PERFORMANCE BASED SAFETYAcceptable for all sizes

REMOTE TOWERSBeyond the hype

DRONES IN AGRICULTURE Is expansion possible within today’s regulation?

The aviat ion consultancy of Egis

The Helios Newsletter - Issue 2, 2016

ON AIR«

1 9 9 6 - 2 0 1 6

AN N I V E R S A R

Y

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Executive Chairman

Mike ShorthoseLEADING EDGE

DRONE FACTSKnow your RPAS from your UASHistorically the term ‘drone’ refers to unmanned aircraft

used as a target for live-fire air defence training by

armed forces. Today it is in common use and signifies an

unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

UAS - an ‘aircraft and its associated elements which

are operated with no pilot on board’. It can be as small as

an insect or as large as a manned jet.

There are two potential types of UAS:

RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) - comprises

a remotely piloted aircraft, its associated remote pilot

station(s), the required command and control links and

any other components.

Autonomous UAS - automatically programmed to fly

a predefined flight path but without a pilot in charge, even

remotely. These are currently not authorised for use, and

public authorities (including the EU) are not seeking to

regulate them.

Thank you to customers and colleagues who have

responded to my request for memories of working with

Helios, it has been a real pleasure reading them. We are still

collecting anecdotes, so if you haven’t done so yet, please

do send one to me at mike.shorthose@askhelios.com!

In the UK, it’s that time again when we start gearing

up for the Farnborough International Airshow, taking place

11-15 July. As in previous ‘airshow years’, we will be

holding a number of customer seminars looking at a wide

range of industry issues. The FIA is a good barometer

of the health of the aviation sector and, despite several

years of austerity and some uncertainty, it seems to be

holding up. In the UK, however, there might be another

pause for thought, due to the UK’s vote on continuing EU

membership, taking place on June 23, ahead of us as we

go to press.

This newsletter features an article from Glen Smith and

his team of experts from Egis and the IAA, who have been

busy elaborating a performance-based safety approach

>9 000 civil certified commercial UAS operators in the world (eg inspecting infrastructure, aerial mapping, filming, and farming)

to fit all sizes of aerodrome and centre in Thailand. Also

overseas were Mike Pearson and Joe Taylor, attending the

EUROCAE meeting on Remote Tower standardisation in

Canada’s capital, Ottawa. In his article, Joe cuts through

the hype and gets talking about the real opportunities

of remote technologies. A market that you don’t often

associate with the Helios name is that of agriculture: our

expertise in satellite navigation has led to several pieces

of work for the GSA and they recently asked us to look at

the impact of aviation regulations on drone applications

in agriculture. You can see some of the impressive

statistics about the importance of drones/RPAS/UAV in our

infographics below.

Finally, in HOT AIR there is news on cyber security,

total airport management and an exciting new service

being offered by Helios in association with LPS of Slovakia.

Best wishes

1944 The year ICAO recognised unmanned aircraft

$14 billion Global value of the civil UAS market by 2024

jobs expected to be created in Europe by the drone industry by 2050

150 000 500ft

The current height limit for UAS operations (as stipulated by regulations)

300

T he cultural and colourful delights of Thailand, along with its ever-

expanding economy, continue to attract many travellers and businesses

to the Kingdom. This is certainly evidenced by the swift growth in

Bangkok FIR traffic over recent years. So, with traffic expected to double in

the next ten years, AEROTHAI has established a long-term project to improve

infrastructure and introduce new CNS/ATM systems across Thailand.

Safety, technical and human factors experts from Helios and Egis, as well

as senior air traffic controllers from the Irish Aviation Authority, are working

together to help AEROTHAI develop safety requirements and demonstrate safety

assurance.

6 Approach Control Centres, 36 Towers, 7 associated defence units, as well

as the Bangkok Area Control Centre and varying operational environments across

the country, all combine to provide a challenging backdrop to ‘demonstrate’

acceptable safety assurance as they transition to the new Thales TopSky

infrastructure.

Helios Project Manager, Glen Smith, comments: “The key to our approach is

to develop and refine our assumptions, to understand and influence the design,

and set the assurance strategies that need to be in place. So we combine existing

performance data and industry guidance with our own experience and that of

AEROTHAI to define realistic safety requirements. This means we can derive and

demonstrate acceptable safety assurance for the small airfield with only three

movements per day, just as for two closely spaced international airports that

serve as an international and domestic hub.”

AEROTHAI Senior Director, Safety and Standard Bureau, Chumnan Ruechai

adds: “The team’s analysis of local data, focus on the acceptance process, and

understanding of the context will contribute to the successful transition of the new

CNS/ATM system across Thailand, ensuring a particular focus at local operational

unit level for the differing systems being deployed.”

Our team has developed one defined process for all the different environments

that also sets a baseline for future technical and operational developments.

