what do i need to do to be legal to fly? obtain an faa issued airworthiness certificate for my uas...
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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
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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