Considerations for a roadmap for the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in South African airspace

[摘要] Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology is classified as being disruptive since it has thepotential to radically change the utilization of airspace. Most unmanned vehicles are aimed atmilitary applications, yet civilian applications of unmanned aerial vehicle technology couldbenefit South Africa considerably.At present, the lack of UAV regulations and standards precludes UAVs from being certifiedto operate on a file and fly basis in un-segregated civilian airspace. The inability for UAVs tobe certified because of a lack of standards creates a 'chicken and egg – 'stale matesituation. If principles such as 'equivalence, initially proposed by Eurocontrol are adoptedin South Africa, it then follows that equivalent standards used by manned aircraft could beused by UAVs. UAVs must therefore be tested and evaluated in order to prove compliancewith equivalent existing manned aircraft regulations in the foreseeable future until UAVregulations and standards become available.It has been suggested that specific UAV missions such as maritime patrol, border control,search & rescue, and cargo transport could fulfil current requirements. Design considerationsand possible concepts of UAV operations, maintenance and training that will enable UAVs tosatisfy the immediate South African strategic requirements whilst complying with existingairspace and airworthiness regulations have been proposed in this document while furtherUAV specific standards and regulations are being developed.UAV testing is an essential part of proving the enabling technology, and part of the process ofgaining acceptance into wider airspace. Fortunately, flight test methods and proceduresapplicable to manned aircraft are directly applicable to UAVs, while systems unique to UAVscan be adapted from existing procedures applied to missiles and military UAVs.Once UAVs are developed and tested, it will be necessary to start full scale operations. Someconsiderations will be necessary during mission planning. Air traffic management regulationshowever will prohibit some UAVs from operating in all airspace until enabling technology isdeveloped and tested, while some existing UAVs will never be permitted to 'file and fly.This study also analyses existing airspace and UAV platforms in order to identify the airspaceand platforms that will have the most chance of being successfully permitted to 'file and flyin civil airspace.For South Africa to advance as a UAV operating and manufacturing nation, it is thereforeessential to compile a roadmap that will guide the process of developing, certifying andoperating UAVs. The roadmap must include an interim process, as well as stating the endobjective, which is 'file and fly.This South African UAV Roadmap proposal is based on international research that usesdocumentation and lessons learned from elsewhere to guide the process for creating UAVregulations and standards, while allowing existing UAV operations to expand into the existing airspace in order for further UAV research to take place. This roadmap proposal is theconclusion of a 3 year study, and references to the applicable literature are made throughoutthe document.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University