The first steps towards establishing standards for the operation of unmanned air vehicles in US national airspace are being taken, with the first certification criteria for mini-UAVs possibly to be in place by mid-2005.
"We are approaching this elephant one bite at a time," says Steve Bishop, senior analyst for MacAulay Brown, one of the agencies representing the flight operations and operator qualifications subcommittees established to look at the issue. The groups were formed in 2003 by ASTM, the US standards institute, at the instigation of AUVSI.
"The goal of all this is to enable UAV operators to 'file and fly' on the same day, and have access to the whole of the national airspace system. We want to establish a credible start for UAV/ROA [remotely operated aircraft] operations, and we want those operations to be safe and reliable," says fellow subcommittee standards representative David Grilley.
Early recommendations include designation of UAVs as a new US Federal Aviation Administration certification category, and the use of existing industry regulations to register and certificate UAV/ROA pilots and operators. The initial target is mini-UAVs below 120kg (55lb) gross weight.
Source: Flight International