January 3, 2016
Abstract
One of
the common capabilities with many Unmanned Aerial Systems, is the capability to
auto-takeoff, and auto-land. This is a
capability less common in smaller manned aircraft, but often found in larger
commercial airlines. This paper will
explore those capabilities, and how they will impact safety, the limitations of
these new systems, and what new training might be necessary to ensure the pilot
in command (PIC) of these various systems is still able to maintain control of
the aircraft when necessary.
Research: Automatic Takeoff And Landing
Introduction
Though unmanned aerial systems
(UAS) have received tremendous media
attention recently, the development of these systems is still largely in its
infancy. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is diligently working with
industry experts and stakeholder to develop new rules for these systems, as
agriculture, real estate, law enforcement, energy, and many other industries
eagerly await to employ UAS, and leverage the capabilities these systems
provide. Manned aircraft are continuing
to see technological advances as well, with new advancements being introduced
to provide greater situational awareness in the cockpit, improved reliability,
and increased automation. Both UAS and
manned aircraft will soon see a common air control system, as the FAA has
driven NextGEN; an air traffic
management system shifting the management of the National Air Space (NAS) from
a ground based method of operation to a space based one. With this ongoing evolution, both platforms
will see greater autonomous capabilities, including automatic takeoff and
landing capabilities. While adding
exceptional capabilities to these platforms, there are also human-factors
issues to examine.
Discussion.
On December 9, 2008 at Edwards Air Force Base, an F-16 made the first auto-land of that aircraft type, controlled entirely by computer automation. (Lockheed-Martin, nd). In an open forum online discussion, USA Today published “Ask the Captain: When Planes Land Themselves”, in which John Cox answered questions from readers about the use of the auto-land feature available in the modern commercial airliner. In it, Mr. Cox describes autoland as “very effective in some conditions and less effective in others.” (USA Today, 2/9/14). He goes on to address the importance for pilots to maintain their own flying skills. While the FAA certifies many airports for autolanding, a pilot must be able to takeoff from, and land at a location that may not be approved for such operations. In order for an airport to be approved for automatic takeoff and landing, it must have the equipment necessary to facilitate the operation; that is to say it must have an Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), Microwave Landing System (MLS), Global Positioning System (GPS), or combination of these capabilities (FAA.gov). Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is one of many companies developing systems necessary to integrate these capabilities with new, and existing aircraft.
In
the case of unmanned aircraft, these capabilities are a part of the systems
architecture.
In the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Reliability Study, produced by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the
autoland feature is expected to decrease the influence of human errors. Just as with manned aircraft, third party
companies are developing the technologies necessary to integrate these
features.
Conclusion
Autotake
off and autoland, properly employed and managed, will greatly enhance the
capabilities of both manned and unmanned aviation. While automation will reduce operator
workload, pilots must ensure they retain the skills necessary to perform all
the tasks necessary, and take care not to allow their skills to atrophy
(Barnhart, R., Hottman, S., Marshall, D., & Shappee, E., pg. 174). As the NextGEN initiative is more fully
implemented, it’s reasonable to expect more airports will be able to
accommodate autotake off and autoland.
Future systems automation can be expected to aide in the advancement as
well.
References
- Barnhart, R.K., Hottman, S.B., Marshall, D. M., & Shappee, E, Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems, (2012), CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL.
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