Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Their Future Impact

            Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become a progressively growing part of aviation in current society. It has developed from a military technology into a recreational civilian toy. Currently, the civilian market is booming with drones and their capabilities. If you walk down the toy isle in any store you are likely to see small drones, and some can even be controlled by a person’s smart phone. Additionally, larger scale drones have been coupled with a GoPro, and have been used to receive remarkable footage. This footage has been used as an alternative for companies to survey their equipment that would otherwise be difficult and dangerous to inspect. UAVs are currently not allowed to be piloted in controlled airspace. However, there currently has been a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) for Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). This document has numerous regulations regarding how civilians can fly their UAVs, and also proposed rules for operating in the NAS.  Some of the overarching rules would include the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), the term the FAA uses for UAVs, must weigh less than 55 lbs. Furthermore, they must operate 5 nautical miles away from an airport with an operating control tower, 3 nautical miles from an uncontrolled airport with an instrument approach procedure, and 2 nautical miles from all other airports, heliports, and seaports. They also must operate at or below 200 feet AGL. Additionally, there are other regulations that are less overarching included in this document for civilian UAS pilots. Lastly, the notice provides a method in which UAS pilots would be able to operate in the NAS with their own set of procedures and responsibilities (FAA, 2015).

            I do see UAVs being integrated into the NAS. With companies such as Amazon implementing deliveries with UAVs, I find it hard to believe that UAV use to expand companies’ capabilities wont become more common. As companies begin to expand their reach utilizing UAVs, it will become necessary to implement them in the NAS to continue to provide proper separation and a safe operating environment. With the rules outlined in the FAA’s NPRM, I believe they have created a good platform in which to start implementing UAVs into the NAS. Some problems that may arise from the implementation of UAVs in the NAS is setting effective requirements to train UAV pilots to know the regulations and safely operate in the NAS. Additionally, when implementing a totally new idea there will be numerous unforeseen issues that can cause accidents or interfere with manned aircraft. Many of our current regulations were written because of fatalities. It is a common saying that the regulations are “written in blood” because of that reason. So with the implementation of an entirely new concept I would imagine there would be fatalities while the nuances of implementing UAVs into the NAS is figured out. Lastly, with the only view of the UAV pilot being the camera, and not having the same training as pilots in traditional aircraft there would be a perception of them being inferior to the traditional pilot. Traditional pilots would view the UAV pilots as unsafe until they have a track record proving otherwise.

            While the technology for UAVs is new, the concept of unmanned aircraft to reduce casualties is a concept seen all the way back to World War I. Over the years the sophistication of the unmanned aircraft have increased, as well as, their effectiveness. “UAVs are divided by class category. During operations where more than one system is available, UAV systems can be task organized and class categories selected to achieve the required flexibility and capability.” (Global Security, 2015). The Department of Defense’s (DOD) categories are UAV-Close Range (UAV-CR) with an operational range of approximately 50 kilometers, UAV-Short Range (UAV-SR) with a flight duration of 8 to 10 hours designed to penetrate into enemy airspace out to a range of 200 kilometers with datalink, and UAV-Endurance (UAV-E) with a minimum of 24 hour coverage and be capable of performing multiple missions simultaneously (Global Security, 2015). These different types of UAVs have allowed for the U.S. military to broaden the scope of missions they task to their drones. Their integration has been efficient by limiting the risk involved with having a human in the cockpit over hostile territory. Additionally, the training to be a UAV pilot is shorter and less expensive than that of training a traditional pilot. However, without having to put a pilot in danger it has created an environment where it’s easier to send a drone in versus a manned aircraft. This may lead to more aggressive strategies. Furthermore, not having actual eyes on the target can create issues and has the potential to increase collateral damage. Although as technology and munitions improve the likelihood of collateral damage decreases with the increased situational awareness of the UAV pilot.

