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www.avionicstoday.com May 2014
DIGITALOpinionRegional Scan
QF16: Unmanned Viper Takes Flight
The Modern Bizjet Question: Upgrade, or Replace?
ADS-B Decoded: Embracing Modern Skies Worldwide
THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT:FROM UNMANNED TO AUTONOMOUS
CONTENTS
The Future of Unmanned Flight by Chelsea Bryan
Drones are experiencing a worldwide boom in both the military and commercial sector, but there are still much-needed technologies missing to allow them to safely sense and avoid all obstacles.
The Modern Bizjet Question: Upgrade, or Replace? by James W. Ramsey
Business aircraft providers are continuing to equip their planes for NextGen and European mandates, but some operators are still pondering when and how to replace or upgrade their avionics systems.
QF16: Unmanned Viper Takes Flightby Frank Colucci
Pulled from desert storage and packed with Drone Peculiar Equipment, retired F-16s will fl y their last missions as Full-Scale Aerial Targets.
Regional ScanTop avionics news from around the world
OpinionTime to Rethink UAS in the USby E. Tazewell Ellett
Calendar of Events
Webinars On Demand÷The Future of Helicopter Cockpit Technology÷Real Space-Based ADS-B for NextGen÷ NextGen SwiftBroadband Safety ServicesFor more information on upcoming and on-demand webinars, visit www.aviationtoday.com/webinars.html
E-Letters÷ The Checklist: Daily e-letter with the top news in
the aviation industry.÷ Avionics Today: Weekly e-letter with the most
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Features
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014
Online Departments
Upgrade CentralADS-B Decoded: Embracing Modern Skies Worldwideby Woodrow Bellamy and Chelsea Bryan
Approaching airspace mandates and ATM modernization programs in Europe and the U.S. make now the time to analyze emerging technologies that will serve as the backbone of airspace modernization worldwide.
Editor’s Note
ED
ITO
R’S
NO
TE
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014
Veronica Magan
is the managing editor
for Avionics magazine
and Via Satellite
magazine.
From Drones to ADS-B: the Future of Avionics Awaits
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or
simply drones, are becoming more
of a buzzword worldwide. Be it for
it’s wide range of possible uses, con-
troversies around privacy concerns,
or disputes around their legality, the
discussions are hot right now. With
the Association of Unmanned Vehi-
cles Systems International (AUVSI)
Unmanned Systems 2014 confer-
ence around the corner, we decid-
ed to dig deeper to understand what
these issues really mean.
On the cover story, our own
Chelsea Bryan focuses on the key
technology developments needed
to make progress with regulation
and permits vital for the industry to
boom — particularly sense and avoid
technology critical to make UAVs safe
to operate in civilian airspace. We also
take a look at the developments in
unmanned vehicles at the military
level; specif ical ly on the QF16
program. Repurposing F-16 fighter
jets and packing them with Drone
Peculiar Equipment (DPE) to remotely
fly them is finally a reality for military
uses after years of development. We
talk to Boeing, the company leading
these efforts, to get an update on what
the QF16 means for military avionics.
Finally on the UAS topic, E. Tazewell
Ellett from Hogan Lovells US LLP
Aviation Group, gives an update on
what the FAA and the U.S. need to do
to finally exploit the commercial UAS
market. Additionally in this issue,
we go over some of the questions
general aviation operators and pilots
are facing given the NextGen and
European mandates, mainly whether
to replace or upgrade their aircraft.
For Avionics magazine, the answer
was upgrade. In this issue we unveil
our new revamped Product Focus
section now called Upgrade Central.
Our editors dive deep into ADS-B to
help you make some sense out of
the entire buzz.
As always, we hope you find this
edition useful to navigate and stay
current on the latest avionics issues.
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Woodrow Bellamy, Multimedia Editor, ext. 1819
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Contributing Writers
EJames W. Ramsey
Frank Colucci
E. Tazewell Ellett
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Aeroflex combines innovation
with the legacy products
and technologies from our
acquisitions of IFR Systems,
JcAIR Test Systems and
Marconi to remain a world
leader in avionics test. Our goal
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Complete Solutions for Avionics
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014REG
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Regional Scan By Woodrow Bellamy
Tigerair has placed a $3.7 billion order for 37 Airbus A320neo air-
craft in an effort to expand and modernize its commercial fleet,
the Singapore-based carrier said. The airline’s existing order for
nine A320s, part of a larger order placed in 2007, will now be can-
celed. Airbus said Tigerair has also placed options on 13 addi-
tional A320neos.
Koay Peng Yen, CEO of Tigerair, said the purchase will help to
re-position Tigerair for a “brighter future.” Singapore Airlines holds
a 40 percent stake in the carrier, which is looking to prevent a third
straight year of revenue losses.
“This deal effectively dissipates some concerns over a potential
capacity overhang in the next couple of years,” said Yen. Tigerair will
equip the A320neos with Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW100G-
JM engines.
Airbus offers both the PurePower and the CFM International
LEAP-X. Airbus will begin delivering the re-engined A320s to Tigerair
in 2018.
Singapore’s Tigerair Looks To Modernize Fleet
Operators in India need to upgrade their avionics
this year to match the country’s overhaul of its
ATC system. Ashok Lavasa, India’s civil aviation
secretary, says Gagan is projected to save the
nation’s operators and airlines a combined $10
million annually in fuel savings. Gagan, jointly
developed by Airports Authority of India, the
ISRO and Raytheon, is a Satellite-Based Aug-
mentation System designed to allow properly
equipped aircraft to fly en route navigation and
non-precision approaches in Indian airspace.
Gagan Brings Avionics Upgrades to India
Asia-Pacifi c
A computer-gen-
erated rendering
of an airplane
runway approach
using Honeywell’s
Smartpath sys-
tem. Photo: Hon-
eywell
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Asia-Pacific
Gogo has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from
the FAA and certification from the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau
(JCAB) to install its Ku-satellite based connectivity service on Japan
Airlines’ (JAL) 777-200 aircraft. Both certifications will clear regu-
latory barriers toward launching Gogo’s in-flight connectivity ser-
vice across JAL’s entire commercial fleet. Gogo signed a connec-
tivity agreement with JAL in October 2013. The airline has not yet
announced when the installations will be complete.
Gogo Receives US, Japan Approvals For JAL 777 Connectivity
As the search for the missing Boeing 777 from
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 continued, IATA
CEO Tony Tyler called on the global aviation
industry to produce a better method for track-
ing aircraft.
“We cannot let another aircraft simply vanish,”
said Tyler in a speech on air transportation safety
in Kuala Lumpur.
Tyler said IATA will form a new task force
in collaboration with the ICAO in an effort to
facilitate a new method for global tracking of
commercial aircraft.
“This group will examine all of the options
available for tracking commercial aircraft against the parameters
of implementation, investment, time and complexity to achieve
the desired coverage,” said Tyler. The task force will report its
conclusions in December.
MH370 Search Prompts Call for Better Aircraft Tracking
Honeywell’s Flight
Data Recorder for
the Boeing 777-
200. Photo: Hon-
eywell
Lockheed Martin is upgrading South Korea’s ATM system with
an updated version of its SkyLine system, first deployed in Korea
in 2001. The upgrade will be completed in partnership with the
prime contractor for the project, LG CNS. Both Lockheed and LG
CNS will establish a SkyLine research and development center in
Seoul, Korea which will facilitate technology transfer and provide
in-country software customization. The aerospace and defense
manufacturer claims to provide ATM software for more than 60
percent of the world’s current air traffic.
Lockheed Martin to Upgrade Korean ATM
AVONICSTODAY.COM
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Europe
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U.K.’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is currently using live
flight trials between Bristol and Edinburgh to research the use of
data communications between Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) and
pilots at lower altitudes. According to NATS, Datalink, the U.K.’s
version of the Data Comm ATM modernization in the U.S., is cur-
rently mandated in European airspace above 28,500 feet and now
the U.K. is looking at providing the same benefits at flight levels
as low as 10,000 feet.
In addition to the flight trials between Bristol and Edinburgh,
NATS is also conducting them between Bristol and Rome Fiumicino
as well as four routes between Scotland and Scandinavia. So
far, NATS has landed more than 10 successful trial flights and
will continue to run trials through June. Also participating is the
Italian air navigation service provider ENAV, airlines including Air
France, EasyJet and SAS, and industry leaders Selex-SI, SITA,
Airbus ProSky and Boeing. The trials are the culmination of the
ATC Full Datalink Project (AFD) under the Demonstrating SESAR:
Integrated Flight Trials program.
Datalink was first deployed in Europe in November 2012, as a
concept to replace voice communications at lower altitudes.
UK Launches Low Altitude Datalink Flight Trials
The first research center for civil UAS activities,
ATLAS has opened in Spain. The facility will pro-
vide testing for navigation technologies, aircraft
performance and simulations for civil missions.
ATLAS has a collaboration agreement with Boe-
ing Research and Technology-Europe, enabling
the U.S.-based airframe manufacturer to use
the facility to perform their own flight tests.
Located in Herrera, Spain, the site features
a main runway of more than 2,600 feet, as well
as an auxiliary grass runway and an Air Traffic
Control (ATC) tower with approach radar and
communications room to simulate what UAS
operations in Europe will truly look like within commercial airspace.
Europe’s 1st UAS Research Center Opens in Spain
UAS at the inau-
guration of the
ATLAS Research
Center. Photo:
ATLAS
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Europe
Pilatus Aircraft gave its 6-year-old single-
engine turboprop, PC-12 NG, a connec-
tivity-fueled avionics overhaul for 2014 to
celebrate the first delivery of the original
PC-12 20 years ago. Since first introduc-
ing the PC-12 in 1994, Pilatus has devel-
oped special mission variants of the air-
craft and also incorporated winglets and
increased the turboprop’s gross weight.
