2. What is a sUAS?
• CASA, CS 05/01: 100g to 150kg
• CAA UK, CAP 722: 3 classes
<7 kg , 7 to 20 Kg, Small Aircraft. 20 to 150 Kg,
light UAV.
• EUROCAE WG-73: (Ref RTCA SC-203 and CAP
722)
Classes: Same
• RCAPA, proposed guidelines: 3 classes
<4 Ultra light, <12 Mini and <25Lbs
intermediate.
3. Where can they operate?
Similarities:
400’ AGL
1500’ or 500 meters of the
operator, VLOS.
All system to have PIC capabilities.
Airspace other then ‘G’ with ATC
communication/permission.
CAP 722
EUROCAE WG-73
RCAPA
RTCA
6. THE TOP 5
• 1. Lack of investment in the commercial NAS integration effort.
(Vendors driving the effort)
• 2. Little or no direction/cohesion from within the commercial UAS
community. (“Wait and see attitude/flying under the radar”)
• 3. How the manned stakeholders view this technology
(The more they view it, the less they like it!)
• 4. Most regulators have only vague ideas about what a sUAS (non-
military systems), is or how they operate. Only exacerbated by an
ever evolving technology!
• 5. Trying to overlay manned aviations standards on unmanned
aviation. (Oval peg, round hole!)
Issues
The TOP 5
7. Assumptions,
The TOP 5
• 1. Common sense from the regulators will prevail.
• 2. The use of UAS is not commercially viable.
• 3. The contractor/vendor business model will further all
commercial interests.
• 4. People on the ground are at a higher risk to mishaps
then airspace conflicts, and vice versa.
• 5. The military contractors are in the same boat as us!
(How did you spend your DARPA grant?)
8. ARC impressions
• A wide spectrum of NAS stakeholders.
• Members cannot divulge the names of other
ARC members.
• Nothing definitive has yet been decided upon.
(The concrete is starting to harden!)
• Warp speed…
• Will everyone be a 100% happy?
• Keep your eyes open for the NPRM.
* No exact details will be discussed, direct all questions to the FAA AIR-160 office.
9. February 12, 2009
US lawmakers propose commercial UAS access
to national airspace by 30 September 2013.
Commercial unmanned air systems would be
given full access to the US national airspace by
30 September 2013 as part of draft legislation
now before Congress.
…”national airspace system as soon as possible,
but not later than September 30, 2013.“
(HR915)
11. What are the markets today?
• Military Research
(DARPA, IED Defeat)
• Military Deployed.
• Federal agencies.
• COA Holders.
12. What are the coming markets?
• First responders (Via grants.)
• Other government or ‘public’ aircraft
applications.
• Some institutional
• Testing facilities
• Training and certification. (pilot/crew)
• FAA regulatory compliance consulting.
• Commercial service providers.
13. Where is the competition?
* Map from www.uavforum.com
What about the $1000 Chinese UAV?
Does not include mom and pop
15. Military pitfalls
• Hard market to break into.
• Systems too complex while also being
“dumbed” down. (No standard interface.)
• Designs parameters come from the top down.
• Lot’s of big name competition with deep
pockets.
17. Market Strengths
• Lot’s of potential for sUAS.
• Increased application interest.
• Competition without focus.
• Experience with FAA compliance.
• Pending regulatory overview. (global)
• End user market overview.
• 2013 for the large UAS integration is a pipe
dream.
18. sUAS business objective’s
• Identify market(s)
• Refine needs of sector/applications.
• Determine time to market.
• Develop regulatory/product matrix.
• Factoring the regulatory burden.
• Determine cost vs. value for end user.
(Customer)
