GPS World

Tag: FAA test site

  • ParaZero launches SafeAir Mavic following compliance testing

    ParaZero launches SafeAir Mavic following compliance testing

    The SafeAir System is a smart parachute system that monitors UAS flight in real time, identifies critical failures, and autonomously triggers a parachute.

    Photo: ParaZero
    Photo: ParaZero

    Drone safety company ParaZero Technologies Ltd., together with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS), has completed the testing and compliance process for ParaZero’s SafeAir Mavic in accordance with U.S. ASTM F3322-18.

    The ASTM F3322-18 Standard Specification for UAS Parachutes was designed to enable civil aviation authorities (CAAs), like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to determine whether a parachute system is airworthy for flight over human beings.

    Among other requirements, the standard defines more than 45 aerial deployment tests in various failure scenarios, verified by a third party.

    ParaZero’s ASTM-compliant SafeAir Mavic is designed specifically for DJI’s Mavic 2 series. The SafeAir System is a smart parachute system that monitors UAS flight in real time, identifies critical failures, and autonomously triggers a parachute. The system contains a flight termination system, a black box to enable post-deployment analysis, and a warning buzzer to alert people below of the falling drone.

    Safe UAV flights over people. The completion of the compliance process for the SafeAir Mavic will open the doors for UAS operators that are interested in the possibility of safe and legal UAS operations over people using the DJI Mavic 2. The FAA has granted a waiver for flight over people to an operator using ParaZero’s ASTM compliant SafeAir Phantom.

    Photo: ParaZero
    Photo: ParaZero

    The third-party validation provided by NPUASTS — an FAA UAV test site in North Dakota — played a crucial role in the ParaZero testing. The ParaZero project is in line with the work the NPUASTS is doing to promote the safe integration of UAS into the National Airspace System.

    The ability to safely operate UAS over people and in urban environments through waivers and approval is important for the growth of the UAS industry.

    “Third-party validation of the SafeAir Safety System for the Mavic is a necessary step for the industry to help advance operations of small UAS in various environments,” said Nicholas Flom, NPUASTS executive director. “With the partnership from ParaZero, we are one step closer to realizing routine flight operations over persons on the ground.”

    UAS operators can now purchase the ASTM-compliant SafeAir Mavic on ParaZero’s website. UAS operators will also receive compliance documentation with the purchase of the SafeAir Mavic system, including NPUASTS’ third-party testing report. This documentation and report will provide validation that operators can submit to the FAA with an operations-over-people waiver application.

    “Following the precedent setting waiver announced earlier this week, we are excited to launch our second ASTM compliant SafeAir System,” said Avi Lozowick, vice president of policy and strategy at ParaZero. “We are lucky to have partners like NPUASTS for this process; their aviation experience is second to none.”

  • NASA tests next phase of UAS traffic management system

    NASA tests next phase of UAS traffic management system

    NASA’s UAS Traffic Management System was tested May 25 at the Nevada UAS Test Site. (Credit: Drone America)

    On May 25, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-designated Nevada UAS Test Site and its NASA partners flew five different unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to test NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM).

    The flights demonstrated multiple operational scenarios, including parachute-initiated emergency supply deliveries and aerial survey operations.

    The UAVs were flown beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight using strategically placed visual observers and sophisticated command and control, communication and detect-and-avoid technologies.

    The test is part of a three-week national campaign, which NASA is leading in close collaboration with the FAA and industry partners on a more complex version of its UTM technologies at six different UAS Test Sites around the nation.

    The Technology Capability Level 2 (TCL2) National Campaign began May 9 with the Nevada UAS Test Site as the first of six UAS Test Site to begin UTM operations this year.

    The partners not only demonstrated drone flight capability, but also tested UAS traffic mapping, sensor and radar technology, all of which were connected through a NASA UAS service supplier network to NASA Ames Research Laboratory.

    Six FAA UAS Test sites and industry partners integrate their technologies with NASA’s UTM research platform and test the UTM concept in a range of conditions representative of those in the U.S. Airspace, explaind Tom Prevot, UTM project manager.

    “For the Nevada NASA Team, we flew the longest multi-faceted NASA UTM flights to date in Nevada,” Prevot said. “The beyond-line-of-sight missions we completed over a distance of 13 miles north of Reno, Nevada, and the multiple aerial parachute package-delivery missions performed were a first in the National Airspace System under the NASA UTM.”

    Current testing of the UTM TCL2 Test marks the second year in a row NASA has taken its UTM technologies on the road to further assess and refine their capabilities. During April 2016, NASA and its partners tested TCL1, which involved line-of-sight operations, and then began the first phase of TCL2 demonstrations in October 2016.

    Two more phases, TCL3 and TCL4, each progressively more complex and involving flying drones with specific tasks over increasingly populated areas, are scheduled for 2018 and beyond.

    The aerial parachute package-delivery missions performed were a first in the National Airspace System under the NASA UTM. (Credit: Drone America)

    “Our Nevada NASA partners did an amazing job in extending the body of airspace management and sense-and-avoid knowledge under the UTM and across the UAS Industry,” said Chris Walach, director of the Nevada UAS Test Site. “The National Campaign data provided to NASA from our two-week operation will go a long way toward advancing the UTM for the FAA and the UAS Industry.”

