureRPASusers,whoareusingClassGairspaceforthefirsttime,isamajorconcern.

3.7 EASAProposal.EASAiscurrentlyconsultingonUnmannedAircraftPrototype

Regulations13.Thefollowingtableisaverysimplifiedsummary:

Category MTOM Registered ID Training Height Distance Geofence14OpenAO 250g No No No 50m/150ft* 100m* No

OpenA1 25kg Yes No No 50m/150ft* VLOS No

OpenA2 25kg Yes Yes* No 50m/150ft* VLOS Yes*

OpenA3 25kg Yes Yes* Yes 50m/500ft* VLOS Yes*

Specific CAAauthorisationandoperatorhasLightUAOperatorCertificate

Certified UAiscertified,remotepilotlicensedandoperatorCAAapproved

*BuiltintothedesignofRPAS

ThereappearstobenoobjectivemethodofdecidingwhichOpenCategoryRPASfallinto;

however,thereisasubjectivedescriptionofriskofsevereinjurytopersonsontheground

ordamagetomannedaircraft:

Category RiskOpenAO Negligible

OpenA1 Negligible

OpenA2 Limited

OpenA3 Higher

3.8 Intheabsenceoffurtherguidance,itisanticipatedthatRPASmountedwitha

camera/sensorwouldfallintotheOpenA3category.AttheRoyalAeronauticalSociety

(RAeS)2016“DronesinDailyUse”conferenceDrGraemeNashofFrazerNashConsultancy

demonstratedthepossibleuseofsoftwaremodellingtounderstandtheriskofcollision

betweenRPASandmannedaircraft.Modellingtoolsarecurrentlycertifiedforassessingthe

riskofbirdstrikedamagetocommercialaircraftandthereisastrongcasetoinvestigatethe

risktoalltypesofmannedaircraftfromcollisionwithRPAS.

3.9 Onbalance,itwouldseemthattheEASAproposalwouldfavourUKClassGairspace

users,inthatitwillfacilitateaccountability(registrationandID)andsomeseparationforthe

vastmajorityofRPASflights(geofenceheightlimit).Therearesomeobservations:

13EASA‘Prototype’CommissionRegulationsonUnmannedAircraftOperations–dated22August2016

14GeofenceisanautomaticfunctiontolimittheaccessofRPAStoairspaceareasorvolumes




3.9.1 TheheightlimitofOpenA2mightbeperceivedtobeoverlyrestrictive,

consideringtheRPASisrequiredtolimitthisparameter.However,asindicatedin

theRPASIntegrationSurveycommentssomemannedaircraftpilotswouldnotbe

unhappywiththis.

1.9.2 The500ftlimitforOpenA3doesnottallywhenregisteredmannedaircraft

arelimitedtoaminimumof500ft.Asaferheightwouldbe400ft,asstatedinthe

CAADronecode,toprovidea100ftbuffer.Thatsaid,asmentionedabove,theCode

heightisnotlegallybindingatpresentforRPAS<7kg.

3.9.3 BVLOSisnotcoveredintheregulationbut,bythetimethisregulationis

enactedin2020,thattechnologywillbearrivingandtheregulatorscouldfind

themselvesonestepbehind.ItcouldbearguedthattheRPASindustryshouldlead

proposalsforcommercialBVLOSoperationsonly,astheonusshouldbeonthemnot

toinconveniencecurrentClassGusers.

3.9.4 TheOpencategoryisclearlywrittenwiththemulti-rotorRPASinmindbut,

bydefinition,willencompassmodelaircraft.Formanyyearsmannedaircraftinthe

UKhaveco-existedwithmembersoftheBMFA;andeitherEASAortheCAAshould

beencouragedtogiveanexemptiontomodelaircraft,otherwiseitwillhavea

severeeffectonmodelflyingthatisnotproportionatetoknownrisk(asdetailedin

the2015UKAIRPROXBoardAnnualReport).