The 2014 PC-12 NG’s biggest new
feature is the new wireless connected
flight deck, a set of four iPad applications
that interface with an onboard gateway system to provide
an effortless data exchange process between the aircraft,
pilot and maintenance engineers. Pilatus collaborated with
Honeywell, Jeppesen and Aspen Avionics to implement
the new flight deck technology. The iPad applications,
MyFlightPath, MyCMC, MyGDC, INDS and Connected
for Pilatus allow for wireless downloading and updating of
navigational databases.
Pilatus Connects PC-12 NG Flight Deck
Honeywell Primus
Apex on Pilatus
PC-12 NG. Photo:
Pilatus
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AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014
Europe
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Airbus has completed the second initial 4D (i4D) trajectory flight tri-
als as part of a joint project with other members of the government-
industry Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Joint Under-
taking team. i4D, a technology designed to ensure aircraft flight tra-
jectories remain synchronized between air and ground throughout
all stages of flight, will facilitate more direct paths between destina-
tions in Europe, according to Airbus.
The SESAR team’s goal is to reduce the environmental impact
per flight by 10 percent, as well as reduce delays with shorter and
more direct flights.
Airbus Conducts SESAR i4D Flight Trials
Thales signed a binding agreement to acquire JetBlue’s subsidiary
in-flight entertainment provider, LiveTV, for $400 million. The acqui-
sition is still subject to regulatory approval and Thales is expecting
to complete the purchase by mid-2014. The Melbourne, Fla.-based
LiveTV provides in-flight entertainment and connectivity products
covering Ka-Band Broadband, Multi Band Broadband (Ku-, Ka-
and L-Band), LiveAero and Regional Satellite Radio.
Currently, LiveTV is providing the installation of ViaSat’s Ka-band
satell ite in-fl ight connectivity service across JetBlue’s entire
commercial fleet of Airbus A320s.
Thales to Acquire LiveTV
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Latin America
Latin America’s commercial Air Transport market is projected to
be the fastest growing region in terms of passenger demand over
the next two decades, the FAA said in its latest 20-year global
aviation forecast.
According to the forecast, mainline air carrier enplanements in
Latin America are expected to grow an average annual rate of 4.5
percent per year through 2034. Asia Pacific is projected to grow
at 3.9 percent and North America is third at 2.7 percent.
Latin America is also projected to have the most passengers
flying to and from the U.S., as the forecast projects the rate of air
traffic between the two regions to grow faster than any other market
at an annual rate of 4.7 percent per year. The forecast indicates
positive signs for Latin America’s growing aviation industry, which
needs an ATM overhaul and modernized aircraft fleets with new
avionics to handle the projected growth in passenger demand and
air traffic to and from the region.
The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) is projecting
Latin American airlines will post a combined $1 billion profit in
2014, which would be more than double the $400 million profit
recorded in 2013.
FAA Sees Latin America as Fastest Growing Aviation Market
Colombian airline Avianca is upgrading its fleet
of A320s with the Airbus Runway Overrun Pre-
vention System (ROPS), an onboard cockpit
technology designed to provide active protec-
tion and increase situational awareness during
the aircraft landing phase of flight.
According to Airbus, the system combines data
on weather, runway condition and topography,
and aircraft weight and configuration to prompt
appropriate callouts and alerts for pilots.
“The incorporation of the Runway Overrun
Prevention System (ROPS) in 21 aircraft in Avianca’s Airbus fleet will
give pilots the information they need to take the best decisions for
a safe landing in the minimum time possible,” said Fabio Villegas,
president of Avianca.
Avianca Upgrades A320s With ROPS
Flight display fea-
turing the Airbus
ROPS technology.
Photo: Airbus
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Latin America
Rockwell Collins signed a new agreement with Brazilian manu-
facturer Avionics Services at the Feria Internacional del Aire y del
Espacio (FIDAE) 2014 conference to begin producing avionics
displays in Brazil.
According to Alan Prowse, vice president and managing director
for the Americas for Rockwell Collins, the agreement will produce
advanced avionics displays for military aircraft operating in Brazil
and throughout Latin America. Already about 80 percent of Latin
American aircraft fly with Rockwell Collins avionics, the Cedar
Rapids, Iowa-based manufacturer said.
Rockwell Collins To Design Dis-plays in Brazil
Embraer has unveiled its first production E175
regional transport jet with a range of aerody-
namic improvements designed to reduce the
aircraft’s fuel burn performance, the Brazilian
airframe manufacturer said.
Among the improvements are the introductions
of a new wingtip, systems optimization and
streamlining of aerodynamic surfaces. During
performance trials, the newly improved E175
showed fuel consumption on a typical flight
that is 6.4 percent lower than the legacy E175,
exceeding Embraer’s projected savings of up
to 5 percent.
“Besides reduced fuel burn, other improvements
to the current generation of E-Jets include longer maintenance
intervals, increased productivity and lower maintenance costs.
Embraer Unveils New E175
Embraer rolls its
first E175 at its
production facility
in São José dos
Campos, Brazil.
Photo: Embraer
The Brazilian Air Force awarded a contract to Elbit Systems to
acquire the Hermes 900 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), the
Israeli aerospace and defense manufacturer said. Brazil is look-
ing to use the Hermes 900 in combined missions with its already
operational Hermes 450 fleet to provide during the 2014 FIFA
World Cup Games.
According to Elad Aharonson, general manager for the UAS divi-
sion at Elbit Systems, Brazil will use both unmanned aircraft systems
to provide intelligence missions, border protection and perimeter
surveillance of infrastructure and critical sites during the games.
Brazilian Air Force to Fly UAS At World Cup
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Africa & Middle East
Etihad Airways reported a 48 percent increase in its annual profit
with a record $62 million. The airline recorded a total of $6.1 billion
in revenue last year, driven mostly by its minority investments into
several carriers around the globe, including a 29 percent stake in
Germany’s Air Berlin, a 24 percent stake in India’s Jet Airways and
a 20 percent stake in Virgin Australia.
According to James Hogan, CEO of Etihad Airways, the company
is cautiously considering making an investment as large as a 49 per-
cent share of ownership in Italy’s struggling Alitalia which last year
was involved in a $688 million buyout plan that gave 12 percent of
the airline to the Italian government.
The profits reflect the Middle Eastern market’s emergence as a
major aviation hub in recent years, with government backed carriers
such as Etihad and Emirates investing in modernizing their com-
mercial fleets with modern aircraft and adding more destinations
throughout Europe and around the globe. Recent global air traffic
reports from IATA have consistently indicated the highest growth
rates coming from Middle Eastern carriers. In 2014 Etihad plans to
introduce 18 new aircraft, including a Boeing 787 and Airbus A380,
along with nine new destinations in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the
Middle East.
Etihad Airways Plans Fleet Renewal in 2014
Thales announced a new Memorandum of Under-
standing (MOU) with the Qatar Armed Forces to
assist in the development of an Optionally Pilot-
ed Vehicle-Aircraft (OPV-A). The Qatar Armed
Forces will select the OPV-A airframe to be inte-
grated with a mission systems capability. OPV-A
is a hybrid between a conventional manned air-
craft and an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),
Thales says.
“They are able to fly with or without a pilot
on board the aircraft. Unimpeded by a human’s
physiological limitations, an OPV is able to
operate under more adverse conditions and/
or for greater endurance times. Retaining on-board controls, the
OPV can operate as a conventional aircraft during missions for
which direct human control is preferred or desired as an immediate
option,” according to Thales.
Thales, Qatar to Develop OPV-A
Thales, Qatar Air
Force officials
sign MOU to
develop OPV-A.
Photo: Thales
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Africa & Middle East
EL AL will be the Middle East-based launch customer for ViaSat’s
Exede in-flight connectivity service. The two companies are currently
working toward certification and installation of the Exede terminals
on EL AL aircraft, targeting a launch of the service in 2015. ViaSat
plans to deploy the service on EL AL Boeing 737s flying from Tel
Aviv to European destinations.
“As we introduce Exede in-flight service outside North America,
we expect the same enthusiastic response we’ve seen since our
launch in the U.S.,” said Mark Dankberg chairman and CEO of ViaSat.
ViaSat, EL AL Sign Connectivity Agreement
Exelis is providing its Advanced Integrated Defen-
sive Electronic Warfare Suite (AIDEWS) systems
for the Turkish Air Force fleet of F-16 fighter jets
under a new $36 million U.S. foreign military sales
contract. Turkey will receive the external pod
variant of the AIDEWS system, the ALQ-211(V)9,
the counterpart to the internal ALQ-211(V)4 sys-
tem. Exelis provided the ALQ-211(V)4 to Turkey
under a separate contract in 2009, and now the
country is ready for the external version.
Joe Rambala, VP and GM of Exelis’ integrated
electronic warfare systems business, says the
AIDEWS is necessary for the Turkish Air Force to
upgrade its electronic warfare capabilities. The
system can be configured to provide fighter pilots with both inte-
grated radar warning and RF countermeasures, as well as advanced
stand-alone radar warning.
Turkish Air Force Acquires AIDEWS Systems for F-16s
Elbit Systems reported 2013 revenue numbers of $2.93 billion, up
from $2.89 billion the previous year. Increasing demand in Israel
for avionics systems, command and control systems and mainte-
nance services helped with the increase in revenue.
“Recently, we implemented some organizational changes to
enhance our market position in the areas of cyber and intelligence
systems as well as commercial avionics systems. We consider
both of these areas as growth engines,” said Bezhalel Machlis,
president and CEO of Elbit Systems.