            After a simple Google search for UAV jobs I was able to find UAV coach, http://uavcoach.com/uav-jobs/. UAV coach is a drone enthusiast community. Additionally, it provides a search engine that has 1,605 jobs across the United States for UAV operators, pilots, and engineers. (Alan, 2016)

References

Alan. (2016, February 14). UAV Jobs: Careers in the Drone Industry. Retrieved from http://uavcoach.com/uav-jobs/

FAA. (2015, November 25). Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). Retrieved from http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Notice/Notice_UAS_7210.891.pdf

Global Security. (2015, November 4). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/systems/uav-intro.htm

Flight and Duty Regulations and the Differences Between the Airlines and Cargo Carriers

As a result of the findings from the Colgan Air accident the FAA instituted many new regulations. One of the major regulations that were changed involved flight and duty time. The new rules pertaining to commercial passenger flights is multi faceted. The FAA limited the flight time to eight or nine hours depending on when the day started, a 10-hour minimum rest period that included 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and new cumulative flight duty and flight time limits by placing weekly and 28-day limits on how many times a pilot can be assigned any sort of flight duty (FAA, 2011). This is an improvement on the old regulation that only had an 8-hour rest period that had no stipulation on how the pilot must use that rest period, other than not for any type of flight duty. Additionally, under the old regulation pilots were allowed to be on duty up to 16 hours straight. However, with these old regulations there were numerous crashes due to unfit pilots. FAA Acting Administrator Huerta stated, “Every pilot has a personal responsibility to arrive at work fit for duty. This new rule gives pilots enough time to get the rest they really need to safely get passengers to their destinations.” (FAA, 2011).

While the new duty rest periods have greatly enhanced the quality of life for airline pilots, the cargo carriers fall outside of these regulations. This leaves the cargo pilots operating under worse conditions than the airline pilots. “Under the new rules, passenger pilots can only work nine hours if any of their flights are at night. But cargo pilots can work 16 hours.” (Pegues, 2015). This longer workday is compounded with the fact that most cargo pilots are flying at night against their natural circadian rhythm. “A year and a half ago, UPS Airlines Flight 1354 crashed in Birmingham, Alabama. Both pilots were killed and the plane narrowly missed a neighborhood. Flight 1354's captain Cerea Beal told a colleague that his flight schedule was killing him.” (Pegues, 2015). These types of accidents are unacceptable and the FAA has implemented a solution, but excluded the cargo carriers from having to implement it. This lack of implementation of the proper safety standards is egregious.

            Cargo carriers are excluded from the new changes because of the cost and lost revenue. The lobbyists were able to convince lawmakers that the cost of implementing these changes would not have enough of a safety improvement. “The FAA, meanwhile, has revised its economic rationale behind exempting cargo pilots, saying it would cost the industry $550 million to comply, outweighing safety benefits. Originally, it said the rules would cost an additional $214 million”. (Carroll, 2014). The FAA has followed suit in this theory that the safety benefits do not warrant such a price tag. However, this thinking is ludicrous and is perpetuated by the fact that if a cargo carrier crashes there are fewer souls on board that would parish compared to an airline crash. When it comes to overall pilot safety this is not a viable solution for cargo pilots. “Capt. Lee Moak, president of the Air Line Pilots Association International, which represents almost 50,000 pilots at 31 airlines, including UPS competitor FedEx, said that ‘it is becoming more apparent that separate rest requirements for cargo and passenger pilots is unsustainable, unsupportable, and unconscionable.’” (Carroll, 2014).

            I believe that cargo carriers should be included in the new rules. The cargo pilots would greatly benefit from the implementation of the new regulation. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t new issues that arise with how the cargo operators fly versus the airlines. There should be a distinction between the two types of operators. However, while those issues get hashed out the new flight and duty regulations for the airlines is a great place to start for the cargo carriers. The distinction should be made between the two types of operators because they need to take into account the types of flying the cargo operators do, which is mostly at night. There should be some studies done on how operating under the new rules mainly at night affects the pilots and adjust from there.

            This new rule would impact my long-term goal of being a pilot for FedEx. The increase of rest for pilots will greatly improve the quality of my life while working for FedEx. Additionally, it will allow cargo pilots the best environment to operate efficiently and safely. Lastly, it would remove the negative stigma associated with flying freight by improving the typical day as a cargo pilot.  Without the stigma, becoming a cargo pilot would be more attractive to new pilots, and would increase the potential pilots for cargo operations.