3.10 UKGovernmentPolicy.TheHouseofLordsconductedaverydetailedinquiryintoCivilUseofDronesin2015

15andasaresulttheDepartmentforTransport(DfT)hasissueda

consultationon“TheSafeUseofDronesintheUK”16.Thereareover60questionsfor

respondentstoanswerbuttheessentialproposalsofinsurance,registration(>250g)and

guidanceatpointofsale(Dronecode)aremandated.

3.11 BasedontheDfTquestionnairerepliesreceivedtodate(thesurveyconcludeson15

March2017)theseproposalswouldbesupportedbythemajorityoftheRPASIntegration

Surveyrespondents.Insurancewillbeaninterestingproposal.CommercialRPAShaveto

beinsuredbutthecurrentprovisionsdonotmirrorthoseforregisteredaircraftandifthey

arerequiredtodosothereisacostissue.Hobbyistshaveinsurancethroughmembership

oftheBMFAsoitistheleisureuserwhothegovernmentwillprobablyhavethemost

difficultydealingwith,astheissueisrelativelycomplex(forexample,levelofriskandnon-

compliance).Onesolutioncouldbetomakeinsurancepartofanannualregistration

update,similartomannedaircraft.

3.12 Onequestion,intheDfTsurvey,thatmaycauseconcerntomannedClassGusersis

Q40-“Shouldelectronicidentificationformannedgeneralaviationbemandatory?Why?”

Bytheendof2017anygeneralaviationaircraftwitharadiomustupgradeto8.33Khzand

withmanygeneralaviationpilotsvoluntarilyelectingtoadoptadditionalmeansof

electronicidentification,suchasModeStransponders,theadditionalcostissignificant.

15HouseofLords–CivilUseofDronesReport,24Feb2015

16GovernmentConsultationontheSafeUseofDronesintheUK,21Dec2016




WhilsttherearetremendousadvantagestoGPSbeingfedtoaModeSTransponderto

producetheADS-BOutsignal,whichwouldalmostcertainlybethe“electronic

identification”mentionedinQ40,theissueisoneofcost,principleandpracticality17.In

recognitionofthisissuetheCAAisscopingoptionsfor“free”handheldADS-Bdevicesforall

aircraft.Thatsaidthecarriageofatransponderbyallaircraftdoesnotinitselfprovideany

collisionavoidance.Eitheraradarcontrollermustalwaysbeintheloopandin

communicationwiththeparties(impractical)orthepartiesmustuseaTCASsystem(which

doesnotexist)–evenso,thenumberoftransmittingandrespondingunitswouldlikely

overwhelmthespectrum.

3.13 IfRPASindustrycouldbringaboutthevolumeproductionoflow-cost1090MHzADS-

BOutsolutionssuitableforusebyRPASitwouldmaketheseRPASelectronically

conspicuoustootherRPAS,toATCunits(onceADS-Bdataisincorporatedintoradar

displays)andtomannedaircraftequippedwithADS-BIntechnologyplustrafficdisplaysor

collisionavoidancesystems.WithoutelectronicallyconspicuousRPAS,mannedaircraft

pilotsarehighlyunlikelytomakevisualcontactwithconflictingsmall-to-mediumsizeRPAS

insufficienttimetotakeavoidingaction.Researchhasshownthat,whenlookingoutfor

otheraircraft,“alertedseeandavoid”iseighttimesmoreeffectivethanpure“seeand

avoid”18.

3.14 ShouldRPASindustrymass-producedlow-costADS-BOutsolutionsbecomeareality

theymayalsobetakenupbyGeneralAviation,enhancingaviationsafetymoregenerally,

reducingtheriskofmid-aircollisionandimprovingthechanceofpreventingairspace

infringements.ADS-BOutequippedGAaircraftwouldbeelectronicallyconspicuoustoADS-

BInequippedRPAS,allowingautomatednavigationalgorithmstosteerRPASawayfrom

detectedtraffic,eveninverypoorvisibilityconditions.