Military Avionics Demand Boosts El-bit Revenue
AIDEWS hard-
ware is identical,
whether internal
to aircraft or
pod mounted as
shown. Photo:
Exelis
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North America
The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) released its 2013 year-
end avionics market report at its annual convention showing global
General Aviation (GA) avionics sales reaching more than $2.4 bil-
lion last year, a 6.9 percent increase over 2012. This is the second
annual avionics market report released by AEA, capturing sales of
all business and GA aircraft electronics, including all component
and accessories in cockpit/cabin/software upgrades, portables,
non-certified aircraft electronics; all hardware (tip to tail), batteries
and chargeable product upgrades from the participating compa-
nies. The report doesn’t include repairs and overhauls, extended
warranties or subscription services.
AEA President Paula Derks said the numbers were a good sign for
the industry given the uncertainty surrounding the global economy,
with the U.S. improving while Europe continues to recover from
the downturn in 2012 and emerging economies in Latin America
and Asia remaining inconsistent with expected performance in
those regions.
The report features sales figures from 21 participating AEA
member companies, which includes some of the avionics industry’s
biggest names such as Rockwell Collins, Garmin, Honeywell and
Universal Avionics.
AEA Avionics Market Report Shows Industry Growth
Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the first phase
of the Data Communications (Data Comm) Air
Traffic Management (ATM) technology under the
Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Next-
Gen program is on track for 2016, according
to a National Air Traffic Controllers Association
(NATCA) official involved with the program.
Data Comm is one of the most transformative
ATM overhauls coming to the U.S. National
A i rspace System (NAS) under NextGen.
The technology will enhance two-way voice
communication between Air Traffic Controllers
(ATCs) and pilots, significantly reducing delays
throughout the NAS by providing an email-like
digital communications service for flight plans,
departure clearances and route information.
NextGen Data Comm on Track For 2016 IOC
What a pilot will
see on the cock-
pit display when
using Data Comm
for a revised
route clearance.
Photo: NATCA
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North America
Garmin released a large touchscreen glass flight display system
for light sport aircraft, the G3X Touch. Garmin’s experimental engi-
neering team, TEAM X, designed the display.
The non-certified system features 10.6-inch displays and allows
pilots to receive NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, TFRs, winds aloft and
more through its SiriusXM aviation weather and radio capability.
The upgrade will allow pilots to locate targets when radar is not
an option.
Garmin Introduces G3X Touch
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg
said his company intends to develop a new meth-
od of delivering Internet connectivity to parts of
the world that currently do not have access, by
using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). As part
of this effort, Facebook has acquired Ascenta
for $20 million. The small U.K.-based aerospace
engineering company created a prototype of the
Zephyr, which holds the world record as the lon-
gest flying solar powered UAS after flying non-
stop above an Arizona army range in 2010.
The process of providing connectivity via
UAS is being developed as part of Facebook’s
Connectivity Lab, which is also looking to use satellites and lasers,
in addition to aircraft, to deliver basic Internet services to the 5
billion people worldwide who currently lack it, Zuckerberg said.
Facebook to Provide Internet to Developing World With UAS
Facebook’s pro-
totype aircraft for
delivering Internet
connectivity to
remote locations.
Photo: Internet.org
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Gogo’s business aviation subsidiary announced a new
in-flight communications system for business jets, the ST
4300. The system features voice, narrowband data and
cockpit data link services in a single system.
ST 3400 features one, two or three Iridium voice/nar-
rowband data channels, plus one dedicated Iridium data
channel. Additionally, the system allows business jet oper-
ators to configure flight deck communications based on
their specific needs. In the future, Gogo says the ST 3400
will be eligible for FANS (Future Air Navigation System)
certification.
Aircell Unveils New In-flight Connectivity for Biz Jets
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MONTH YEARFE
ATU
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FEA
TURE
THE MODERN BIZJET QUESTION: UPGRADE, OR REPLACE?
by James W. Ramsey
Business aircraft providers are continuing to equip their planes for NextGen and European mandates, but some operators are still pondering when and how to replace or upgrade their avionics systems. We look at the efforts by both aircraft OEMs and avionics suppliers to help pilots adapt to NextGen’s higher-workload environment.
Although in the U.S. NextGen is still six years
away and European mandates are speculated
to be less-than-firm, long-range jet provid-
ers like Gulfstream, Dassault and Cessna are
equipping their new production aircraft with the capa-
bilities to handle the new requirements. Operators are
reaping the benefits of GPS-guided Wide Area Aug-
mentation System/Localizer Performance with Vertical
Guidance (WAAS-LPV) approaches and landings at
many airports without traditional Instrument Landing
System (ILS). In the retrofit market, activity is slower,
with operators putting off their equipage, even though
avionics upgrades are available for older models.
Aircraft OEMs
Dassault Falcon Jet is delivering new aircraft with the
EASy II flight deck (based on the Honeywell Primus
Epic system) with the capabilities to meet all NextGen
requirements, according to Falcon Jet’s Director of
Avionics Programs and Pilot Training Woody Saland.
“EASy II provides for WAAS/LPV minimum approaches,
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
FEATURE
ADS-B Out (in the FAA’s new DO-260B configuration)
and FANS [Future Air Navigation Systems], as well as
the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network [ATN]
version [and] Controller Pilot Datalink Communications
[CPDLC]. Those are the three lynchpins for pilots that
we’re talking about with NextGen,” says Saland.
As for retrofits, “we would like our entire fleet of
EASy-equipped airplanes to upgrade to EASy II, and
that is happening as we speak.” Saland points to a 15
aircraft per-month conversion rate at authorized service
centers. “Our customers are doing it as fast as parts
are available from Honeywell,” he says. For older air-
craft (before EASy) Saland cites Rockwell Collins and
Honeywell programs, designed to achieve compliance
with retrofits.
Use of Future Air Navigation Systems, or FANS, has been
growing in the oceanic regions and is required in several
mandates. “As we go out to 2020, I think you are going
to see a requirement to use FANS-1/A [a range of FANS
products] over the Atlantic,” Saland says.
FANS provides direct datalink communications between
the pilot and controller, including control clearances, pilot
requests and position reporting. Because of the Europe-
an mandate, which has now slipped, Dassault “rushed
to have whatever Honeywell had available for the FANS-
1/A or for the ATN CPDLC. It wasn’t our long-range plan
to do that. In fact, for our next generation of EASy, we’re
going to FANS II (as Honeywell calls it) and we are doing
a much more graphical interface,” Saland says.
Gulfstream
“We’ve had FANS (with datalink capability) available now
for a few years on our long-range business jets,” says
Jim Ward, advanced flight deck program manager for
Gulfstream Aerospace. “Some 300 G450s and G550s
are equipped with FANS-1/A and some 200 with ADS-B
packages for automatic position reporting ... currently
flying the North Atlantic.” All G650s have both FANS and
ADS-B, according to Saland and, in addition, about 150
of the classic Gulfstream IVs and Vs have been equipped
with ADS-B.
As for the newer Link 2000+ CPDLC, technically called
ATN-B1 (baseline 1), certification is under completion for
the G450s, G550s and G650s. “Eurocontrol has revised
the enforcement of that mandate at this point, because
their ground network is not up to speed. So we will have
that package available for our customers within a month or
two — it’s just a software update . ... There is not a FANS
datalink available yet for the legacy GIVs and Vs, but that
is in the works,” he says. As for ADS-B, the first version
is standard on production aircraft now, Ward says, and
Version II will be standard on production models when the
European mandate takes effect. “
Most of the customers who opted for FANS bought an
“enhanced navigation package” that includes Required
Navigation Performance (RNP) and WAAS/LPV. The pack-
age is optional on the G450/G550s and standard on the
G650. Some 40 G450 andG550 operators are current-
ly approved to fly the RNP-AR (authorization required)
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
approaches, Ward says. Cessna reports that ADS-B Out
and WAAS/LPV are included as standard equipment on
the three newest Citations: Citation X, Sovereign and Cita-
tion M2. Link 2000+ (CPDLC) will be included as standard
in the X aviation suite and offered as an optional datalink
package for the Sovereign and M2, according to Jesus
Salinas, Cessna’s director of aircraft systems engineering.
The company is “on target to certify the new Citation X
in early 2014 with Garmin’ G5000 advanced glass cock-
pit, and after it has entered service, we plan to certify it
for RNP-AR and make this a standard capability. FANS-1/
A+ will be certified shortly after and will be offered as an
optional datalink capability,” Ward says. Cessna certified
the recently announced M2 last December, and today it
includes ADS-B Out and WAAS/LPV as standard naviga-
tional capability that is part of the G3000 avionics suite.
M2 customers can opt for the Link 2000+ (CPDLC) data-
link and upgrade their navigation capability to RNP -0.3
if desired, Salinas says. As for the CJ3, Cessna plans to
start working on the certification of Rockwell Collins’ Pro-
Line 21 upgrade after completion of certification on the
Technical Standard Order (TSO) for their transponder.
Avionics Suppliers
Garmin’s G3000 cockpit “is kind of a scaled down ver-
sion for smaller business jets, but has many of the same
features as the G5000,” according to Bill Stone, Garmin’s
senior business development manager. Garmin products
have also been successful in the after market, Stone points
out, offering G1000 retrofits for the entire fleet of KingAirs.
Universal Avionics Systems Corp. has been supply-
ing WAAS/LPV capabilities through its FMS product line,
including the UNS-1Fw and 1Ew with more than 3,000 air-
craft equipped with this system. “Our WAAS FMS has the
accuracy needed for the new ADS-B requirement,” says
Carey Miller, UASC’s manager of business development.
