Perspectives on Unmanned Aircraft Classification for Civil Airworthiness Standards

The use of unmanned aircraft in the National Airspace System (NAS) has been characterized as the next great step forward in the evolution of civil aviation. Although use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in military and public service operations is proliferating, civil use of UAS remains limited in the United States today. This report focuses on one particular regulatory challenge: classifying UAS to assign airworthiness standards. This paper provides observations related to how the current regulations for classifying manned aircraft could apply to UAS.

• Record URL:
  http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20130010930_2013010365.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Langley Research Center
  Hampton, VA  United States  23681

  Whirlwind Engineering LLC

  Poquoson, VA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Maddalon, Jeffrey M
  • Hayhurst, Kelly J
  • Koppen, Daniel M
  • Upchurch, Jason M
  • Morris, A Terry
  • Verstynen, Harry A
• Publication Date: 2013-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 55p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airworthiness; Civil aviation; Classification; Drones; Regulations
• Identifier Terms: National Airspace System
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01487047
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: NASA/TM–2013-217969
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 8 2013 7:11AM