    “At AirMap, we consider UTM to be a critical ingredient for a thriving drone ecosystem,” said Steve Willer, business development manager for AirMap. “The TCL 2 trials demonstrate that technologies for geofencing, data exchange, and more can enable safe and sophisticated drone operations, even beyond line of sight. Along with NASA, the FAA, and NIAS we’re excited to show how UTM can chart a safe course for the drone ecosystem.”

    “Drone America is a proud participant in a Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) led NASA Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) program at the Reno Stead Airport,” said Mike Richards, president and CEO of Drone America. “The safe integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS) is critical to the future of this industry. Drone America is fortunate to call Nevada our home. Working in a state that is very supportive and business friendly makes a tremendous difference to our future sustainability. Our partnership with NIAS and NASA will not only contribute to successful testing, this partnership will pave the way for future generations to experience the true value of autonomous systems.”

    “Carbon Autonomous Systems of Reno, in conjunction with their partner SmartPlanes of Skellefteå, Sweden, successfully took part in the planning, coordination, and flying in the most recent TCL2 NASA / NIAS UAS/UTM exercises conducted at the Reno Stead Airport UAS Test Range of the Nevada FAA UAS statewide test complex,” said John Hammond, chief pilot for Carbon Autonomous.

    NIAS was also supported by Delair-Tech and SensoFusion who provided UAS and drone detection UAS technologies, which were also tested during this NASA UTM TCL 2 Test.

    “We have been designing, manufacturing, and operating UAVs in the civilian airspace for almost 10 years in 100 countries,” said Benjamin Benharrosh, co-founder and head of Delair Tech North America. “This landmark agreement with NIAS, and the associated data collected for the UTM system designed by NASA at the Reno UAS Test Site will push our traffic management technology to a new level of precision and insight. We are thrilled to collaborate with NIAS on solutions that represent a new era for the commercial UAV market and a better presence of Delair-Tech in the U.S.”

    “We’re excited to be shaping the future of air traffic management as an official partner of the NIAS by providing our counter-UAS solution, AIRFENCE, in the ongoing NASA UTM project. AIRFENCE is playing an active role in detecting, locating, and tracking UAS as part of the project, providing rich data to NASA as they develop their UTM system,” said Kaveh H. Mahdavi, Sensofusion VP of operations.

    “NASA is one of Nevada’s most valuable partners. We appreciate the opportunity to support NASA’s UTM development. It is truly cutting-edge technology and will be instrumental in integrating UAS into the national airspace,” said Tom Wilczek, Aerospace & Defense Industry Representative for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

  • FAA’s UAS Test Sites Receive Blanket Authorizations

    The nation’s six unmanned aircraft system test sites now have blanket authorizations to fly drones and no longer have to seek authorizations for each type of aircraft flown, according to new Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

    The new regulations streamline the approval process for UAS research by the test sites. They also allow those with only a recreational- or sport-pilot certificate to conduct test-site operations. Previously, the rules required operators to have a private pilot’s license. A third-class medical certificate also is no longer required. Now an operator only needs a valid driver’s license to satisfy the medical requirement.

    The FAA expects this improved access for the test sites will provide more opportunities for research that may help the agency integrate UAS into the nation’s airspace more quickly and easily.

    Under the new regulations, drones under 55 pounds operated by test sites may fly during the day up to 200 feet above ground level anywhere in the country, except in restricted airspace or near airports and heliports.

    The new Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) also let the test sites fly various types of UAS under a single COA, making it easier for them to conduct research missions. Previously, the FAA required authorization for each type of UAS the operators wanted to fly.

    Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), praised the FAA announcement. “This new policy will make it easier for the test sites to perform the research needed to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace system. It is an exciting time for the unmanned aircraft systems industry and policies like this help further advance UAS innovation.”

    When Wynne testified at the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology earlier in the year, he specifically called for a comprehensive industry-government UAS research plan, more resources for the federal government to coordinate UAS research and intellectual property protections for the companies that participate in UAS R&D.

    According to Wynne’s take on the new policy, things are heading in the right direction. “This new policy, the Center of Excellence designation and the Pathfinder Program announced earlier this month, along with ongoing industry and government research efforts, all point to a future where the possible will become reality,” he says.

    “Today’s FAA announcement is great news for the future of Nevada’s UAS Test Site effort,” says Tom Wilczek, aerospace and defense industry specialist for the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Nevada has been working diligently to get companies up and flying UAVs on our test sites, and the ability for us to implement public aircraft operations that fly under 200 feet … will significantly speed up the ability to test on our Nevada sites and move this emerging industry into commercial flights.”

    The expanded operational parameters for the test sites are similar to those the FAA implemented in March for civil UAS operations authorized under a Section 333 exemption.

    The six UAS test sites are the first public operators to receive this type of “blanket” airspace access across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. The sites may still fly outside the “blanket” COA parameters if they receive or retain separate COAs specific to the airspace requested for those operations.