References

Carroll, J. R. (2014, March 13). UPS pilots urge more rest for cargo crews. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/03/13/ups-pilots-urge-more-rest-for-cargo-crews/6402615/

FAA. (2011, December 21). Press Release – FAA Issues Final Rule on Pilot Fatigue. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272

Pegues, J. (2015, February 24). Investigation: Why are cargo pilots excluded from new rest rules? Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/investigation-why-are-cargo-pilots-excluded-from-new-rest-rules/

Third Class Medical Reform

            The current agenda for GA medical reform is to help keep ageing pilots flying. Many GA organizations such as AOPA have been pushing for a medical reform for years. This is because under the current regulations all pilots must have a minimum of a 3^rd class medical to fly, and with a 3^rd class medical there are certain medical parameters. However, with age these parameters become increasingly harder to achieve. Under the proposed Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 “pilots flying recreationally in a wide range of aircraft would no longer need to obtain a third-class medical certificate. The new bill would allow private pilots to make noncommercial VFR and IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with up to six seats. Pilots also would be allowed to carry up to five passengers, fly at altitudes below 14,000 feet msl and fly no faster than 250 knots. PRB2 also includes a provision to ensure that pilots can fly under the new rules even if the FAA fails to comply with the bill’s provisions 180 days after enactment.” (American Bonanza Society, 2016). This provides elderly pilots, or pilots who have had disqualifying surgeries to continue flying. This is important because many of the GA population are beginning to not be able to maintain their medicals. This bill is meant to provide these pilots, especial the ones with special issuance, the best method to be able to safely continue to fly.

This bill started to receive traction when “Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) introduced the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 in the Senate in February as a follow up to the original Pilot’s Bill of Rights measure he championed that became law in 2012. In addition to medical reform, the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 includes a number of protections for pilots facing FAA enforcement actions.” (Tennyson, 2015). As of December 15 the Senate has passed the bill containing the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2. The bill has now moved from the Senate to the House of Representatives and is currently on the docket to be voted upon. If the bill is passed in the House it will then have to be signed by the president before it becomes law.

One aspect of the GA medical reform that I find particularly interesting is the policy pertaining to the 10- year maximum since a pilot has last-held an FAA medical.  Wood Eppelsheimer, a retired airline pilot and 45-plus year active GA pilot states, “While I understand the surface politics of the 10-year maximum since the last-held FAA medical, if I were a non-flying congressman it would sound like a contradiction of the facts and I would question the legitimacy of the whole concept. The fact is we self evaluate every time we fly, years of light sport and glider flying prove the concept. The 10-year lookback is meaningless. It will only serve to deny some older pilots the same rights the rest of us seek and, in my view, could damage the effort.” (Sclair, 2015). While Eppelsheimer may believe that a 10- year maximum is damaging to the bill. There are numerous steps a bill needs to take prior to becoming a law. This maximum may not provide a meaningful impact on pilots due to the self-evaluation each pilot does prior to every flight. However, the maximum does allow for congressmen who are not as versed in the aviation industry a safety feature that will permit for the bill to receive the needed votes to become a law. This horse-trading is a vital aspect to successfully getting a bill through Congress. While it may seem to not have much value to the pilots below the surface, its existence in the bill is paramount due to the additional votes it will persuade. This language is tactfully placed to provide better general aviation medical regulations even if it still may not be perfect.

           

            While our current GA medical regulations may not be perfect. I find this reform that is being pushed via the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 is not necessarily the answer. I find this legislation is not fundamentally about the overall general aviation community. I believe it to be based on aging senators having their medicals on the line, and want to continue to be able to fly. While this bill may benefit pilots who have received special issuances on their medical, I don’t find this bill provides the evidence that individuals who have these disqualifying conditions should be able to fly as a whole.  Less medical screening is not the answer. The reduction of medical screening will just create numerous other issues. Additionally, the bill places the screening that would be done for these individuals on their personal physicians and not an AME. These personal physicians may be great doctors, but lack the training and knowledge needed to properly screen and evaluate a pilot’s medical conditions.