A later stage of the project will address the continued monitoring of safety

performance, including an integrated approach between monitoring and

demonstrating safety performance through future changes, such as system

upgrades, airspace developments and tools to support airspace changes.

PERFORMANCE BASED SAFETYAcceptable for all sizes

T h e k e y t o o u r a p p r o a c h i s t o d e v e l o p a n d r e f i n e o u r a s s u m p t i o n s

Author: Glen Smithglen.smith@askhelios.com

Location of the AEROTHAI operational

centres within the scope of the project

Chiang Mai

PhitsanulokUdon Thani

Ubon Ratchathani

Bangkok

Hua Hin

Surat Thani

PhuketHat Yai

Remote Towers are a specific application of a wider potential: digitalising

airport and ATC operations. At the EUROCAE Working Group 100

meeting hosted by Searidge there was a hot debate between ANSPs and

manufacturers about the minimum standards for the visual elements of a remote

tower. They of course depend on what those displays are used for, and as a result

the developed solutions are increasingly divergent.

Pioneering ANSPs deserve much credit for developing early Remote Tower

concepts from scratch and bringing them into operation. This has been a

long process and covered all of the eight ‘concept to deployment’ steps

shown here.

The problem is that today interested ANSPs and airports are tempted

to jump straight into step 6 − procurement for a remote tower pilot

project based on these mature solutions − without fully appreciating the

implementation and transition risks involved, or how this new technology

might be used to help their individual operations. A full analysis of existing

operations, coupled with an appreciation of what is on the market (steps

1 – 4) will reveal what can be achieved, without being constrained by previous

implementations and impressive marketing!

Maybe it’s not even about towers. Why constrain yourself to what has already

been done? Remote Towers are great, but take a step back, see if it’s right for you

and maybe define a digitalisation concept of your own. Like the Remote Tower

pioneers, ANSPs who stand out are those who forge a unique path.

Visualisation technology could help airport operators manage queues in the

departure hall, problems in baggage reclaim, crowding on the apron, or empty

stands. The theory of digitalising an operational process that is usually seen

visually, coupled with the potential of big data analytics, could improve operations

in many ways and combinations.

With the increasing digitalisation of ATC, the gap between operational concept

and technical solution is narrowing and the line between supplier and user is

becoming blurred. We are already seeing ANSPs building technical know-how

with a commercial focus to re-sell their systems, and manufacturers beginning

to offer operationally driven concepts rather than simply pieces of technology.

This trend will bring new challenges, and with tower services increasingly open to

competition, this is what we should really be excited about.

REMOTE TOWERSBeyond the hype

Author: Joe Taylorjoe.taylor@askhelios.com

2 Feasibility

3 Businesscase

4 Technologyfit

5 Securingfunding

6 Efficientprocurement

7 Regulatoryapprovals

8 De-riskingdeployment

1 Potential

Since 2013 the commercial drone market has been growing at over 45%

each year. Although applications for agriculture are still in their infancy,

farmers are starting to see the potential benefits of using drones for

surveying and monitoring of crops.

The European GNSS Agency (GSA) is responsible for ensuring that all

obstacles to the use of European GNSS (Galileo and EGNOS) are eliminated.

There is increased interest from farmers in using drones to support activities such

as livestock monitoring, soil moisture content and crop health analysis. Helios

has been tasked to assess the role that European regulations play in increasing

the use of drones in agriculture. The work also addresses the GSA’s goal of

increasing the integration of E-GNSS technologies in drones.

It is not currently possible to conduct most agriculture applications activities

in European countries due to vertical or beyond visual line of sight flight

restrictions. Our findings show that many tasks require the drone to fly long

distances from the pilot − often beyond visual line of sight. In Europe, regulations

governing drone use are very fragmented. Each country has differing policies

on authorisation, certification, vertical and horizontal limitations, and pilot

qualifications.

Given the expected growth in drone applications and the promised economic

benefits to the EU, the Commission mandated EASA to develop proposals for

the regulation of all drones – including those below the existing 150kg limit.

These rely on a risk-based approach, essential to enable this expansion and the

integration with the rest of manned aviation.

The proposal* published by EASA and its technical opinion** do go some

way to enabling increased use of drones within agriculture but regulators should

also take into account the work of other regulatory and standardisation groups

in Europe and around the world. EASA’s proposals would allow pilots to apply

for authorisation to undertake more complicated operations, whilst maintaining

regulations on the use of un-licensed, out-of-the-box drones. These are

encouraging signs but the scope for market expansion will be limited. Unlocking

Europe’s potential for agricultural and other drone uses requires access to a

wider, harmonised market with a level playing field.

DRONES IN AGRICULTURE Is expansion possible within today’s regulation?

