what do i need to do to be legal to fly? obtain an faa issued airworthiness certificate for my uas...

What do I need to do to be legal to fly?

• Obtain an FAA issued Airworthiness Certificate for my UAS and a Program Letter of Restriction

OR

• Obtain an FAA issued Certificate of Authorization or Waiver (COA)

OR

• Fly in Special Use Airspace

OR

• Fly as a Model Aircraft (this is being better defined by FAA)

FAA Regulation of UAS Activities

• Obtain an FAA issued Airworthiness Certificate for my UAS and a Program Letter of Restriction

• See FAA policy letter AFS-400 UAS Policy 05-01• Only one UAS (Altair) has achieved this to date

• Obtain a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) - FAR 91.193• This is the process for requesting permission to conduct an air event• Requester must submit no earlier/later than 60 days prior to flight event

• Submit request to FAA HQ (non-public aircraft w/ Airworthiness Cert.)• Submit to FAA Regional Office (public aircraft)• FAA currently reorganizing and this process is changing

• Requester must detail flight operations (flight duration, route, altitudes, etc.)• FAA will specify what is authorized:

• ATC communications requirements• Meteorological conditions• Ground observer / chase aircraft, etc.

Beware that these rules are all in transition!

FAA Regulation of UAS Activities

• Fly in Special Use Airspace• Restricted Areas, Warning Areas, MOAs, etc.• With permission from airspace owner

• Fly under Model Aircraft rules: see AC91-57; released 1981• Less than 400 ft AGL• Aircraft must remain in view of operator• Notification requirements if within 3 mi of airport

Beware that these rules are all in transition!

Large UAS

Altair

18.4 hour mission

AltairPlatform Specifications:Wing Span 86 ftUseful Load (fuel+payload+ballast) 3750 lbsMax Fuel 3000 lbsBallast/Payload Offset Up to 750 lbsOperational Altitudes Up to 50,000 ftMax Endurance Up to 25 hoursInternal Payload Bay YesExternal Pod Mounts YesElectrical Power 4.9 KW @ SL; 2.8KW @ Alt

Availability:Available now @ NASA thru lease agreement w/GA-ASI

Experience: ERAST (flight test)Coast Guard Alaska deployment 2004NASA/NOAA UAV Demonstration Mission 2005

NASA IKHANA

NASA IKHANA

Platform Specifications:Wing Span 66 ftUseful Load (fuel+payload+ballast) 6400 lbsBallast/Payload Offset Up to 800 lbsOperational Altitudes Up to 45,000 ftMax Endurance Up to 30 hoursInternal Payload Bay YesExternal Pod Mounts YesElectrical Power 4.9 KW @ SL; 2.8KW @ Alt

Availability:Available early FY 2007 @NASA

Experience:NASA - none as of this dateDOD - substantial

NASA Global Hawk

Platform Specifications:Wing Span 116 ftPayload 2000 lbsOperational Altitudes Up to 65,000 ftMax Endurance Up to 35 hoursInternal Payload Bay YesExternal Pod Mounts PossibleElectrical Power 3.0 KW @ SL; 3.0KW @ Alt

Availability:In negotiations with Air Force + infrastructure/partnerships needed

Experience:NASA - none as of this dateDOD - substantial

NASA UAS Instrument Pods

UAVSAR Pod

SpecificationsMounts to MAU-12 adaptorSupportable on NASA GIII & IKHANACurrently supporting UAVSAR instrumentTwo units in fabricationCapable of carrying up to 850 lbsDimensions ~ 10 ft x 2 ft Available early FY07

NASA UAS Instrument PodsWestern States Fire Mission Pod

SpecificationsMounts to MAU-12 adaptorSupportable on GA-ASI Altair & NASA IKHANACurrently supporting Wild Fire SensorOne unit in fabricationCapable of carrying up to 1000 lbsDimensions ~ 10 ft x 2 ftAvailable late FY06

Medium/Small UAS

Aerosonde

18.4 hour mission

Platform Specifications:Wing Span 9.5 ftPayload Capacity 2.2 lbsOperational Altitudes Up to 20K ftMax Endurance Up to 40 hoursElectrical Power 10 W

Availability:Contract thru NASA with Aerosonde North America

Experience:CAMEX 4, So. Florida; TCSP, Costa Rica; Guam; NOAA, Hurricane Ophelia; Atlantic crossing

APV-3

Collected digital color and hyperspectral imagery above the vineyard in August 2003 to support frost detection.