3.15 However,whenAmazonPrimeAirwasconsultedinthepreparationofthispaper,

theirspokespersonfeltthatADS-Bwasnottheanswerfortechnicalandcostreasons;itis

Amazon’sviewthatfullyautonomous“seeandavoid”isthewayforward.Asasolutionfor

oneRPASdetectingothersmallRPASorevendetectingmediumtolargeRPASormanned

aircraftinpoorweatherconditionsthisviewisquestionable.Thistechnicalcapabilityhas

beenpursuedformannedaircraftformanyyearswithoutcommercialsuccess.

3.16 ThegeneralviewisthatifanewuserofClassGwishestooperateinthatairspace

thentheyshoulddosowithoutposinganyadditionalrisk,costoroperationalconstraintsto

currentusers.

3.17 LargeRPAS.LargeRPAS(>20kg)aresubjecttostricterrulesand(sofar)havebeensegregatedinrestrictedairspace,suchasD202inWestWales,forresearch,development

andcertificationbybothcivilandmilitaryorganisations.Inthefuture,whenfully

autonomousseeandavoidtechnologyhasbeendemonstrated,largeRPASwillbe

certificatedtooperatewithmannedaircraft.Thisshouldnotpresentanissue,asthe

certificationstandardwillneedtobethesameasmannedaircraftforwhichever

17BecauseofthesizeandpowerrequirementsitwillbeimpracticalforallaircrafttooperateModeS.

18AustralianTransportSafetyBureau;LimitationsoftheSee-and-Avoidprinciple,April1991,reprintedNovember2004.




classificationofairspacetheywilloperatein.

3.18 Oneconcern,highlightedbysomeRPASIntegrationSurveyrespondents,wasthe

fearofrestrictedairspace,likeD202,increasinginsizeandcreatingchokepoints(VFR

SignificantAreas)witheithercontrolledairspaceorterrain;andpossiblyleadtoeitheran

infringementorareductioninsafeweatheravoidoptions.Theseissuesarecurrentlybeing

addressedinanotherFASVIGworkstrand.

4. ConsiderationsforFutureChangestoRPAS/VFRIntegration4.1 RPASIntegrationPrinciples.TheEurocontrolwebsitestates“TheintegrationofRPASintothepresentmannedaircraftenvironmentisbasedonafewbasicbutessentialprinciples:

§ Theyshouldnotposeanadditionalhazardtoexistingoperations.§ Theyshouldbeassafeasorsaferthanmannedaircraftoperations.§ TheyshouldoperateinatransparentmannerforATC.

Theseprincipleshavebeenagreedataninternationallevel”.

4.2 Regardingtheseprinciples,itisevidentfromthestatisticsalreadydetailedthatRPAS

poseanadditionalhazardtoexistingoperations.ThisviewwasalsoexpressedbyClassG

usersintheRPASIntegrationSurvey.MilitaryandcommercialRPASoperatorsreceive

formaltrainingandunderstandtheprinciplesandrulesofflyinginClassGairspace.Whilst

therehavebeenoccasionalAIRPROXwithmodelaircraftoverthelastfewdecadesithas

beenseenthattheseincidentshavebeenminimisedwheremodelflyershavegained

aviationknowledgethroughmembershipoftheBMFA19.Thiswouldseemtoindicatethat

modelflyingisrelativelysafe–reinforcedbyICAO’sview20onmodelaircraftthat“Inthe

broadestsense,theintroductionofUASdoesnotchangeanyexistingdistinctionsbetweenmodelaircraftandaircraft.Modelaircraft,generallyrecognizedasintendedforrecreationalpurposesonly,falloutsidetheprovisionsoftheChicagoConvention,beingexclusivelythesubjectofrelevantnationalregulations,ifany.”Thisviewwouldseemtoimplythat

hobbyistRPASusersshouldbethesubjectofminimalregulation.

