International Regulatory Framework for Remotely Piloted

International Civil Aviation Organization

International Regulatory Framework for

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Gerry Corbett

UK Member ICAO UAS Study Group

RAeS 2012

London 20 September 2012

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Unmanned Aircraft

• Potential

– border monitoring

– meteorological and environmental monitoring

– search and rescue

• UAS regulations

– continued aerial work

– routine transport of cargo and mail (passengers???)

– handovers

– commercial operators of remote pilot stations

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ICAO Involvement

• ICAO – Specialized agency of the United Nations since 1944;

– World’s body to address civil aviation;

– 191 member States;

• Convention on International Civil Aviation (“Chicago Convention”) – Recognition of sovereignity of States;

– Difference between state and civil aircraft;

– The rules of the air;

– Certificate of airworthiness;

– Licences of personnel;

Convention on

International Civil Aviation

Article 8

Pilotless aircraft

No aircraft capable of being flown without a pilot shall

be flown without a pilot over the territory of a contracting

State without special authorization by that State and in

accordance with the terms of such authorization. Each

contracting State undertakes to insure that the flight of

such aircraft without a pilot in regions open to civil

aircraft shall be so controlled as to obviate danger to

civil aircraft.

on board

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Convention on

International Civil Aviation

Article 29

• Documents carried in the aircraft

− Its certificate of registration;

− Its certificate of airworthiness;

− The appropriate licences for each member of the crew;

− Its journey logbook...

Article 31

• Certificates of airworthiness

− Every aircraft engaged in international navigation shall be

provided with a certificate of airworthiness issued or rendered

valid by the State in which it is registered.

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ICAO Focus

• International operations harmonize across all States;

assure

safety;

security;

efficiency;

• Integration in non-segregated airspace and at aerodromes;

• Civil aviation State aircraft exempt;

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ICAO Priorities

• Terminology;

• Airworthiness and operational certifications / approvals;

• Personnel licensing;

• Frequency spectrum;

• Communication requirements;

• Detect and avoid / ACAS;

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Legal Requirements

• Licensing:

By State of Registry or State of Operator?

Third party licence for long-haul operations?

Recognition of licenses;

• Contractual arrangements for RPS services

Different States involved in single operation;

Oversight vs recognition;

• Command & Control Service Providers

Obligation to maintain C2 / C3 service;

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Integration Requirements

• Certification

– RPA;

– Operator;

– Remote pilot;

• Approval

– RPAS as a complete system;

• Collision and hazard avoidance

• Interaction with ATC and other aircraft;

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Integration Requirements (cont)

• Security – data links;

– RPA;

– remote pilot station;

• Predictable actions; – right-of-way rules

• Contingency procedures

Ability to act like any other aircraft!

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ICAO Interactions

• ICAO is an organization comprised of States

– ICAO Standards become national regulations

• Close working relationship with

– industry associations

– industry technical standards-development organizations

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ICAO Work

• Unmanned Aircraft System Study Group (UASSG)

– States nominated subject matter experts to assist with the

development work;

– review of existing ICAO provisions;

– integrate unmanned aviation into the existing system without

reducing its safety, efficiency or sustainability;

• ICAO Council adopted Standards on REMOTELY

PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (RPAS)

– become applicable on 15 November of 2012;

• Draft ICAO RPAS Roadmap -> late Autumn 2012

Circular 328

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

• Overview of UAS wrt ICAO framework;

− Published March 2011;

− Legal considerations (Articles of the Convention);

− Operations (rules of the air, ATM, aerodromes);

− Equipment (aircraft, remote pilot station, ANS infrastructure);

− Personnel (remote pilot);

Will become obsolete once guidance manual is published. (~2014)

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ICAO RPAS Manual

• Will expand on current Standards:

– RPAS approval / certification;

– RPA airworthiness and operator certifications;

– lines of distinction between airworthiness, maintenance and

operations;

– performance-based technical requirements;

• for command and control (C2) + ATC communications (C3);

• for detect and avoid;

– competency-based licensing requirements and medical

provisions for remote pilots;

– initial ATM provisions;

Publication Spring 2014

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ICAO Timeline

• Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS)

– 2016 - 2018 timeframe

• on airworthiness, operations, licensing, detect and avoid, C2 / C3 and basic ATM provisions should be applicable;

– 2020 - 2023 timeframe

• refinement of all SARPs / PANS with addition of aerodrome and ATM operational requirements can be expected;

– By ~ 2028

• all provisions needed to support transparent operation of RPA in all classes of airspace and at aerodromes are expected;

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ICAO RPAS Standards

– RPA shall be operated in such a manner as to minimize hazards

to persons, property and other aircraft

– RPAS shall be approved

– RPA shall have a CofA

– RPAS components shall be certified (e.g. RPS, catapult, etc.);

– RPAS Operator shall be certified

– Remote pilot shall be licensed

– RPA a sub-category of unmanned aircraft

– Special authorizations detailed

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Technical Requirements

• Detect and avoid

All aircraft;

Hazards: obstacles, terrain, parachutists, birds, etc;

Must be compatible with ACAS;

Collision avoidance, airborne separation;

• C3 communications

Type and amount of data needed for C2;

Availability, latency, reliability, security of link;

Methods for ATC communication;

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ICAO Vision

• Solve today’s problems while looking at the future

• Understand and respect the past

• Maintain compatibility between manned and unmanned

aviation and

• Carefully leave the door open for future generations

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