International Civil Aviation Organization

International Regulatory Framework for

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Gerry Corbett

UK Member ICAO UAS Study Group

RAeS 2012

London 20 September 2012

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Unmanned Aircraft

• Potential

– border monitoring

– meteorological and environmental monitoring

– search and rescue

• UAS regulations

– continued aerial work

– routine transport of cargo and mail (passengers???)

– handovers

– commercial operators of remote pilot stations

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ICAO Involvement

• ICAO – Specialized agency of the United Nations since 1944;

– World’s body to address civil aviation;

– 191 member States;

• Convention on International Civil Aviation (“Chicago Convention”) – Recognition of sovereignity of States;

– Difference between state and civil aircraft;

– The rules of the air;

– Certificate of airworthiness;

– Licences of personnel;

Convention on

International Civil Aviation

Article 8

Pilotless aircraft

No aircraft capable of being flown without a pilot shall

be flown without a pilot over the territory of a contracting

State without special authorization by that State and in

accordance with the terms of such authorization. Each

contracting State undertakes to insure that the flight of

such aircraft without a pilot in regions open to civil

aircraft shall be so controlled as to obviate danger to

civil aircraft.

on board

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Convention on

International Civil Aviation

Article 29

• Documents carried in the aircraft

− Its certificate of registration;

− Its certificate of airworthiness;

− The appropriate licences for each member of the crew;

− Its journey logbook...

Article 31

• Certificates of airworthiness

− Every aircraft engaged in international navigation shall be

provided with a certificate of airworthiness issued or rendered

valid by the State in which it is registered.

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ICAO Focus

• International operations harmonize across all States;

assure

safety;

security;

efficiency;

• Integration in non-segregated airspace and at aerodromes;

• Civil aviation State aircraft exempt;

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ICAO Priorities

• Terminology;

• Airworthiness and operational certifications / approvals;

• Personnel licensing;

• Frequency spectrum;

• Communication requirements;

• Detect and avoid / ACAS;

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Legal Requirements

• Licensing:

By State of Registry or State of Operator?

Third party licence for long-haul operations?

Recognition of licenses;

• Contractual arrangements for RPS services

Different States involved in single operation;

Oversight vs recognition;

• Command & Control Service Providers

Obligation to maintain C2 / C3 service;

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Integration Requirements

• Certification

– RPA;

– Operator;

– Remote pilot;

• Approval

– RPAS as a complete system;

• Collision and hazard avoidance

• Interaction with ATC and other aircraft;

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Integration Requirements (cont)

• Security – data links;

– RPA;

– remote pilot station;

• Predictable actions; – right-of-way rules

• Contingency procedures

Ability to act like any other aircraft!

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ICAO Interactions

• ICAO is an organization comprised of States

– ICAO Standards become national regulations

• Close working relationship with

– industry associations

– industry technical standards-development organizations

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ICAO Work

• Unmanned Aircraft System Study Group (UASSG)

– States nominated subject matter experts to assist with the

development work;

– review of existing ICAO provisions;

– integrate unmanned aviation into the existing system without

reducing its safety, efficiency or sustainability;

• ICAO Council adopted Standards on REMOTELY

PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (RPAS)

– become applicable on 15 November of 2012;

• Draft ICAO RPAS Roadmap -> late Autumn 2012

Circular 328

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

• Overview of UAS wrt ICAO framework;

− Published March 2011;

− Legal considerations (Articles of the Convention);

− Operations (rules of the air, ATM, aerodromes);

− Equipment (aircraft, remote pilot station, ANS infrastructure);

− Personnel (remote pilot);

Will become obsolete once guidance manual is published. (~2014)

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ICAO RPAS Manual

• Will expand on current Standards:

– RPAS approval / certification;

– RPA airworthiness and operator certifications;

– lines of distinction between airworthiness, maintenance and

operations;

– performance-based technical requirements;

• for command and control (C2) + ATC communications (C3);

• for detect and avoid;

– competency-based licensing requirements and medical

provisions for remote pilots;

– initial ATM provisions;

Publication Spring 2014

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ICAO Timeline

• Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS)

– 2016 - 2018 timeframe

• on airworthiness, operations, licensing, detect and avoid, C2 / C3 and basic ATM provisions should be applicable;

– 2020 - 2023 timeframe

• refinement of all SARPs / PANS with addition of aerodrome and ATM operational requirements can be expected;

– By ~ 2028

• all provisions needed to support transparent operation of RPA in all classes of airspace and at aerodromes are expected;

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ICAO RPAS Standards

– RPA shall be operated in such a manner as to minimize hazards

to persons, property and other aircraft

– RPAS shall be approved

– RPA shall have a CofA

– RPAS components shall be certified (e.g. RPS, catapult, etc.);

– RPAS Operator shall be certified

– Remote pilot shall be licensed

– RPA a sub-category of unmanned aircraft

– Special authorizations detailed

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Technical Requirements

• Detect and avoid

All aircraft;

Hazards: obstacles, terrain, parachutists, birds, etc;

Must be compatible with ACAS;

Collision avoidance, airborne separation;

• C3 communications

Type and amount of data needed for C2;

Availability, latency, reliability, security of link;

Methods for ATC communication;

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ICAO Vision

• Solve today’s problems while looking at the future

• Understand and respect the past

• Maintain compatibility between manned and unmanned

aviation and

• Carefully leave the door open for future generations

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