As for FANS, “you have to have a datalink system to
‘talk’ to Air Traffic Control [ATC] — that’s started over
the Atlantic. Then Europe is following with its Link 2000+
mandate,” he says. Universal is providing its UniLink UL-
FEATURE
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AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
80X Communications Management Unit (CMU), which
is FANS-1/A+ compliant. “We got our first Supplemen-
tal Type Certificate (STC) on a Falcon 50 with one of
our dealers and we have quite a few STCs in the works
right now for various platforms.” He envisions the larg-
est market to be for the Gulfstream IVs and Vs.
UASC has been successful with retrofit packages
“because we’re able to offer all of these new technolo-
gies that are coming out as mandates, and we’re able
to offer them today,” Miller says. He highlights the EFI-
890R upgrade package for the Falcon 900B that is being
installed by Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb. The pack-
age adds WAAS/LPV, FANS-1/A and ADS-B capability;
the upgrade costs about $1.35 million, including chang-
ing the radio-tuning units, says Gary Harpster, avionics
sales manager for Duncan Aviation, an authorized Das-
sault Falcon Jet service center. Another option for the
cockpit is the GH-3100 standby attitude indicator, made
by L-3, which replaces three mechanical gages with one
electronic instrument at an additional cost.
Replace or Upgrade?
“If the airplane is 25-30 years old, they may not have
received any information from the manufacturer or the avi-
onics supplier as to what methodology is going to upgrade
that aircraft to meet the [upcoming] requirements,” Harp-
ster says. “Right now there are more Falcon 900Bs (one
third of the fleet) on the used market than ever before,
and a lot of these people are selling the airplanes because
FEATURE
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FE
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On Staying FocusedDassault, with its experience in producing jet fighters, has long been involved in efforts to reduce work-
load and provide clear direction for pilots. “That’s why we believe in the HUD [Head-up Display], and
that anything that’s annunciated in the Head-down Display [HDD] is harmonized with the HUD because
we think you should see the same thing,” says Dassault’s Saland.
“In flying a WAAS/LPV approach, what we’re trying to do is make the pilot aware of the automation,
and what he is being guided by, highlighting each phase of the approach and showing that you are not
flying a typical ILS, you are flying vertically guided by the satellite.”
EASy, by virtue of its basic design, “knows where to put the information and how to colorize it, highlight it
and organize it,” says Saland. Important features of Gulfstream’s Plane View cockpit that help pilots minimize
distractions and increase situational awareness include its Synthetic Vision (SV) and moving map display which
show the entire (FMS) path with the terrain, “so you have a very good picture of what’s going on. You can see
where the airport is and it highlights the runway that you are landing on,” Gulfstream’s Ward says.
The Enhanced Vision System (EVS) that gets displayed on the HUD allows pilots seeing the runway environment
through the HUD to continue to land even if they can’t see outside. “We are always looking at ways we can reduce
the workload in the flight deck and make it more understandable for pilots. And especially as we expand our
market to more non-English speaking countries, even more of our focus is to reduce workload and confusion for
people who aren’t as familiar with the language,” Ward explains. “ ... There are concerns raised about insuring
that we do not create confusion or distractions — particularly in flying approaches and in the terminal area.
That is one area where we are employing our product foundation technology in our human factors disciplines
— addressing that sort of problem,” says Beckwith.
Feyereisen asks “How do we provide the situational awareness to begin with, and how do we do alerting
better? I think there is a general realization that there are opportunities for better technology enabled
by ADS-B Out and that we need to ensure that we are addressing ... concerns related to distractions or
information overload, and having automation step up when it makes sense to do so.”
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
they don’t know if they can meet the mandates for flying
the Atlantic.”
Harpster feels more customers will opt in the future for
the Universal/Duncan upgrade solution. Other opera-
tors are waiting for Rockwell Collins ProLine 21 solu-
tion to upgrade to ADS-B “which will probably be in the
July/August timeframe,” he adds. “They’re waiting for
that to do a total solution — changing the transpon-
ders and adding annunciators in the cockpit on the
pilot and copilot side. And the GPS receivers will have
to be upgraded.”
Elliott Aviation, an authorized service center for Beech-
craft, Embraer and Hawker, based in Moline, Ill., (with
facilities in Minneapolis and Des Moines), has completed
more than 100 Garmin G1000 avionics installations on
the KingAir and will also be offering Garmin’s G5000 inte-
grated avionics suite, with graphic weather, SV and traffic
and terrain avoidance systems.
Rockwell and Honeywell
Rockwell Collins expects to have ADS-B Out for its
newest avionics suite, ProLine Fusion, certified by the
end of this year for the Bombardier Global 5000 and
6000. WAAS/LPV and FANS capabilities are currently
available on those aircraft, according to Chuck Wade,
Bombardier’s principal marketing manager for avionics.
Wade explains that the Globals are not yet certified to
the DO-260B version required in U.S. and European
mandates. Collins Fusion system is also onboard Gulf-
stream’s G280, which entered service in 2012. Between
the Globals and the G280s, Collins has delivered Fusion
systems for more than 120 aircraft; by the end of the
calendar year, ADS-B Out will be certified for those
platforms. Its next entry into service is expected on the
Embraer Legacy 500 later this year.
The FAA reports that, as of February, 2014 there were
3,375 WAAS LPV approach procedures serving 1,665
airports, and there are currently also 533 Localizer Per-
formance (LP) approach procedures in the U.S. “The LPV
part of it has been well-received domestically,” says Wade.
“The FAA has been very aggressive in publishing LPV
approaches.”
To update ProLine 21, Collins is working out the best
way to do certification and bring the updates to market,
such as in the case of WAAS GPS.“It is very critical to the
FMS [Flight Management System], to the RNP [Required
Navigation Performance], to the WAAS/LPV, to the ADS-B
— it is all centered around that WAAS/GPS receiver.
In retrofitting Honeywell’s systems, the company feels
that it has an advantage. “We own the whole cockpit. It is
easy for us to put the right information at the right displays
and make it more graphical,” says John Beckwith, direc-
tor of marketing and product management for Honeywell
Aerospace. “Our pilots are coming to us with higher expec-
tations for this graphical user experience because of what
they get on their iPads, home computers and phones.”
Honeywell’s SmartView Synthetic Vision System (SVS)
was originally designed to enhance situational awareness,
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
but following up with the Falcon EASy II cockpit,
it has focused on safety, according to Thea Fey-
ereisen, Honeywell engineering fellow, advanced
technology. In the roadmap for NextGen and
SESAR, she says, Honeywell is looking to give
operational credit for SV — now called SVGS
(Synthetic Vision Guidance System) — toward
lower landing minimums at airports that might
not have equipment to support Cat II or Cat III
ILS. Honeywell also provides integrated FANS-
1/A+ through its FMS for Primus Epic equipped
aircraft, and it has implemented what it calls
FANS-2 functionality to supply seamless hando-
vers between the FANS and CPDLC regions. In
addition, the company will support FANS-1/A+
for legacy jets using the Mark II CMU [Commu-
nications Management Unit] and the FMS 6.1.
“Things we are seeing a demand for are defi-
nitely cockpit display of traffic information and
ADSB-In functions — applications that create
operational and safety benefits,” he points out.
Surface traffic and incursions on the runway are
one of the safety concerns since pilots have
stated the taxiing process as a ‘very high work-
load’ part of their flight, so providing a usable
display showing the traffic situation is an area
we are seeing some interest in,” says Beckwith.
Goodrich and Hamilton Sundstrand are now
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Patent Pending
James W. Ramsey
wrote for major news-
papers and a wire ser-
vice. He served as a jet
interceptor pilot in the
USAF, and has written
for Avionics Magazine
since 1998.
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FE
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Pulled from desert storage and packed with Drone Peculiar Equipment (DPE), retired F-16s will fl y their last missions as Full-Scale Aerial Targets (FSATs).
QF16: UNMANNED VIPER TAKES FLIGHT
A pilotless F-16 during flight.
Photo: Boeing
by Frank Colucci
The U.S. Air Force expects the unmanned
QF-16 to challenge fighter pilots and air
defenders with a Full-Scale Aerial Target
(FSAT) representative of a fourth-genera-
tion fighter threat. Like the QF-4 it will replace, the
agile QF-16 will fly either manned or unmanned and
work with existing telemetry/control systems. Boe-
ing Global Services & Support (GS&S) integrated
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
the QF-16 controls that enabled the Lockheed Martin
Fighting Falcon/Viper to fly for the first time without a
pilot last September and engineers also integrated near
miss scoring, smoke-generating visual augmentation and
explosive flight termination systems into the new FSAT.
Retrofits with Drone Peculiar Equipment (DPE) wove
around 3,000 new wires through the compact airframe
becoming the first fly-by-wire conversion of its kind, says
Boeing QF-16 Chief Engineer Paul Cejas. Full capability
promises the Air Force an optionally manned target better
able to emulate current threats and employ stores such
as the AN/ALQ-188 pod to simulate enemy electronic
countermeasures.
QF-16 NULLO (Not Under Live Local Operation) mis-
sions launched from Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida
will fly up to 120 nautical miles out over the Gulf of Mexico
under the Gulf Range Drone Control System (GRDCS)
in the same facilities and command and control archi-
tecture used to fly the QF-4 control QF-16 aircraft, says
Paul Garvey, materiel leader for Aerial Targets at the Air
Force Armament Directorate. “At Holloman AFB, the tar-
get control system is the White Sands Integrated Target
System (WITS), operated by the U.S. Army. At both loca-
tions, the infrastructure — control stations, antennas, C2
architecture, etc. — will carry over from the QF-4 to the
QF-16 program,” Garvey explains. “The pilot/controller at
the console has a control stick, several command/control
buttons and three control screens. These screens provide
information on aircraft health, a top-down view of aircraft
location, range boundaries and airfield information and
various aircraft performance parameters.”
