Personnel Licensing to Enable Uncrewed Operations above FL600
SAE-PP-00286
07/04/2022
- Content
- The development of concepts for vehicle operation and cooperative separation above flight level 600 (60,000 ft) focuses heavily on the development of enabling technology. However, this engineering forward approach is hampered by a lack of enabling regulation. Foundational concepts presume that the requirement for a 1:1 operator to vehicle ratio will not be required for self-piloted aircraft. To support development and innovation on the engineering side, it is important to explore the opportunities on the regulatory side to address the airman’s certificate (ICAO personnel licensing) changes that are needed to assure safety of flight while enabling future operations. This paper explores the relationship between pilot, controller, and aircraft dispatcher in the cooperative separation model envisioned by the FAA’s Upper Class E Concept of Operations (ETM) and recommends a regulatory path to enable operational control based on a ratio of 1: many that enables civil uncrewed operations to be integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS).
- Citation
- Stilwell, R., "Personnel Licensing to Enable Uncrewed Operations above FL600," SAE MobilityRxiv™ Preprint, submitted July 4, 2022, https://doi.org/10.47953/SAE-PP-00286.