4.3 Thecaseforsupportingtheleisureuserisnotaseasy.OperationofRPASwiththe

capabilityandmassofamulti-rotordrone,byanindividualwhohaslittleornoknowledge

ofaviation,doesnotsatisfytheprinciplesofintegrationandthereforepotentiallypresentsa

clearrisktomannedaircraft.Thisdisparitybetweenthemodelflyer(whohasreceived

appropriateinstruction)andtheleisureusershouldbethesubjectoffurtherscrutiny,with

eitherlimitationsorCAAexemption(s)putinplacetobalancetherisktoallClassGairspace

users.

19TheBMFAisveryactiveinsupportingtheDronecodeandtryingtorecruitleisureusers,inordertoeducatethemand

providethemwithinsurance(whichisincludedinBMFAmembership).20ICAOCircular328–UnmannedAircraftSystems(2011)




4.4 TheANO,paragraph94“Smallunmannedaircraft”(<20kg),limits7to20kgaircraft

to400ft.However,apersoninchargeofasmallunmannedaircraftthatis<7kginweightis

onlyrequiredto“maintaindirect,unaidedvisualcontactwiththeaircraftsufficienttomonitoritsflightpathinrelationtootheraircraft,persons,vehicles,vesselsandstructuresforthepurposeofavoidingcollisions”–quiteclearlythiscouldleadtoflightofsuchaircraftabove400ft.Militaryfastjetsandtrainingaircraftroutinelyflytoaminimumof250ftand

therecouldbeanargumenttolimitsmallunmannedaircrafttothisheight.Countertothis

isthefactthatmilitarylowflyinghasreduceddramaticallyinrecentyearstoapointwhere

theriskmaybeminimal.ItremainsthattheCAADronecodeuses400ftastheverticallimit

eventhough,atpresent,thatisnotenforceablefordrones<7kg(themajority).

4.5 Althoughthe400ftlimitationdoesnotencompassalltypesofmannedoperationsin

ClassG,itshouldreducetherisk-providingRPASareelectronicallylimited(asjudging400ft

fromthegroundisvirtuallyimpossible).Military,commercialandhobbyistRPASusers

shouldbeabletoseekaCAAexemptionbasedonasafetycaseiftheywishedtooperate

abovethisheight.

4.6 NATSDroneAssistAppandAirspaceAwareness.WhilsttheEASAproposalincludes

geofencing(automaticfunctiontolimittheaccessofRPAStoairspaceareasorvolumes)

thatdatabasewillprobablynotincludeallknownmannedaircrafttake-offandlandingsites.

TheNATSResearchandDevelopmentTeamhasFASfundingtoeducateRPASusersby

developingairspaceawarenesstoolsincludingtheirDroneAssistAppthatwasreleasedin

December2016.Thiscontainsasimilardatabasetomannedaircraftapps(likeSkyDemon)

andwillalerttheRPASuserwhenoutsideofClassGorneartoamannedaircrafttake-

off/landingsite.Likealldatabasestheyareonlyasgoodasthedataandthereisa

possibilitythatsmallairstripsmaynotbedetailed.TheDroneAssistAppreliesontheuser

todownload/signupandthenruntheApptobenefitfromtheinformationitcanprovide.

AlthoughresponsibleleisureuserswillprobablyusethisApptheyarealreadylikelyto

constitutetheleastrisktootherairspaceusers,duetotheirattitudetosafety.Itwould

makemoresenseiftheDronehandsetcontroller,whichcanbeeitherdedicatedora

smartphone,hadtheDroneAssistdatabaseintegratedintoit.Thisisaviewsharedbysome

UKRPASmanufacturers21.

