FAA Certificates First Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
The FAA marked a new
chapter in aviation history by issuing the first airworthiness
certificate for a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle, the General
Atomics Altair.
Unmanned aerial vehicles — often called "UAVs" — are
a new, developing segment of the aviation industry with great
potential commercial applications. Some of the research and
development activities they already perform support law
enforcement, homeland security, firefighting, and weather
prediction.
"Unmanned aircraft have the potential to make an enormous impact
on civil aviation," said FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey. "This
is the first big step toward their seamless integration into our
national airspace system."
The Altair's FAA airworthiness certificate is in the
"Experimental" category and limits flights to research and
development, crew training or market survey. The agency has also
specified a number of safety conditions for the Altair's operation,
including weather, altitude, and geographic restrictions, as well
as a requirement for a pilot and observer, both of whom may either
be on the ground or in an accompanying "chase" plane. The Altair, a
high-altitude version of the U.S. military's Predator B, is
designed to perform scientific and commercial research missions.
Built in partnership with NASA, Altair has an 86-foot wingspan, can
fly up to 52,000 feet, and can remain in the air for more than 30
hours.
To prepare for the increasing civil UAV market, a team of FAA
experts throughout the agency is working on policies that will
balance oversight without being overly restrictive in the early
stages of this promising technology.
The FAA is also collaborating with manufacturers to collect
vital technical and operational data that will help improve UAV
regulatory processes. In addition, the FAA has asked RTCA — a
group that frequently advises the agency on technical issues
— to help develop UAV standards. RTCA will focus on two key
aspects of UAV flight: (1) command and control and (2) a UAV's
ability to detect and avoid other aircraft.
The FAA also participates in the NASA- sponsored ACCESS 5
initiative to understand the difficulties of integrating UAVs with
piloted aircraft. Although the group's work focuses on
high-altitude, long- duration unmanned operations, many of the
standards will be applicable to other types of UAVs.