* http://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/notices-of-proposed-amendment/npa-2015-10

** https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/opinions/opinion-technical-nature

45% annual market growth

150 kg Weight above which current EASA UAS regulations apply

Author: Philip Churchphilip.church@askhelios.com

Author: Sam Hill-Smithsam.hill-smith@askhelios.com

IFPD - new services for airports – Helios is partnering with LPS SR, the

Slovak air navigation service provider, to offer a full instrument flight

procedures design (IFPD) service for conventional and PBN procedures.

Working together we can help with design, flight validation and safety

assessment of a single IFP or a suite of IFPs associated with a runway, re-

development of airspace or the adoption of new technology. All procedures

will comply with ICAO 8168 criteria and respective national legislation.

Airport cyber-security study – Helios recently won a contract from

EUROCONTROL to support their SESAR research on how cyber-security

should be addressed in the Airport Operations Centre (APOC). The APOC is

the heart of the airport information network and is the central organisation

unit responsible for airport operations. It is the ‘nerve centre’ of all decision-

making processes between stakeholders, including airport management,

airlines, air traffic control, MET, air traffic flow management and ground

handlers. Because it creates a more complete picture of operations at the

airport, it is essential that both the input and output data are reliable and

resistant to manipulation, and that different partners are aware of, and can

mitigate, cyber-threats together. Helios will conduct this study in partnership

with Groupe ADP and Professor Chris Johnson of the University of Glasgow.

GNSS Approach for General Aviation (GAGA) – AOPA UK and Helios

have been awarded a grant by the European GNSS Agency to increase

the availability of instrument approach procedures (IAP) at UK GA

airports. The aim is to reduce costs for instrument flight rules (IFR)

rating training, provide contingency procedures during adverse

weather conditions and find a way to implement IAP procedures

to airports not currently designated instrument runways. The three

airports in the project will receive a range of different approach

minima covering LNAV, LNAV/VNAV and LPV.

Total Airport Management – As airports strive to manage costs,

increase efficiency and meet the lifestyle connectivity expectations

of the i-generation, multiple technologies are being used as key enablers

to delivering an integrated plan and operation. Working for Manchester

Airports Group, we are engaging with airports, handlers, airlines and system

suppliers to understand the emergent capabilities, and benefits, of increased

technological and collaborative decision making.

New recruits – Vignesh Palaniappan joins us from Imperial College,

London with a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Claire

Blejean studied Physics at Southampton University, followed by three years

postgraduate research at Cambridge. Katie Mathias arrives with four years

of production and process engineering

experience, having graduated from the

University of Leeds with a master’s in

Chemistry.

Rogue drone

A farmer has 12 miniature drones in his ‘swarm’; all

look and feel identical. One of them is slightly heavier or

lighter (he doesn’t know which), and they have not been

charged, so he cannot fly them. He has a comparative

scale (which tells if what is put on the left side is heavier

or lighter than on the right side). He needs to find which

one is the non-standard drone and whether it is heavier

or lighter, but he only has three goes on the scale.

How does he do it?

The answer will be published in the next edition of

ON AIR. Please send your solutions to onair@askhelios.

com. All entries must be received by 31 August 2016.

The first correct answer drawn at random after this date

will win a pair of Helios noise-cancelling headphones.

Good luck!

And the winner is…The answer to the puzzle “Shared celebrations” in

our last issue was 23 people. For the full solution visit

www.askhelios.com/resources/issue-2-2016-off-air.

Congratulations to François Huet of SESAR Joint

Undertaking, who sent the correct answer and came first in

the draw.

HOT AIR«

OFF AIR«

ON LINE«

Please send change-of-address notifications to onair@askhelios.com; by post to Helios,

29 Hercules Way, Aerospace Boulevard, AeroPark, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 6UU,

UK; or call us on +44 1252 451 651.

This newsletter has been written for the interest of our clients and colleagues. We

believe the facts are correct at the time of printing, but cannot be held responsible for

any errors or omissions.

www.askhelios.com

Helios is the aviation consultancy of Egis, delivering management consultancy,

strategy, investment and technical advice across the globe. Combining analytical

rigour, strategic context and creativity, we bring independence and insight to every

opportunity we address.

Our parent company, Egis, is an international group headquartered in Europe, with

over 13,000 employees and a turnover of $1bn.

Did you know?.. .Helios consultants write fortnightly blogs. These are short

and topical, covering industry news, insights and conference

reviews.

Here’s a selection of our latest:

• Privatisation, deregulation and ‘disruptive technologies’

(James Hanson)

• Virtual Centres - behind the jargon (Adam Parkinson)

• Free Route Airspace - the bigger the better (Mark Scott)

• Total Airport Management - what role for knowledge?

(Steve Leighton)

• Is the UK market for Terminal ANS competitive? (Irisa Chiu)

Go to www.askhelios.com/blog to read them and follow us on

Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook to get notifications.

Vignesh Claire Katie