4.7 CAADronecodePublicity.InaCAAConsumerDroneUsersReport22whichinvolved

droneowners,users,considerersandthegeneralpublic,only36%ofownersweremade

awareoftheCodeatthepointofsaleandwhile54%ofownerswereawareofthe

Dronecodeonlyafewcouldrecallspecificruleswhenasked.Onepositivestatisticisthat

71%ofpersonsconsideringpurchasingadronehaveheardoftheCode.Thereportisthe

firstofseveralthatwillbeabletoquantifythesuccessofbetterDronecodepublicityand

changingpublicattitudestoRPASandtheiruses.TheCodehasbeensimplifiedrecentlyand

theCAAacceptsitneedsbetterpublicity:

“ThismusttaketheformofengagingonYouTubeattheresearchstageofthepathtopurchase,andinawide-rangingmediaengagementprogrammeacrosslifestyle,consumer,

21InterviewwiththeManagingDirectorofYuneekUKattheUKDroneShow–December2016

22CAA(DfTFunded)ConsumerDroneUsers–AnAudienceInsightReport-2016




technology,andgadgetmediawherethepublicarefindingtheirinformationaboutdrones.”4.8 TheDronecodereliesonthesupportofmanufacturers,sellersandthemanned

aviationcommunitytoo,asitisintheinterestsofallpartiesthattheseaircraftareoperated

safely.WhilstUKConsumerLaw23statesthatthecontractofsaleisbetweentheretailer

andtheconsumeritwouldbemoreintheinterestofsafetythattheco-operationofthe

manufacturerswouldproduceabetterknowledgeoftheCodeandtheusersresponsibility

tootherairspaceusers.Anotherpositivesafetystepconcernsthedeclarationofdrone

performanceontheirwebsites.Whereasbetterperformanceislikelytoaidthesaleofa

product,ifthisstatedperformanceisincontradictiontotheDronecodeitshouldeitherbe

removedfromonlinestatementsorbeamendedtocarryareminderoftheDronecode

limits.

4.9 TheUKGovernmentisproposinginitsconsultationthatthisprovisionofguidance

(Dronecode)becomesmandatory,thoughitispossiblefortheirresponsibleusertodiscard

theCodeandnotreadit.Onecompany,YuneecUK,hasalreadymovedonestepfurther.

Yuneecdronesaresuppliedde-activatedandinordertoactivateittheusermustpassatick

testbasedontheDronecodeandmustalsoregisterviaasmallcredit/debitcarddeduction.

Thisisapositiveexampleofonesmallmanufacturerbeingpro-activeonsafety,whichis

ultimatelyintheirinterestasonemajorincidentcoulddevastatethatpartofthemarket.If

theUKGovernmentcancombinetheproposedmandatedregistrationandguidance,using

thesamesystemasYuneecUK,thiscouldmakeasignificantcontributiontosafety

awarenessanduserresponsibility.

5. ConclusionandRecommendations5.1 Thispapersoughttoexposetherisksassociatedwiththeunregulatedoperationof

bothmannedandunmannedaircraftinthesameclassofairspaceandproposemeasuresto

mitigatethatrisk.Frominformationgatheredthroughinterviews,governmentalandnon-

governmentalorganisations’publications,statisticalreportsandsurveysthereisclear

evidencethat,atthisstageofRPASdevelopment,thereisanintegrationissueassociated

withbothcollisionandinfringementrisk.ItisnotpossibletosegregatesmallRPASasClass

Gairspace,below500ft,isusedbymannedaircraftfortake-off,landing,training,military

aviationandauthorisedaerialwork;therefore,thelogicalstepatthisstageofdevelopment

istolimitsmallRPASto400ft(ANO/Manufacturer)toremoveatleastpartoftheexposure

volume.ThereisalsoaneedtotargettheLeisureUserbyamixtureofeducation

(Dronecode/JoinBMFA)andlegislation(ANO/Registration).ItisalsovitaltoassistallRPAS

userswithprovisionofairspaceawarenesstoolssuchastheNATSDroneAssistApptohelp

reducetheriskofairspaceinfringements.

5.2 Until“seeandavoid”technologyisCAAapprovedandappropriatelymandateditis

recommendedthat:

23SaleofGoodsAct2015




5.2.1 RPAS>250garelimited,electronicallyandlegally,to400ftfromtheRPAS

takeoff/landingsiteunlessaCAAexemptionhasbeenissued.