QF-16 Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) was approved
late last year after successful Development Test & Eval-
uation (DT&E). The first retired Viper earmarked for
Production Lot 1 flew in mid-January and should be
delivered to Boeing this May. QF-16 Initial Operational
Capability (IOC) at Tyndall AFB is expected by the fourth
quarter of Fiscal Year 2015, and the Air Force plans
now call for 210 FSAT conversions through Fiscal Year
2022. Boeing GS&S, headquartered in St. Louis, Mis-
souri, received a pre-Engineering and Manufacturing
Development (pre-EMD) contract for the QF-16 in March
2010 and remains responsible for FSAT integration and
production. Boeing also reverse-engineered electrical
connections to measure voltages and currents. The Air
Force 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration
Group pulled the EMD fighters from desert storage at
Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, performed structural
and corrosion inspections, and gave the Vipers new
engines. The F-16As were recertified for flight for 200
hours, and the F-16Cs for 300 hours, with each air-
craft then ferried to Boeing facilities at Cecil Field, Fla.
“We take it, remove the gun and other items, and we
install our avionics packages at Cecil Field,” explains
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
Cejas. “The brains of it go into the ammo bay. We
remove the ammo drum, the gun and the gun loader.”
The QF-16 EMD effort included two examples each of
the F-16A Block 15 and F-16C Block 25 with Pratt &
Whitney F100 engines and two F-16C Block 30 Vipers
with General Electric F110 turbofans. “There might have
been some installation differences, but the software and
installation are interchangeable,” Cejas says, adding
that they performed repeat and regression testing to
be sure of operability.
NULLO Content
The Viper is the latest Air Force fighter to assume the
unmanned target role as approved by the QF-16 Pro-
gram Office at Eglin AFB in Florida, Aerial Targets Branch
of the Test and Training Division of the Air Materiel
Command Armament Directorate. Optionally manned
Phantoms like the Viper typically fly multiple missions
before being shot down: a QF-4E was one of two test
targets downed last November at White Sands by the
Medium Extended Air Defense System. By late last year,
the Air Force had just 60 of 314 QF-4 conversions left.
“The QF-16 is much more maneuverable than the
QF-4, and is capable of pre-programmed maneuvers
such as high-G turns, barrel rolls, split-S, etc. This
provides the warfighter an enhanced ability to respond
and react to new threats and tactics,” Garvey says.
“Additionally, the QF-16 will have a lower Radar Cross
Section (RCS) than the QF-4, which will provide a more
realistic RCS for U.S. fighter aircraft in test scenarios.
Finally, the QF-4 aircraft is becoming more difficult to
sustain. The QF-16 aircraft will be easier to maintain
and generate sorties to support warfighter test efforts.”
To unman existing F-16 fly-by-wire flight controls,
Boeing engineers designed a new Universal Remote
Autopilot (URAP) interfaced with a modified Automatic
Flight Control Computer (AFCC) from BAE Systems
Communications and Control Solutions. The URAP
uses the same computer chassis as that in the Boeing
C-17 transport to host an architecture developed for
the X-45 Joint Unmanned Combat Aircraft System and
inherits hardware and software from the Joint Direct
Attack Munition. It underwent software bench testing
in St. Louis and hardware-in-the-loop testing at the
BAE Systems Integration Laboratory (SIL) in Endicott,
N.Y., which tried the URAP and AFCC with an updated
and modified QF-4 Transponder/Vehicle Interface (TVI)
made by Kratos Advanced Drones and Target Systems
The QF-16 is much more maneuverable than the QF-4 and is capable of preprogrammed maneuvers such as high-G turns, barrel rolls, split-S, etc.
— Paul Garvey, Air Force Armament Directorate
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
Micro Systems in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
“The SIL provides a remote control workstation, in
lieu of a conventional manned cockpit, to control the
unmanned QF-16 via pedals and control stick along
with monitors that provide simulated cockpit instru-
ments,” Corin Beck, BAE systems product line direc-
tor, fixed wing control solutions, says. “At the Systems
Integration Lab, we perform software upgrade verifi-
cation and address any anomalies identified on the
aircraft.” Government engineers meanwhile integrat-
ed the F-16 flight control computer with the GRDCS
and developed the guidance, navigation and control
software to track and control the unmanned fighter as
well as adapted the Phantom command landing algo-
rithm to the Viper. Where the recovering QF-4 snags
an arresting cable, the QF-16 flares, lands and brakes
smoothly to a stop. Two redundant TVIs in the main
Viper avionics bay traffic commands from the GRDCS
autopilot through the URAPS and AFCC to the exist-
ing F-16 control system. “It’s all done electronically [by
fly-by-wire system] except for the throttle,” Cejas says,
noting that the process leaves an F-16 retaining fully
manned capabilities and maneuverability. The new FSAT
also has a Vector Scoring System (VSS) from Megg-
itt Defense Systems in Irvine, Calif. The radar-based
system works with a ground station to plot trajectories
of intercepting missiles. Measuring the distance and
vector of near misses confirms missiles come within
the kill zone of proximity-fused warheads.
To bring a damaged FSAT down safely, the QF-16
has an explosive flight termination system housed in
the smaller equipment bays of the aircraft. Air Force
testers blew up an F-16 hulk on the ground at Eglin
AFB in August 2010. “It’s obviously a fairly pricey test
to conduct — you only do it once,” Cejas says. “There
was a lot of analysis up-front. We had to predict Prob-
ability of Kill [POK], if you will.”
With all the DPE installed, QF-16 engineers put their
test jet on jacks at Cecil Field, commands dropped
the landing gear and moved flaps, and control sur-
faces. Boeing led the contractor testing with a pilot
in the cockpit so as to be able to take over if anything
goes wrong. Subsequent GRDCS flights checked flight
control modes, preprogrammed maneuvers, loss of
carrier-signal recoveries, and takeoff abort/automatic
takeoffs and landings. QF-16 evaluation and Integrated
Testing (IT) at Tyndall AFB culminated with the first suc-
cessful unmanned flight last September. Authority for
manned and unmanned flights came separately. The
Air Force issued a consolidated Airworthiness Certifi-
cation through Wright Patterson AFB.
“They gave us the clearance for the manned opera-
tions,” says Cejas. “We then used the data from the
manned operations to get permission for unmanned.”
FEATURE
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014FEATURE
Frank Colucci
has written about
aerospace design,
manufacturing, opera-
tions, testing, materi-
als, and systems inte-
gration for 35 years.
He is a regular con-
tributor to Avionics
magazine, AHS Verti-
flite, and other industry
publications and can
be emailed at rotor-
Check http://symposium.rtca.org/ for more details.
RTCA 2014 GLOBALAVIATION SYMPOSIUM
June 4-5, 2014
THANK YOU TO OUR CURRENT AND GROWING
LIST OF 2014 SPONSORS!
Info-packed Sessions:
m View from the NAC: Setting NextGen on a Positive Trajectorym View from the FAA: Implementing NextGenm View from the CEO’s Oice: Measuring Success of Top
NextGen Capabilitiesm View from the Front line: Overcoming Tactical Operational Issuesm View from the Program Management Committee: The
Challenges of Evolving the Increasingly Integrated Communications, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traic Management Systemsm View from Global Leaders: Ensuring Harmonized Evolutionm View from World of Remotely Piloted Systems: The Evolution
to Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace Systemm View from the Hillm View from the FAA MAC: The biggest challenges facing the FAA
Opening Keynote: Bill Ayer, Chair, NextGen Advisory Committee & Retired Chairman and CEO, Alaska Airlines
Industry Luncheon Keynote Speaker: Mark Baker, President & CEO, AOPA
Networking: Many opportunities to meet and interact with aviation industry leaders and policy makers.
Can’t Miss Content: Hear from recognized experts and decision-makers in the aviation industry and participate in lively, relevant sessions.
Walter E. Washington Convention Center | Washington, DC
From Operations Research to Operations Management
An FAA Certificate of Authority permitted
unmanned flights only in the segregated
airspace off the Gulf Coast. “We did nor-
mal envelope expansion testing and then
we worked our way up — everything up
through altitude, supersonic speed, differ-
ent maneuvering, we worked our way up to
9 G.” A similar unmanned clearance will be
issued for Holloman AFB and the adjacent
White Sands Missile Range where the first
live fire test is expected in the first quarter
of 2014.Detachment 1 of the 82nd ATRS
continues DT/IT at Holloman AFB through
early April this year. Independent Opera-
tional Test & Evaluation (OT&E) by the Air
Force 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group aims
to ensure the QF-16 is effective in its opera-
tional environment. With QF-16s LRIP deliv-
eries starting this year, the Air Force expects
to wrap up QF-4 operations at Tyndall AFB
in 2015 and Holloman AFB in Fiscal 2017.
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014
Deck here
UPG
RA
DE C
EN
TRA
L
One core airspace modernization technol-
ogy, Automatic Dependent Surveillance-
Broadcast (ADS-B), is a top priority in
worldwide mandates with upgrade dead-
lines fast approaching for Europe and the United States.
As a technology that will revolutionize routing, safety and
position awareness, ADS-B will bring pilots pinpointed
aircraft position in non-radar airspace, new flight plan
options and re-routes that can save hundreds of miles
and fuel costs, lower aircraft separation distances, free
traffic and weather info on cockpit displays and, for
the first time, direct awareness of the location of other
aircraft in the vicinity.