References

American Bonanza Society. (2016, January). THIRD CLASS MEDICAL EXEMPTION LEGISLATION INTRODUCED. Retrieved from https://www.bonanza.org/2-uncategorised/1034-third-class-medical-exemption-legislation-introduced?noredirect=true

Sclair, B. (2015, October 14). Have an opinion? Of course you do. You’re a pilot. Retrieved from http://generalaviationnews.com/2015/10/14/have-an-opinion-of-course-you-do-youre-a-pilot/

Tennyson, E. A. (2015, December 15). Full Senate passes medical reform. Retrieved from http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/December/15/Full-Senate-passes-medical-reform

Pilots and Depression

On Tuesday 24 March 2015 scheduled flight 9525, an Airbus A320 operated by Germanwings, crashed in the French Alps. The flight was scheduled to depart Barcelona, Spain and arrive in Dusseldorf, Germany. There were 144 passengers and 6 crewmembers on board. Upon reaching cruising altitude of 38,000 ft., the captain told the co-pilot that he was leaving the cockpit and for him to take over radio communications. Seconds after the captain left the cockpit, “the selected altitude on the FCU changed in one second from 38,000 ft. to 100 ft. One second later, the autopilot changed to ‘OPEN DES’ mode and autothrust changed to ‘THR IDLE’ mode.” (BAE, 2015). This set the stage for the inevitable crash. When the captain had tried to return to the cockpit, the co-pilot had locked the cockpit door. Following September 11, 2001 the airlines have installed many safety features to protect against hijackers. However, in this case they were used to allow the co-pilot to fly the aircraft into the mountainside without having to overpower the captain. The co-pilot had locked the cockpit door, and this reinforced door did not allow the captain to return to the cockpit and correct the current flight path. The co-pilot was found to be mentally unstable. “On 9 April 2009, his class 1 medical certificate was not revalidated by the Lufthansa aeromedical centre due to depression and the taking of medication to treat it.” (BAE, 2015). He later was able to obtain his class 1 medical with a special restriction that made it mandatory that he has regular medical examinations (BAE, 2015). However, even with this documented mental illness he was still able to be in control of 150 lives. With the subjective nature of diagnosing mental illnesses such as depression, it is possible for the co-pilot to be able to pass his examination and still be unstable.

           

            While it may seem like suicide by pilot is not a common affair, there are numerous other accounts where it has occurred at a commercial level. One of these cases is EgyptAir Flight 990. “The co-pilot of EgyptAir Flight 990, which crashed off New England in 1999, killing 217 people, deliberately crashed the plane as an act of revenge” (Campbell, 2002). The pilot used his position to make a statement to his company after he was accused of a series of allegations of sexual misconduct. The co-pilot said, “I rely on God” before pushing the nose down and cutting fuel flow to the engines resulting in the crash (Campbell, 2002).

            Currently mental evaluation for pilots is done when they go in for the renewal of their first class medical certificate. This is every 6 calendar months for pilots over the age of 40, and every 12 calendar months for pilots under the age of 40. Dr. Scarpa, Jr., AsMA president stated, “ Use of effective, minimally intrusive, easy-to-use tests that can be used by aeromedical examiners during a pilot's existing periodic aeromedical exam.” (Scarpa, 2015). While these tests may be implemented they are still not as accurate as the industry needs them to be. This is due to the information needed typically not being provided by the pilots in tests that are only yes and no answers. There needs to be an improved system where it creates an environment where the pilots have to give more in-depth answers. This would better provide the examiner the ability to best monitor for mental illnesses.

            The current perspective the FAA and airlines have towards mental illness creates a culture where the pilots hide any mental illnesses they may have. This is because if you come forward with a mental illness there is a good chance you will lose the opportunity to continue to fly. If the FAA and airlines began a more liberal approach in regards to mental illness and treatment, it would allow for self-reporting to be a viable option. A system implemented by the FAA as a whole or by the individual airlines similar to the ASRS program for rule deviation will help the industry to better regulate the issues currently being suppressed. However, this would require more faculty members whose purpose is to regulate any reports by crewmembers pertaining to mental illness. Additionally, there would have to be an acceptable process to remedy the illness to allow for the pilot to continue flying, but also be of sound mind when doing so. The ability to combat mental illness without losing their careers is a must if we want a system like this to work.

Works  Cited

BEA. (2015, May). Accident on 24 March 2015 at Prads-Haute-Bléone (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France) to the Airbus A320-211 registered D-AIPX operated by Germanwings. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.bea.aero/docspa/2015/d-px150324.en/pdf/d-px150324.en.pdf

Campbell, D. (2002, March 15). Revenge drove pilot to crash plane, killing 217. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/mar/16/duncancampbell

Scarpa, P. J., Jr. (2015, November 30). Pilot Mental Health. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.asma.org/publications/pilot-mental-health