Analyzing Sense and Avoid Requirements to Integrate Unmanned Aircraft Systems into Controlled Airspace

Abstract

The rapid adoption of increasingly affordable and capable unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) has highlighted their current value and future potential in a wide variety of applications across many different industries. Most study to date has focused on the most affordable and prolific class of small UAS which are legally restricted to flight in the limited low-altitude uncontrolled portion of the National Airspace System. Larger and more capable Group 3 and 4 UASs, as defined by the U.S. Department of Defense, are capable of operating in expanded flight envelopes, but current regulations prohibit unmanned flight in controlled airspace under the more dynamic visual flight rules that require independent deconfliction referred to as "sense-and-avoid", which are required for the maturation of future civil and commercial UAS applications. This paper quantitatively analyzes the safety concerns and current mitigation efforts surrounding the proposed incorporation of larger group three and four UASs into controlled airspace under visual flight rules and concludes with recommendations for additional measures required to safely allow for future ubiquitous operation.