5.2.2 RPAS>250gareregistered.

5.2.3 TheCAAinvestigatestheuseofmodellingtoolstounderstandtheriskof

collisionbetweenRPASandallmannedClassGaircrafttypes.

5.2.4 Segregatedairspace,usedbylargeRPAS,shouldnotbepermittedto

encroachfurtherintoClassGairspace,ifthereisariskofcausingairspace

infringementsbycreatingachokepoint.

5.3 Once“seeandavoid”technologyisCAAapprovedandappropriatelymandateditis

recommendedthat:

5.3.1 RPASareintegratedfullyintoClassG,complyingwiththerulesand

regulationsappropriatetothisclassofairspace.

5.3.2 BVLOSshouldfurtherberegulatedbytheCAA.

5.4 ItisrecommendedthatthefollowingchangesbemadetotheextantRPAS/VFR

integrationsystem:

5.4.1 TheAirNavigationOrder(ANO)2016“Smallunmannedaircraft”paragraph

94beamendedtoremovethereferencetomassinparagraph94(4)–tolimitall

smallUAto400ft.

5.4.2 RPASpilotsbeencouragedtomakefulluseofallavailabletechnology,such

asthefreeNATSDroneAssistApp,tohelpthemcomplywiththeANOanddevelop

awarenessofnearbyairfieldsandrestrictedairspace.

5.4.3 NATSmaketheNATSDroneAssistdatabasefreelyavailabletoRPAS

manufacturers.

5.5 ItisrecommendedtheCAAdirectthatthefollowingpublicity/presentational

measuresaretaken:

5.5.1 Publicitybemadetoprivatestripownerstochecktheyareincludedinthe

NATSDroneAssistAppdatabase.

5.5.2 ManufacturersofconsumerRPASincludeaprintedcopyoftheDronecodein

theRPASpackaging.

5.5.3 ManufacturersofconsumerRPASshouldnotstateperformanceparameters

thatarecontrarytotheDronecode.

5.5.4 LeisureusersshouldcompleteasimpleDronecodeticktestaspartof




registration.

Annex:

A. RPASIntegrationSurvey–ResultsSummary.


05/02/2017 INTEGRATIONOFRPASINTOCLASSGAIRSPACE P a g e |A-1OF11


Annex A

RPAS/VFRIntegrationSurvey-ResultsSummary



RPAS/VFRINTEGRATIONSURVEYSUMMARY

Response98% Asat:2Feb2017

Q1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10Type Done Target % AvgHrs

onTypeCruiseAlt(ft)

IntegrationIssue?Yes%

ANO400ftLimit?Yes%

MainThreat%

LimitDrone?Yes%

Register/LicenceInsuranceTop2%

BVLOSMainRequirement

OtherRecurringThemes

Rotary/Gyro 4 5 80 1350 1100 75 100 100Leisure 100 100AllRegistered100RegNoDisplay

Detect&Avoid NoRecurring

FixedWing 35 35 100 1000 2300 83 91 91Leisure 88 100AllRegistered85AllInsured


Gliders 9 9 100 2300 2000 63 100 88Leisure 100 63AllInsured50/50AllRegister/Tested


Balloon/Airship 6 6 100 1800 2100 67 83 83Leisure 67 100AllRegistered67AllInsured


Microlight 15 15 100 700 1800 87 93 100Leisure 93 93AllInsured60AllRegistered

Detect&Avoid Education

Military(LowFly) 2 3 67 1150 1900 100 100 100Leisure 100 AllEqual Detect&Avoid NoRecurring

Self-Launched 27 27 100 1300 1800 74 82 88Leisure 89 74AllInsured55AllRegistered

Detect&Avoid Education

Overall 98 100 1200 2000 75 90 92 90 Education

INTEGRATION OF RPAS INTO CLASS G...

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