Bartman
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ALPA released this brief statement today regarding UAS integration. ALPA is the Airline Pilots Association, a labor union representing airline pilots in the United States. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm a member of this group.
ALPA Fast Read, 28 Jan, 2015;
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or “drones” as many like to describe them, are increasingly in the news and in the hands of enthusiasts and commercial users alike. In fact, a quadcopter UAS recently made an unscheduled landing on the White House lawn.
While the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) recognizes the popularity of UAS and the value of remotely piloted aircraft for a variety of commercial applications, safety must be front and center.
It’s quite simple—we are for the safe integration of UAS into our national airspace system.
As a pilot, I need to be able to see a UAS on my cockpit display. Air traffic controllers need to see them too. And the UAS itself must be equipped with safety systems—to include active collision-avoidance technology—in order to operate in shared airspace with commercial aircraft. We are not there yet.
We have the safest air transportation system in the world. A pilot onboard an aircraft can see, feel, smell, or hear many signs of an impending problem and begin to formulate a course of action before even sophisticated sensors provide indications of trouble. UAS operators can’t.
For example, one failure unique to UAS is the phenomenon of “lost link,” meaning that the “command and control” signals from the UAS operator—those that tell the aircraft to turn, climb, descend, and so forth—are no longer being received by the UAS. What does this mean? The UAS operator is no longer in control of the device—and what if it is in or near airspace occupied by other aircraft? This is not acceptable, and is just one compelling example of the many issues that need to be addressed.
ALPA has always maintained that a well-trained and highly qualified flight crew remains the most important safety component of our air transportation system. To that end, we need to make certain that UAS pilots are also properly trained and understand the consequences of possible malfunctions.
ALPA continues to work with the Federal Aviation Administration and other industry stakeholders to address these and other concerns to develop real-world rules and standards for UAS operations. While the regulations needed to address these challenges are considerable, they need to be done thoroughly and, just as importantly, correctly.
ALPA Fast Read, 28 Jan, 2015;
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or “drones” as many like to describe them, are increasingly in the news and in the hands of enthusiasts and commercial users alike. In fact, a quadcopter UAS recently made an unscheduled landing on the White House lawn.
While the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) recognizes the popularity of UAS and the value of remotely piloted aircraft for a variety of commercial applications, safety must be front and center.
It’s quite simple—we are for the safe integration of UAS into our national airspace system.
As a pilot, I need to be able to see a UAS on my cockpit display. Air traffic controllers need to see them too. And the UAS itself must be equipped with safety systems—to include active collision-avoidance technology—in order to operate in shared airspace with commercial aircraft. We are not there yet.
We have the safest air transportation system in the world. A pilot onboard an aircraft can see, feel, smell, or hear many signs of an impending problem and begin to formulate a course of action before even sophisticated sensors provide indications of trouble. UAS operators can’t.
For example, one failure unique to UAS is the phenomenon of “lost link,” meaning that the “command and control” signals from the UAS operator—those that tell the aircraft to turn, climb, descend, and so forth—are no longer being received by the UAS. What does this mean? The UAS operator is no longer in control of the device—and what if it is in or near airspace occupied by other aircraft? This is not acceptable, and is just one compelling example of the many issues that need to be addressed.
ALPA has always maintained that a well-trained and highly qualified flight crew remains the most important safety component of our air transportation system. To that end, we need to make certain that UAS pilots are also properly trained and understand the consequences of possible malfunctions.
ALPA continues to work with the Federal Aviation Administration and other industry stakeholders to address these and other concerns to develop real-world rules and standards for UAS operations. While the regulations needed to address these challenges are considerable, they need to be done thoroughly and, just as importantly, correctly.
