Small UAS (< 150 kg) Special Interest Group

contributing to a global set of rules for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems...

Introduction

This Special Interest Group traces its origins to the "Workshop on Small UAS (<150 kg)" set up by Peter van Blyenburgh and chaired by Geoff Bowker on 13th June 2007 at the UAV 2007 Conference in Paris.

• Let’s be quite clear: this is not an official group, and we have no government authority or legislative powers of any description.

Interestingly there was a similar increase in interest in developing standards for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems at the recent EuroCAE WG-73 meeting in Brussels. Discussions on this took place at the WorkGroup Leaders Meeting at the end of the Plenary Session on 31st May 2007.

The aim of this activity is to collect, to distil and to then generate a harmonised set of documentation for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (0 to 150 kg) covering:

• air worthiness aspect
• operations aspects
• command, control and security aspects
• including a view on the application of sense and avoid.

The documentation supplied and developed will be made openly available to the general public, and to official bodies tasked with the development of policy as regards small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Do not submit any confidential information.

• The aims are subject to further debate and refinement.
• I hope this site will compliment official sites such as http://www.eurocae.org/ and will support the "batting about" of ideas and suggestions between interested parties. All the information will be openly and easily accessible to all.
• Essentially, we want to contribute in as efficient a manner as is reasonable to the establishment of a common set of rules that will apply throughout the world for Unmanned Aircraft Systems weighing less than 150 kg at take off.
• To contribute to ensuring the developers and operators of small Unamnned Aircraft Systems are aware of the current rules and the potential evolution and standardisation of those rules.
• We want to dovetail recommendations into the EuroCAE WG-73 Working Groups on:

• air worthiness
• operations
• command and control

• Timescales

• have draft recommendations ready for the next EuroCAE WG-73 meeting starting on 29th October 2007
• develop a "thinking / guidance" document, as per Geoff Bowker's suggestion, for the EuroControl Experimental Centre Workshop in December 2007 (venue TBC) to consider certification for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
• contribute as appropriate to the EuroCAE Final Report to be ready in February 2008.

• These are early days. Our aims and anything else can change as a result of the guidance and suggestions we receive from our Advisors and Contributors.
• If you feel you have a contribution to make, that's great. A forum is being developed for contributors.
• The aim is to work closely with EuroCAE WG-73 and EuroControl to make efficient use of our time and efforts and maximise the impact of our contributions.