Australia was first to leverage the powers of ADS-B
at large as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
launched a full nationwide ADS-B network in Decem-
ber 2013, concurrent with a mandate that all Instru-
ment Flight Rule (IFR) aircraft flying at or above 29,000
feet fly ADS-B equipped. Lower altitude mandates are
planned for dates in Australia through 2017. Meanwhile
in Europe, the mandate is divided into two parts: first
Automatic
Dependent
Surveillance
Broadcast
DECODED:
A LOOK AT PRODUCT SOLUTIONS
by Woodrow Bellamy and Chelsea Bryan
From the touchscreen integrated fl ight decks of modern super-business jets to the stove-pipe panels of legacy aircraft, GA carries more than 166 million passengers annually. In the midst of this growth, approaching airspace mandates and ATM modernization programs in Europe and the U.S., the time is now to upgrade the technologies that will serve as the backbone of airspace modernization worldwide. First up? ADS-B.
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for new forward-fit aircraft, beginning in January 2015,
and then for existing aircraft that need a retrofit ADS-B
upgrade, required by Dec. 7, 2017, though accord-
ing to Jens Hennig, vice president of operations at the
General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA),
18-month delays put forth by the European Commis-
sion may go into effect.
In all other global mandates, besides the FAA’s ADS-B
mandate effective Jan. 1, 2020 for all aircraft flying in
Class A, B, C and E airspace, aircraft position must be
broadcast on 1090 MHz frequency using a Mode S Tran-
sponder with Extended Squitter (1090 ES). That means
any U.S.-based operator planning to leave domestic
airspace will need the 1090 ES — but for GA, the alter-
native frequency Universal Access Transponder (UAT)
remains popular, as it comes with free weather and
traffic updates.
NavWorx & the ‘Texas Two-Step’
In view of keeping the cost of compliance down for older
aircraft, NavWorx provides several upgrade paths that
include getting a certified GPS — also part of the U.S.
mandate — in any given aircraft. They call their solu-
tion the Texas Two Step. The main footwork involved
is that NavWorx’s ADS600-B GPS (the cheaper of two
solutions) comes with the option to upgrade to a certi-
fied GPS anytime before 2020. This is because, while
the GPS in the ADS600-B is not certified for the GPS
part of the mandate, NavWorx’s President Bob Moffitt
points out that “You can install whatever [GPS] … into
the airplane now” and he will upgrade your box to the
certified standard by 2020. The advantage of delay-
ing that second step is that it will be half the cost after
2016. To help the budget-conscious further along, air-
craft owners can also get a fully compliant GPS and
transponder up front from NavWorx with the ADS600-
BG; it just costs more.
Aspen Avionics’ ‘Four Scenarios’
Aspen Avionics has four products for what it sees as the
four scenarios in which aircraft owners might find them-
selves. Like NavWorx, all four are UAT only. In the first sce-
nario are aircraft that already have a certified transponder
ADS-B ‘Squawks’? By way of a certified GPS receiver onboard the
aircraft that interfaces with other avionics systems
to determine exact position, course, speed and alti-
tude, ADS-B Out continually broadcasts (once every
second) positioning info by way of either a Mode
S 1090 MHz with Extended Squitter (1090 ES) or
Universal Access Transceiver 980MHz (UAT) tran-
sponder. UAT and 1090 ES periodically “squawk
out” information for receipt by Air Traffic Control-
lers (ATCs) via ground-stations, and also for any
other aircraft with ADS-B In, or a receiver — which
does not have to be certified and can also receive
traffic and weather for free.
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and mandate-compliant GPS; the second is for those who
don’t have a Mode S 1090ES transponder, but do have
a certified GPS; the third involves those who don’t have
either requirement; and the fourth includes those flying
with experimental and uncertified equipment.
If you fit into the first scenario, your certified transpon-
der and GPS mean you’re already NextGen ADS-B Out
compliant, yet you still don’t have the much talked-about
ADS-B In benefits: traffic and weather. This is where the
ARX100 can help; it’s a UAT that receives traffic and weath-
er on 1090 and 980 MHz — but it doesn’t do Out and it
has no GPS built-in. It’s strictly for those who are already
compliant but now want to know where other aircraft are
in their vicinity and what the weather is going to be.
“You’d be surprised, a lot of the higher-end aircraft,
the old Beechcraft crowd, they fit very strongly into
category one [ADS-B Out compliant],” says George
Pariza, director of product marketing at Aspen Avionics.
In Aspen’s second scenario, those who have already
met half of the mandate with a certified GPS get the
ATX200, which just includes a compliant transponder.
The ATX200 also acts as a receiver to provide the traf-
fic and weather of ADS-B In, in addition to broadcast-
ing ADS-B Out.
The ATX200G — “G” is for GPS — takes care of air-
craft that have neither the GPS that meets the 2020
mandate or the ability to broadcast out. This solution
is likely to be a good fit for an older Moonie, Beechcraft
or experimental aircraft that needs to be fully up-to-
date and where pilots also want traffic and weather info
via bonus In. The price tag is higher, but Pariza says it
costs half of the price of a NavCom WAAS GPS.
Trig Avionics
Trig Avionics CEO Andy Davis has likewise tapped into
the non-certified In market, with bases in Edinburgh and
Wichita to ensure fast and available maintenance for the
international GA community, whether in the U.S or the U.K.
Unlike NavWorx or Aspen, however, Trig sells the Mode
S 1090 ES transponder, yet Davis is not shying away from
the U.S. at all. Instead, says Davis, Trig outfits American
operators with ADS-B Out, primarily on piston twins and
singles, and then leaves the In to what Davis calls “cheap
and happy” uncertified solutions. But the chief draw of
Trig transponders, says Davis, is that getting ADS-B Out
is actually sort of free: operators who already have a Trig
transponder, Davis explains, can get it updated to broad-
cast certified ADS-B Out for no cost. This does require
operators already have a certified GPS, however.
He hopes Trig’s lower prices will draw customers who
like their transponders. Davis is also very honest and up
front about costs. “It’s not necessarily free to the cus-
tomer because, to get the full features, they’ll then have
to add, potentially, some wiring to the airframe … but
the total cost [of installation] to the customer is small.”
As for the weather and traffic draw, Davis feels that
the non-certified In route is obvious. Since ADS-B In
doesn’t have to be certified, he figures Trig can just
focus on providing one of the best ADS-B Out situ-
ations and leave traffic and weather to an affordable
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order put in elsewhere.
Davis argues that UAT “is a market that we’re less con-
vinced about because, even within the U.S., there are
restrictions,” he says, referring to travel to the Bahamas
from Florida, to the Caribbean, or offshore from conti-
nental U.S. spots. Davis just doesn’t think GA should
have to keep out of the rest of the Americas, in addition.
“We actually think that a significant proportion of
our light GA aircraft will, even the below 18,000 feet
crowd, still use 1090 [MHz] Out as their ADS-B solu-
tion, because we believe that it is more cost-effective
for them to do it that way and allows them more flex-
ibility of where they can operate,” says Davis.
FreeFlight Systems
FreeFlight Systems is perhaps the most experienced
ADS-B provider, having already supplied 600 aircraft
owners and avionics shops with ADS-B in Alaska under
the Capstone upgrade program. As a result, FreeFlight
has produced a set of real-world reference data on
ADS-B installations and pilot experiences. The Cap-
stone program was set up by the FAA in Alaska to fulfill
the agency’s commitment to aircraft owners and pilots
who installed the Version 1 ADS-B avionics during the
initial launch of the program in 2001.
The FAA funded the installations in exchange for
feedback from the pilots, as the program originally was
designed to improve the harsh flying environment in
Alaska where many areas are beyond radar coverage.
After working with avionics shops, pilots and owners
to install the Version 2 ADS-B avionics, FreeFlight con-
cluded that there are two types of aircraft and associ-
ated owners. First, there are those with newer avionics
existing on an integrated flight deck that prefer to keep
their setup integrated. Then there are the owners of
legacy aircraft who primarily just want to comply with
the mandate based on the airspace that they fly in, with
a minimally invasive solution.
FreeFlight also gathered data on avionics shops, which
it found are focused on providing inexpensive and low-risk
ADS-B installations. Man-hours needed per aircraft, the
necessary cabling, connectors and antennae, the panel
or airframe space needed, the overall fit and finish, and
the sign-off on the installations are all factors that shops
also consider when deciding which products to offer.
After all that research, FreeFlight offers the Rangr
family of products that operate at 978 MHz, including
the TSO’d RANGR 978 available with Out only trans-
mitters as well as the XVR Transceiver configuration
with In and Out capabilities. The Rangr RX-P25 GPS is
designed for Part 25 operators, integrating a certified
15-channel WAAS/GPS ADS-B Out position source
and a FIS-B ADS-B weather data receiver.
“Our GPSs don’t require that complete Flight Manage-
ment Sytem (FMS), and those are very, very expensive,”
says Jessica Power, director of sales and marketing at
FreeFlight. “Our Rangr 978 product line offers custom-
ers a low cost ADS-B solution that is fully integrated
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into one box. Not only does that help reduce cost and
installation time, but also reduces the amount of weight
that you need to add to the aircraft.”
Garmin
Bill Stone, aviation product manager at Garmin, com-
pares the cost barrier situation in upgrading to ADS-B
for some owners to the situation in the 1970s, when the
FAA required aircraft to equip with a Mode T transpon-
der, an expensive product at the time. “The pushback on
price is nothing new,” said Stone. “In 1975 dollars, that
was a highly expensive piece of equipment. But we lived
through that, right? And the system got better because
of it, and I think we’re looking at a similar situation.”
