Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and serve diverse purposes. They may have a wingspan as large as a Boeing 737 or smaller than a radio-controlled model airplane. A pilot on the ground is always in charge of UAS operations.

Until recently, UASs mainly supported military and security operations, but that is rapidly changing. Unmanned aircraft promise new ways to increase efficiency, save money, enhance safety and even save lives. Interest is growing in a broad range of uses such as aerial photography, surveying land and crops, monitoring forest fires and environmental conditions, and protecting borders and ports against intruders.

In the United States alone, approximately 50 companies, universities, and government organizations are developing and producing some 155 unmanned aircraft designs.

The FAA’s Role:  Safety First

The FAA’s main concern about UAS operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) is safety. The NAS encompasses an average of more than 100,000 aviation operations per day, including commercial air traffic, cargo operations, and business jets. Additionally, there are more than 238,000 general aviation aircraft in the system at any time. It is critical that these aircraft do not endanger other users of the NAS or compromise the safety of persons or property on the ground.

Recreational use of the NAS is generally limited to operations to below 400 feet above ground level and away from airports and air traffic.

There are two acceptable means of operating UAS in the NAS outside of “restricted” airspace:  a Special Airworthiness Certificate – Experimental Category or a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA).

A Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category is the only certification available to civil operators of UAS.  Due to regulatory requirements, this approval precludes carrying persons or property for compensation or hire, but does allow operations for research and development, market survey, and crew training.

Since July 2005, the FAA has issued 71 experimental certificates for 17 different aircraft types, 14 of which are currently active. Through these efforts, the FAA works with manufacturers to collect technical and operational data to help improve the UAS airworthiness certification process.

The COA process is available to public entities, such as government agencies (including local law enforcement and state universities), who want to fly a UAS in civil airspace.  Applicants apply online and the FAA evaluates the request. The FAA issues a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA), generally based on the following principles:

• The COA authorizes an operator to use defined airspace and includes special provisions unique to each operation.  For instance, a COA may include a requirement to operate only under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and/or during daylight hours. Most COAs are issued for a specified time period (up to one year, in most cases).
• Most, if not all, COAs require coordination with an appropriate air traffic control facility and may require the UAS to have a transponder to operate in certain types of airspace.
• Due to the  UASs inability to comply with ”sense and avoid” rules, a ground observer or an accompanying “chase” aircraft must maintain visual contact with the UAS and serve as its “eyes” when operating outside of airspace that is restricted from other users.

The FAA is streamlining the COA process and has also increased staffing by more than a dozen people. In 2009, the FAA issued 146 COAS. So far in 2010, the agency has issued 268 active COAs on 133 different aircraft types.

Operation and Certification Standards

To address the increasing civil market and the desire by civilian operators to fly UASs, the FAA is developing new policies, procedures, and approval processes. Developing and implementing new UAS standards and guidance is a long-term effort.

• The FAA created the Unmanned Aircraft Program Office (UAPO) and the Air Traffic Organization (ATO) UAS office to integrate UASs safely and efficiently into the NAS.
• The FAA is working closely with stakeholders in the UAS community to define operational and certification requirements. It is critical to develop and validate appropriate operational procedures, regulatory standards and policies for routine UAS access to the NAS.
• The FAA has asked RTCA – a group that frequently advises the agency on technical issues – to work with the industry and develop UAS standards.  RTCA will answer two key questions: 

These activities are targeted for completion before 2015.

• The FAA continues to work closely with its international counterparts to harmonize standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.

Data is Key

More safety data is needed before the FAA can make an informed decision to fully integrate UASs into the NAS, where the public travels each day. Available Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows a total of 5,688 flight hours from Fiscal Year 2006 to July 13, 2010. The CBP accident rate is 52.7 accidents per 100,000 flight hours. This accident rate is more than seven times the general aviation accident rate (7.11 accidents/100,000 flight hours) and 353 times the commercial aviation accident rate (0.149 accidents/100,000 flight hours). Continuing to review of UAS operations will enhance the FAA’s ability to assess the safety and improve the use of this technology.

Small Eyes in the Sky

The FAA expects small UASs to experience the greatest near-term growth in civil and commercial operations because of their versatility and relatively low initial cost and operating expenses. The agency has received extensive public comment on small UASs, both from proponents who feel their size dictates minimal regulation and from groups concerned about hazards to piloted general aviation aircraft.

In April 2008, the FAA chartered an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to examine these operational and safety issues and make recommendations on how to proceed with regulating Small UASs. The agency has received the ARC recommendations, and is drafting a proposed rule. The FAA aims to publish a proposed rule in 2011.

One of the most promising potential uses for small UASs is in law enforcement. Although the Small UAS ARC was not specific to law enforcement organizations, they participated in the Committee.

Currently, any law enforcement organization must follow the COA process if they wish to conduct demonstration flights. The FAA has already worked with urban police departments in Houston and Miami on test programs involving unmanned aircraft. The goal is to help identify the challenges that UASs will bring into this environment and what type of operations can safely be conducted by law enforcement.