Aeronautical Decision Making for UAS

            Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) is a critical aspect of every flight that occurs in our skies.  Whether UAS operators realize it or not, they are always using aspects of ADM when evaluating if they should launch their UAS for their intended flight.  Proper use of ADM techniques and procedures can lead to enhanced safety for both the operator, UAS and bystanders by preventing unsafe situations from occurring or developing all together.  ADM involved several essential components that allow a UAS operator to assess risk.  There are several methods available including the IMSAFE and PAVE acronyms which give pilots a memory jogger to help them remember all the aspects of risk assessment and mitigation.  These checks include assessing the pilot’s health and stress levels as well as the mission and aircraft requirements as well as weather and external pressure that may exist and contribute to unsafe situations.  These procedures may seem tedious and unnecessary, but these methods have been proven to generate consistently safer flights, and in many cases prevent mishaps from occurring (United States, 2016).

            The biggest area of ADM and risk management that sticks out to me in the UAS realm is the lack of ADM use and risk assessment prior to flights.  Cody (2018), cited numerous incidents that occurred with UAS the were spotted flying near airports and manned aircraft as well as several incidents involving UAS striking and damaging manned aircraft.  These accidents that occur near airports are certainly almost completely avoidable by using sound judgment and risk assessment techniques. 

Another major area of ADM for UAS that jumps out to me is the requirement for UAS operators to understand a multitude of different local, state and federal laws and when each applies during their flights.  Traditional manned aircraft follow the same rules regardless of where they fly in the states.  UAS however must follow the local rules set by the municipality they are flying in, especially for knowing when and where they can launch and fly their UAS from.  Then, once they are airborne, they must understand and abide by all federal rules that govern the airspace over the local municipalities.  This creates a unique human factor challenge for UAS operators, greatly increasing the risk of misunderstandings and mistakes occurring.  This is exacerbated by the extreme portability of a lot of small UAS platforms which means that it is easy for operators to fly in many different locations during their travels.  This forces them to learn even more rules and regulations for all the areas they fly in, further increasing the chances of confusion occurring (Fact Sheet, 2016).

References:

Cody, N. (2018). Flight and Federalism: Federal Preemption of State and Local Drone Laws. Washington Law Review, 93(3). Retrieved April 13, 2019, from https://digital.law.washington.edu/dspace-law/handle/1773.1/1840.

Fact Sheet – Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107). (2016, June 21). Retrieved April 12, 2019, from https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=20516

United States, Federal Aviation Administration. (2016, August). Remote Pilot – Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide. Retrieved April 13, 2019, from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/media/remote_pilot_study_guide.pdf