The easiest path to compliance for the U.S. mandate
with Garmin, according to Stone, is the GDL 88, which
can be configured with a WAAS GPS and operates with
a Dual-link UAT. It can also provide ADS-B In information
when paired with a compatible display or with Garmin’s
GDL 39 ADS-B receiver which, while not certified, can
receive ADS-B In weather and traffic information for dis-
play on portable smartphones or tablets.
The only downside? Garmin’s products are on the
expensive side. Even though Garmin is not the afford-
able option, that “pushback on price” is tempered by
the brand’s popularity. Bill Moffitt of NavWorx, a com-
petitor of Garmin, admits his GPS is a Garmin — and
that he wouldn’t have it any other way. Moffitt just
wishes Garmin would make the whole ADS-B process
more affordable for GA pilots by publishing the interface
allowing providers like NavWorx to connect Garmin’s
GPS signal feed into other UAT products.
“If a customer comes in with a Cessna 177 with a Garmin
430 or 430W today I’m going to say, ‘Well, unfortunately
I can’t use your GPS Out signal,’ … I would sell him an
ADS600-B certified transceiver and, [if Garmin publishes
the GPS interface], we would merely write free software
updates to connect over to that 430W and that would meet
the second mandate of being GPS certified for 2020.”
Garmin’s release of that secret interface is not likely, how-
ever. But that won’t stop Moffitt and others from hoping.
Equip Now or Later?
In addition to costing far less for the FAA to operate from
ground stations in comparison to radar coverage, ADS-B
info about aircraft position is also broadcast a lot faster,
updated once per second, compared to the 12-sec-
ond sweep of a radar antenna. According to Hennig of
GAMA, aircraft owners need to plan their upgrade now
or else risk being denied access to airspace come 2020.
“We’re getting close to that time horizon where an
operator knows their plan [for their aircraft over the
next few years]. Four or five years ago we were in a
[economic] position where, if you own an aircraft, you
may not have known if you were going to own it by the
end of the decade,” Hennig says. But now, he adds,
fleet operators, air carriers and also the GA pilot are in
a position to start looking at their aircraft and, as ADS-
B’s 2020 mandate approaches, plan for their aircraft
to continue flying.
Woodrwo Bellamy
is the community edi-
tor for Avionics Maga-
zine.
Chelsea Bryan
is the junior editor for
Avionics Magazine.
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014PERSPEC
TIVE
Systems International (AUVSI), these futuristic UAS
often seen as a privacy threat will create $82 bil-
lion in economic impact over the 10-year span from
2015 to 2025. In response, savvy avionics compa-
nies have already created Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) control, guidance and navigation micro-avion-
ics systems that can fit into often small, lighter-than
5-pound systems.
According to Dallas Brooks, director of consulting
company UAS ONE and an AUVSI board member,
“The best thing about UAS technology is that every-
thing we do makes the rest of aviation better. … If
you have an auto control system that you can shrink
to the size of a matchbox, it’s now affordable for a
General Aviation [GA] pilot who could never have an
autopilot before,” says Brooks. UAS use has already
expanded beyond Border Patrol and military drone
strikes. At Kansas State University, UAS Program
THE FUTURE OF UNMANNED FLIGHT
by Chelsea Bryan
Known in the common tongues as drones, Unmanned Aircraft Systems are the futuristic aircraft experiencing a worldwide boom in both the military and commercial sector. But the rising stars in the UAS story are much-needed technologies that will allow them to safely sense and avoid all obstacles.
Just five years ago, the idea of the futuristic aircraft
known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) dot-
ting our skies seemed more like talk of UFO sight-
ings than future tech, but now, “I think you’ve got
to be pretty deluded to think that we’re not going to
have unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace,” says
Craig Woolsey, director of the Virginia Center for Autono-
mous Systems and a Virginia Tech research professor.
According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014PERSPECTIVE
Manager Mark Blanks works with “rock-stable” mounted
gimbaled cameras that capture pristine video while sus-
pended in gusts. Researchers like Woolsey, also associ-
ate professor and assistant department head of the Vir-
ginia Tech Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Department,
employ UAV sensors that can comb the air for pathogen
spores and even detect concentrations for substances like
anthrax via in-flight micro-chemical lab processes.
That sampling of research underway at Virginia Tech
and Kansas State programs represent only a fraction of
international applications. In the United Kingdom, where
the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has already regulated
and legalized limited use of commercial UAS operations,
a small startup called Quest UAV has completed work with
the European Space Agency to land UAVs in the rugged
mountains of Chile and with the British Antarctic Survey
to land UAVs on glaciers in the South Pole.
The startup, which primarily uses payload sensors to
capture digital elevation models and 3-D ground maps, is
also working on cameras that can capture thermal infrared
data for agricultural and forestry usages.
Brad Hayden, former CEO of Aspen Avionics and director
and founder of Robotic Skies, is anxious to see the United
States enter the commercial UAV market. Hayden launched
Robotic Skies to disseminate future FAA UAV standards
to Fixed Base Operators (FBO), Maintenance Repair and
Operations (MRO) shops and Part 145 Repair Stations and
to act as a liaison with regulators. As an umbrella organiza-
tion, Hayden and Robotic Skies will help current aviation
repair shops add UAV upkeep to their repertoire, which in
turn Hayden hopes will give the FAA confidence that the
U.S. really is ready for airspace integration of UAVs.
“In my mind, the future of flight is really going to be root-
ed in the integration of the emerging commercial drone
market and the current aviation support infrastructure,”
says Hayden, who has also created a UAV education and
community site called Droneport, which will ultimately help
define what future airports look like through serving as a
social industry platform facilitating discussion.
Developments in GPS, camera and accelerometer prod-
ucts, driven by smart phone market growth, mean the tech-
nology is ready to cash-in on those AUVSI numbers, but the
FAA has not released safety standards and requirements
for UAS.. Those regulations are due by 2015 as called upon
by Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2012, after
three-plus years of delays; meanwhile, operators and hob-
byists are very anxious to see the first wave of regulations
for UAS weighing less than 55 pounds.
“There is no denying that the regulations are holding us
back,” says Hayden. “At the moment, the people that you
“In my mind, the future of flight is really going to be rooted in the integration of the emerging commercial drone market and the current aviation support infrastructure.”
— Brad Hayden, CEO of Robotic Skies
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014PERSPECTIVE
have flying commercially are, in effect, flying in the face of
the FARs [Federal Aviation Regulations]. … were some
type of guidance in place, the majority of operators would
follow them.”
Meanwhile, large commercial operators Insitu and AeroVi-
ronment have received restricted category type certificates
from the FAA allowing limited commercial operations, which
Insitu launched last summer on the north shore of Alaska
in work with an oil exploration company. AeroVironment
has confirmed their system is operating with an unnamed
customer as well, and AeroVironment does have interna-
tional commercial UAV projects in the works, according
to Steven Gitlin, vice president of marketing strategy and
communications.
Charlie Guthrie, Insitu’s senior vice president and CTO,
says they have been at work with the states of Washing-
ton and Oregon on fire fighting and surveillance while Git-
lin says the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of
the Interior have used AeroVironment’s Raven system to
monitor wildlife. But even with the commercial endeavors
ventured, Gitlin says regulations have prevented AeroVi-
ronment from benefiting “enterprises, taxpayers and other
government organizations.”
In response to outcries from industry experts that the
U.S. is lagging in the international market, Fairfax, Va.-
based consultant Teal Group projects industry sales from
2014 onward will total to $89 billion by 2023, yet the U.S.
has not even entered that market commercially. Brooks
and Blanks agree that the FAA could do more. “Some
folks would say we’ve fallen behind Australia, for example,
which has a more relaxed regulatory environment for UAS,
or Canada, which allows [UAS] commercial operations,”
Brooks says. “There are certainly leaps that I think both
Mark [Blanks] and I feel we could make tomorrow within
our current regulatory systems without a huge impact …
but we must ensure that our systems can demonstrate a
reasonable level of airworthiness.”
UAV capability to “sense and avoid” is one major, as-yet
undeveloped technology that Hayden calls “the holy grail
of UAVs,” and Blanks, Brooks, Guthrie and Woolsey agree
it is a key factor to full NAS integration. Though there have
been attempts and flight tests demonstrating instances of
successful sense and avoid, Woolsey says there has been
no definitive answer. “I’m not convinced and the FAA is cer-
tainly not convinced that [any demonstration] has solved the
see and avoid or the sense and avoid problem,” he says.
A large part of the reason all tests have fallen short,
according to Brooks, is the lack of any published perfor-
mance standards. “Without a defined standard that says
you need to miss by this much or this distance or this
amount of time, it’s difficult to commit billions of dollars to
research, only to find out that your answer may not have
been good enough,” he says. In the U.K., the CAA has not
come out with any sense and avoid standards either. “We
basically are waiting for the industry to present, first of all,
the standard and then the technology,” says King.
The military has been working to develop sense and
avoid since as early as 2009, according to the Air Force’s
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014PERSPECTIVE
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan, which states that
“a significant amount of FAA resources are being used
to work collaboratively with DoD in the development of
sense and avoid capability and system safety levels.” The
Remotely Piloted Aircraft Vector 2013-2038, or the “RPA
Vector,” meant to replace that 2009 report, confirms that
the Air Force is still working with the FAA to develop mate-
rial solutions for collision avoidance.Colonel Kenneth Cal-
lahan, the Air Force’s director for Remotely Piloted Aircraft
(RPA) Capabilities, says key Air Force priorities highlighted
in the RPA Vector are access to the NAS, safe flight, and
airborne sense and avoid, which he says the Air Force
would like to have resolved in the near term. Woolsey thinks
viable solutions should surface within two to five years, but
tech developments can’t help UAVs go commercial with-
out FAA approval. Some speculated Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) radar technology would
be a partial solution, but exemptions for gliders, ultra lights
and other aircraft meant too many “invisible” aircraft UAVs
would be unable to sense and avoid obstacles.