  • FAA Selects Mississippi State as Center of Excellence for UAS

    After a rigorous competition, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected a Mississippi State University team as the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (COE UAS). The COE will focus on research, education and training in areas critical to safe and successful integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace.

    The team brings together 15 of the nation’s leading UAS and aviation universities that have a proven commitment to UAS research and development and the necessary resources to provide the matching contribution to the government’s investment.

    “This world-class, public-private partnership will help us focus on the challenges and opportunities of this cutting-edge technology,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. The Department of Transportation oversees the FAA. “We expect this team will help us to educate and train a cadre of unmanned aircraft professionals well into the future.”

    The COE research areas are expected to evolve over time, but initially will include:

    • detect and avoid technology
    • low-altitude operations safety
    • control and communications
    • spectrum management
    • human factors
    • compatibility with air traffic control operations
    • training and certification of UAS pilots and other crew members, in addition to other areas.

    “This team has the capabilities and resources to quickly get up and running to help the FAA address the demands of this challenging technology over the next decade,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.

    The FAA expects the COE will be able to begin research by September 2015 and be fully operational and engaged in a robust research agenda by January 2016.

    Congress appropriated $5 million for the five-year agreement with the COE, which will be matched one-for-one by the team members.

    In addition to Mississippi State University, the other team members include: Drexel University; Embry Riddle Aeronautical University; Kansas State University; Kansas University; Montana State University; New Mexico State University; North Carolina State University; Oregon State University; University of Alabama, Huntsville; University of Alaska, Fairbanks; University of North Dakota; and Wichita State University.

    The FAA will determine the relationship between the new COE and the six UAS sites the FAA announced last year once the new team develops detailed research plans. The FAA expects COE flight testing to occur at one or more of the existing test sites.

    Congress mandated that the FAA establish the COE under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. Like university think tank partnerships, the agency’s Centers of Excellence bring together the best minds in the nation to conduct research to educate, train and work with the FAA toward solutions for aviation-related challenges.

  • FAA Selects Six Sites for UAV Research

    FAA Selects Six Sites for UAV Research

    Source: FAA
    Source: FAA

    After a rigorous 10-month selection process involving 25 proposals from 24 states, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it has chosen six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test site operators across the country.

    According to the announcement, in selecting the six test site operators, the FAA considered geography, climate, location of ground infrastructure, research needs, airspace use, safety, aviation experience and risk. In totality, these six test applications achieve cross-country geographic and climatic diversity and help the FAA meet its UAS research needs.

    A brief description of the six test site operators and the research they will conduct into future UAS use are below:

    University of Alaska. The University of Alaska proposal contained a diverse set of test site range locations in seven climatic zones as well as geographic diversity with test site range locations in Hawaii and Oregon. The research plan includes the development of a set of standards for unmanned aircraft categories, state monitoring and navigation. Alaska also plans to work on safety standards for UAS operations.

    State of Nevada. Nevada’s project objectives concentrate on UAS standards and operations as well as operator standards and certification requirements. The applicant’s research will also include a concentrated look at how air traffic control procedures will evolve with the introduction of UAS into the civil environment and how these aircraft will be integrated with NextGen. Nevada’s selection contributes to geographic and climatic diversity.

    New York’s Griffiss International Airport. Griffiss International plans to work on developing test and evaluation as well as verification and validation processes under FAA safety oversight. The applicant also plans to focus its research on sense and avoid capabilities for UAS and its sites will aid in researching the complexities of integrating UAS into the congested, northeast airspace.

    North Dakota Department of Commerce. North Dakota plans to develop UAS airworthiness essential data and validate high reliability link technology. This applicant will also conduct human factors research. North Dakota’s application was the only one to offer a test range in the Temperate (continental) climate zone and included a variety of different airspace which will benefit multiple users.

    Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Texas A&M plans to develop system safety requirements for UAS vehicles and operations with a goal of protocols and procedures for airworthiness testing. The selection of Texas A&M contributes to geographic and climactic diversity.

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Virginia Tech plans to conduct UAS failure mode testing and identify and evaluate operational and technical risks areas. This proposal includes test site range locations in both Virginia and New Jersey.

    Across the six applicants, the FAA is confident that the agency’s research goals of System Safety & Data Gathering, Aircraft Certification, Command & Control Link Issues, Control Station Layout & Certification, Ground & Airborne Sense & Avoid, and Environmental Impacts will be met.

    Each test site operator will manage the test site in a way that will give access to parties interested in using the site. The FAA’s role is to ensure each operator sets up a safe testing environment and to provide oversight that guarantees each site operates under strict safety standards.

    From the start, the FAA recognized it was important to have requirements ensuring that privacy and civil liberties are protected at the test sites. Among other requirements, test site operators must comply with federal, state, and other laws protecting an individual’s right to privacy, have publicly available privacy policies and a written plan for data use and retention, and conduct an annual review of privacy practices that allows for public comment.

    Under the current law, test site operations will continue until at least February 13, 2017.