APV-3

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 12 ft

Payload 22 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 10K ft

Max Endurance UP to 4 hours

Electrical Power 40 W

Availability:

Through UAV Collaborative

Experience:

Vineyard mapping, No. California

Fire mapping, Dryden flight research

Manta

Manta

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 8.75 ft

Payload Capacity Up to 15 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 16K ft MSL

Mission Endurance 6 hours

Onboard Power 14.4V, 15 or 30 AH, BA5590 LiS02 Battery

Availability:

Through Advanced Ceramics Research

Experience:

Scripps demo, Maldives

Bat

Sort Range surveillance and aerial mapping

Bat

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 6 ft

Payload Capacity Up to 4 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 9K ft.

Max Endurance 6 hours

Availability:

USFS / WRAP Partnership or UAV Collaborative

Experience:

Military surveillance, small UAV demo

RMAX Helicopter

RMAX Helicopter

Platform Specifications:

Rotor Span 10.2 ft.

Payload Capacity Up to 10 lbs

Max Endurance Up to 4 hours

Operational Altitudes Low Altitude

Availability:

Through partnership with the ARMY

Experience:

Military surveillance, small UAV demo

PUMA

The aqua Puma version is adapted for use in salt water environment and can be landed directly onto the sea surface and recovered with a small watercraft.

PUMA

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 8.5 ft.

Payload Capacity Up to 2.5 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 10K ft.

Max Endurance 4 hours

Availability:

USFS / WRAP Partnership

Experience:

Military surveillance

Silver Fox

Silver Fox

Platform Specifications:Wing Span 7.8 ftPayload Capacity Up to 5 lbsOperational Altitudes Up to 12K ft.Max Endurance 10 hours

Availability:USFS / WRAP Partnership

Experience:Mt. St. Helens volcano, military

Vector P

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Vector P

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 8.4 ft

Payload Capacity Up to 20 lbs.

Operational Altitudes Up to 10K ft.

Max Endurance 4 hours

Availability:

USFS / WRAP Partnership

Experience:

Agricultural imaging, surveillance

Mark 3

Mark 3

Platform Specifications:

Wing Span 8.4 ft

Payload Capacity Up to 4.4 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 20K ft.

Max Endurance 30 hours

Availability:

USFS / WRAP Partnership

Shadow 200

Shadow 200

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan 12.75 ft

Payload 56 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 14K ft

Max Endurance UP to 6 hours

Availability:

USFS / WRAP Partnership

Experience:

Military, National Guard

Interesting UAS in Development

NRL/ARC Sierra

Sierra

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan 6 ft

Payload 100 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 10K ft

Max Endurance UP to 8 hours

Availability:

In development @ ARC

Bell Eagle Eye

Bell Eagle Eye

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan (Tilt Rotor) 15.2 ft

Payload 200 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 20K ft

Max Endurance (Turbine Engines) UP to 8 hours

Availability:

In development

MQ5C (E-Hunter)Northrop Grumman & Israeli Aircraft Industries

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan N/A

Payload N/A

Operational Altitudes Up to 20K ft

Max Endurance (Diesel Engines) UP to 15 hours

Availability:

In development

MQ5C (E-Hunter)

• Systems Reliability– Number of operational hours vs. incidents– System redundancy– Propulsion system history

• Guaranteeing Public Safety– May require a Flight Termination System

• Access to the National Airspace System– Currently the FAA prefers us above 40K ft

Other Issues to Consider

GA-ASI Warrior

Warrior (Predator A Variant)

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan TBD ft

Useful Load (payload) TBD lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 25K ft

Max Endurance (Diesel engine) UP to 36 hours

Availability:

In development

Experience:

Substantial due to similarity to Predator A series

Backup Stuff

Pioneer

Pioneer

Platform Specifications:

Wingspan 16.76 ft

Useful Load (payload) 75 lbs

Operational Altitudes Up to 12K ft

Max Endurance UP to 5.5 hours

Availability:

Experience:

Military

NASA/NOAA 18.4 hour mission

NASA/NOAA Channel Islandsmission

Altair