FAA Certificates First Commercial Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The FAA marked a new chapter in aviation history by issuing the first airworthiness certificate for a commercial unmanned aerial vehicle, the General Atomics Altair.

Unmanned aerial vehicles — often called "UAVs" — are a new, developing segment of the aviation industry with great potential commercial applications. Some of the research and development activities they already perform support law enforcement, homeland security, firefighting, and weather prediction.

"Unmanned aircraft have the potential to make an enormous impact on civil aviation," said FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey. "This is the first big step toward their seamless integration into our national airspace system."

The Altair's FAA airworthiness certificate is in the "Experimental" category and limits flights to research and development, crew training or market survey. The agency has also specified a number of safety conditions for the Altair's operation, including weather, altitude, and geographic restrictions, as well as a requirement for a pilot and observer, both of whom may either be on the ground or in an accompanying "chase" plane. The Altair, a high-altitude version of the U.S. military's Predator B, is designed to perform scientific and commercial research missions. Built in partnership with NASA, Altair has an 86-foot wingspan, can fly up to 52,000 feet, and can remain in the air for more than 30 hours.

To prepare for the increasing civil UAV market, a team of FAA experts throughout the agency is working on policies that will balance oversight without being overly restrictive in the early stages of this promising technology.

The FAA is also collaborating with manufacturers to collect vital technical and operational data that will help improve UAV regulatory processes. In addition, the FAA has asked RTCA — a group that frequently advises the agency on technical issues — to help develop UAV standards. RTCA will focus on two key aspects of UAV flight: (1) command and control and (2) a UAV's ability to detect and avoid other aircraft.

The FAA also participates in the NASA- sponsored ACCESS 5 initiative to understand the difficulties of integrating UAVs with piloted aircraft. Although the group's work focuses on high-altitude, long- duration unmanned operations, many of the standards will be applicable to other types of UAVs.

FMI: www.uav.com, www.dfrc.nasa.gov, www.access5.aero