Autonomous Flight?
Once a sense and avoid solution does gain FAA and
other civil aviation authority’s approval, UAV commer-
cial applications not only become viable in different
altitudes and locations, but the controversial autono-
mous system also becomes possible.
“The FAA is not excited about autonomous aircraft,”
says Woolsey, but Callahan says the Air Force is inter-
ested in technologies that will make them more autono-
mous. Currently, the Air Force has personnel tasked to
remotely pilot the aircraft. Autonomous systems would
free up resources and enable other operations because,
according to Callahan, “it demands less effort from
people, really, or one person can fly two.” But the Air
Force will not even be fully manned and equipped for
RPA until the end of fiscal year 2019, he says. Such a
major drain on military resources makes it “a big line
on our roadmap,” Callahan says.
But even bigger than the sense and avoid question, says
Woolsey, is regulation, which will remain a roadblock long
after the technology has advanced. He thinks both science
and regulation questions could be answered, however,
within 20 years. Sense and avoid and autonomy togeth-
er in turn create a need for more robust, aggressive sys-
tems, which Woolsey has already seen under development.
However, Blanks says the technology is not all developed
yet. Sensors, data processing, machine learning, assured
communication and modularity all need development. Cal-
lahan asks, “how do I reach back a couple iterations or
upgrades to actually talk to someone at a lower level that
may not have the newest version of software or hardware
that I have?” The Air Force also wants “modularity,” mean-
ing sensors can be easily swapped out to aid customers
who want to use their UAV for more than one purpose or,
in the case of the military, to ensure mission capability.
Hyper and multi spectral imaging present further devel-
opment opportunity, in which use of multiple cameras or
PERSPECTIVE
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014PERSPECTIVE
sensors allow data collection on several regions of the elec-
tromagnetic spectrum. Quest UAV has already launched
multispectral operations but King feels laser radar, or “lidar,”
needs further development for multispectral use.
Yet another issue needing development is spectral man-
agement and allocation. Operators need to be able to talk
to the aircraft, whether it is autonomous or manned. “If you
had 10,000 or 50,000 of these aircraft flying on the same
band of free radio frequency, are they going to step on each
other? Are we going to have enough room for it? Is it going
to be protected spectrum?” Blanks asks. He cites that the
2012 World Radiocommunication Conference allocated
spectrum for UAS use only, but he is uncertain about the
parameters and adequacy.
“If you lose link with the aircraft, it’s going to do some
hopefully autonomous maneuver, it’ll come back home,
land automatically or whatnot; but first of all you need to
guarantee it’s always going to do that. … That has not
matured to the point of saying it’s safe enough for unre-
stricted access to the National Airspace [System] (NAS),”
says Blanks.
The UAS Crystal Ball
Cities will be the last place we see UAVs, because of
regulatory constraints, Guthrie says. He doesn’t expect
to see UAVs in populated areas for several years. Class
G airspace, from the ground to 1,200 feet, will be the
first airspace to see legal commercial UAVs, according
to Brooks. Hayden thinks it will be a subset of Class G,
under 400 feet specifically, with certification established
via a simple airworthiness check. Woolsey thinks the
U.S. commercial market will open before sense and
avoid arrives, with line-of-site observers and a two-
person per UAV requirement as the way around risk of
collision.
Regardless of the particulars, most experts agree
that initial applications will be in agriculture. The rural,
unpopulated environment and the fact that it’s a huge
driver of the GDP support that supposition. Other uses,
such as fire monitoring, search and rescue, and post-
disaster assessment, might follow, says Woolsey, for
the same reasons.
The next wave of integrated air space will be 63,000 feet
and up Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), Hayden guesses.
“There’s nothing up there that they can really bother, at that
altitude,” he says. John VanBrabant of Northrop Grumman
notes UAVs can already do that and that it would be safe,
but it’s the “spiraling up and down” that’s the problem.
“The real tough integration is going to be in the middle,”
says Hayden. “Everything 500 feet all the way up through
the flight levels. That’s going to be the tougher area. ...
Personally, again though, I believe that the technology will
be developed to allow them to integrate, not by 2015, but
potentially within the next few years.”Chelsea Bryan
is the junior editor for
Avionics Magazine.
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014O
PIN
ION
Opinion
Time to Rethink UAS in the US
OPIN
ION
Opinion
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) treat-
ment of very small UAS is creating a serious
problem. While the agency deserves consider-
able credit for its hard work on projects to tran-
sition to the integration of UAS with manned aircraft
in the civil airspace, the FAA has been a bit tone deaf
when it comes to treatment of very small UAS vehicles
where the operator desires to use the vehicle for com-
mercial purposes, with no need or desire to “integrate”
its vehicle in manned aircraft airspace.
Many prospective commercial operators of very small
UAS vehicles desire to operate at very low altitudes, far
from manned aircraft, airports, populated or noise-sensi-
tive areas and, in some cases, away from any people at all.
Most users target land that they own, lease or have permis-
sion from the owner to use, such as farmers and ranchers.
While there is talk of softening of the FAA’s approach,
as of this writing the agency has strictly forbidden any
commercial use of very small UAS, with the exception
of the commercial operation of the ScanEagle UAS,
under a Restricted Category Type Certificate, by Con-
oco Phillips in the Arctic.
In stark contrast, since 1981 the FAA has permitted
model aircraft operators to operate small (and large)
UAS as “model aircraft” without any requirement for a
specific FAA authorization of the operation, so long as
they comply with conditions spelled out in FAA Advi-
sory Circular 91-57 (Model Aircraft Operating Stan-
dards). Since at least 2004, the FAA has permitted
federal, state and local government entities to operate
small UAS through the issuance of FAA Certificates of
Waiver or Authorization (COAs) that spell out various
operational and safety-related conditions. If it would
enable them to conduct commercial operations, many
operators of very small UAS would be willing to oper-
ate subject to the same types of conditions set forth in
this Advisory Circular or these COAs, using the exact
same types of UAS.
Despite this, in a 2007 Notice of Policy on Unmanned
Aircraft in the National Airspace System the FAA clari-
fied that it prohibits commercial operations with small
(or large) UAS, regardless of what conditions or limita-
E. Tazewell Ellett
is the Practice Admin-
istrator of the interna-
tional law firm Hogan
Lovell’s Aviation Group
as well as a former
Chief Counsel of the
FAA, a former Special
Counsel to the Admin-
istrator of the FAA,
and a former Special
Assistant to a Member
of the NTSB.
AVONICSTODAY.COM
/ MAY 2014OPIN
ION
tions the operators are willing to comply with.
The FAA’s blanket, unwavering refusal to permit com-
mercial operations of very small UAS outside the Arctic
has led to growing antagonism against the FAA within
the UAS community. This, in turn, has led to an ever-
increasing willingness of operators of very small UAS to
engage in commercial activities in defiance of the FAA’s
blanket ban. The FAA has taken enforcement action
against at least one such commercial operator, but in
an appeal of that action to the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB), Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)
Patrick Geraghty decided against the FAA. While the
FAA has appealed this ALJ decision to the full NTSB,
the decision will almost certainly encourage others to
defy the FAA’s ban.
The longer the FAA waits to provide a reasonable and
workable method for permitting these types of com-
mercial operations, the more operators will defy the
ban, the stronger the level of defiance will become,
and the more likely it will be that operators will refuse
to comply with any FAA permitting process once it is
developed. The only such permitting method that these
operators see on the horizon at this point is the FAA’s
rulemaking on small UAS operations, which appears
to be a long way away.
The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012
(FMRA) requires the agency to issue a final rule on
small UAS operations by May 2015. But given the
bureaucratic process that needs to be taken, it is highly
unlikely that the congressionally mandated deadline
will be met. While a delay in the issuance of the final
rule will be a significant disappointment to those busi-
nesses that are abiding by the FAA’s ban on very small
UAS commercial operations, for those who are already
inclined to defy the ban, the delay will add fuel to the
fire. The FAA needs to appreciate these realities and
recognize that it’s in its interest to allow some com-
mercial operations of very small UAS, even if only on
a limited and conditioned basis, prior to the issuance
of the final rule.
In the period before the final rule is issued, the FAA should
develop a reasonable, efficient and timely method (or meth-
ods) for permitting very small UAS to operate for commer-
cial purposes. The FAA has some very talented lawyers
who are fully capable of developing such methods, and if
they need ideas on methods and appropriate conditions,
they should start by reviewing the agency’s own Model
Aircraft Operating Standards Advisory Circular, and the
hundreds of COAs the FAA has issued to dozens of gov-
ernmental entities.
CalendarMAY
12-15 Association of Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2014 Orlando, Fla.
20-22 European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE)Geneva, Switzerland
JUNE
3-4 Global Connected Aircraft SummitLong Beach, Calif.
4-5 RTCA 2014 Global Aviation SymposiumWashington, D.C.
10-11 MRO Baltics, Eastern Europe and RussiaWarsaw, Poland.
15-21 International Paris Air ShowParis, France
16-20 AVIATION 2014Atlanta, Ga.
JULY
14-20 Farnborough International AirshowFarnborough Airport, England
16-19 Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) Annual ConferencePhoenix Convention Center, Phoenix
28-3 EEA AirVenture 2014 Oshkosh, Wis.
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