Responding to an auditor’s report critical of its progress toward integrating unmanned aircraft into national airspace, the FAAsays it expects to complete a plan by the end of August for a phased implementation approach over five years.
The Transportation Department’s Inspector General’s (IG) conclusion that FAA will miss Congress’s September 2015 deadline for integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system (NAS) will come as a surprise to no one watching its progress.
"FAA is making some progress in meeting UAS-related provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, but the agency is significantly behind schedule in meeting most of them, including the goal of achieving safe integration by September 2015," the IG says.
"FAA’s delays are due to unresolved technological, regulatory, and privacy issues, which will prevent FAA from meeting Congress’ September 30, 2015, deadline for achieving safe UAS integration. As a result…it is uncertain when and if full integration of UAS into the NAS will occur," the IG says.
"FAA officials told us that by 2015 they expect to issue their rule for small UAS, approve a ground-based detect and avoid system, and have operational test ranges. However, these actions do not represent full, safe integration," the report says.
"The Act requires safe – not full – integration of UAS into the NAS by September 2015," FAA says in its response, adding "AFS-80 [the UAS Integration Office] continues to work on a number of issues which require resolution in order for safe integration to occur."
Issues cited include establishing performance and certification standards for detect-and-avoid systems, improving the collection of safety data, developing safety risk management documents, developing training for air traffic controllers, and streamlining the process for authorizing UAS use.
The IG cites several significant barriers to safely integrating UAS into the NAS. First, following years of work with industry, the FAA has not reached consensus on standards for detect-and-avoid systems and data links, the report notes.
"Second, FAA has not established a regulatory framework for UAS integration, such as aircraft certification requirements, standard air traffic procedures… or an adequate controller training program," the report says.
"Third, FAA is not effectively collecting and analyzing UAS safety data to identify risks." Finally, FAA is not effectively managing its oversight of UAS operations. The agency’s UAS Integration Office has not "established clear guidance for regional inspectors on authorizing and overseeing UAS operations," the IG says.
The IG recommends the FAA develop "a more detailed implementation plan with milestones and prioritized actions needed to advance UAS integration in the near, mid, and long term."
In its response, the FAA says it is working with Mitre to develop a UAS Integration Strategy to assist with the development of a plan "that identifies the goals, dependencies, issues, and specific milestones of a phased implementation approach for UAS integration into the NAS over a five year implementation period." Anticipated completion date for the plan is August 31.
The FAA argues it has complied with another IG recommendation that it "establish metrics to define progress in meeting implementation milestones." The agency says, that, beginning this year, annual updates to its UAS Roadmap will include adjustments to goals, metrics and target dates.
"It is not possible to assess whether FAA’s planned actions meet the intent of our recommendation until FAA publishes the next update of the UAS Roadmap," the IG says, noting the FAA "did not provide a specific target date for when this action will be completed."

DoT report slams FAA's slow progress on UAS integration

By: BETH STEVENSON
LONDON
Source: 
09:31 2 Jul 2014
The US Department of Transport has issued a scathing report on the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to integrate unmanned air systems into the national airspace (NAS), claiming the administration is behind on a number of targets that determine if it will meet its 2015 integration deadline.
An Office of Inspector General audit report claims the FAA is behind on a number of objectives, and there remains a lack of technology standards for UAS to be able to sense and avoid obstacles. Other issues are a lack of certification and air traffic management procedures, or sufficient training for these.
“Significant technological, regulatory and management barriers exist to safely integrate UAS into the NAS,” the report begins. “The FAA is not effectively collecting and analysing UAS safety data to identify risks.
“This is because the FAA has not developed procedures for ensuring that all UAS safety incidents are reported and tracked, or a process for sharing UAS safety data with the US Department of Defense – the largest user of UAS.”
Technologies required to integrate UAS into the NAS include a capable sense-and-avoid system to replicate what a pilot would see on board a manned aircraft, as well as a robust datalink – two systems the report claims are lagging in development.
The DoT published a similar criticism in February, when a report claimed the automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) programme – “the core for shifting from today’s ground-based radar to NextGen’s satellite-based system” – is behind in development.
“Underlying programmatic and organisational challenges that we have previously reported continue to impact the FAA’s ability to deliver NextGen capabilities as originally planned,” the February report states.
The June paper adds that the FAA is not effectively managing its oversight of UAS operations. It claims that despite the establishment of the UAS Integration Office, the administration has not clarified lines of reporting or established clear guidance for regional inspectors on authorising and overseeing UAS operations.
“Until the FAA addresses these barriers, UAS integration will continue to move at a slow pace, and safety risks will remain,” the report adds.
The FAA released its Modernization and Reform Act in 2012, which mandated that UAS would be able to fly in the NAS by 30 September 2015.
A list of targets was produced by the administration in accordance with this aim, including the establishment of six UAS test sites – a goal achieved at the end of 2013, over a year behind schedule. The targets stated the integration of small UAS should be prioritised, with Arctic operations being the first application for these systems.
In June, the FAA issued the first certificate of waiver or authorisation for overland operations to BP and AeroVironment for surveillance of the former’s oilfield in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, using the manufacturer's Puma AE UAS.
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AeroVironment
“The FAA is making some progress in meeting UAS-related provisions of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012,” the paper notes. “[However,] the agency is significantly behind schedule in meeting most of them – including the goal of achieving safe integrationby September 2015”.
According to the report, the FAA has completed nine of the act’s 17 UAS provisions, including the selection of six test sites, publishing a UAS Roadmap and developing a comprehensive plan outlining the FAA’s UAS plans in the near- and long-term.“However, the agency missed the statutory milestones for most of these provisions, and much work remains to fully implement them,” the report says.
The FAA is also said to be behind schedule in implementing the remaining eight UAS provisions, including the August 2014 milestone for issuing a final rule on small UAS operations.
“The FAA’s delays are due to unresolved technological, regulatory and privacy issues, which will prevent the FAA from meeting Congress’ 30 September 2015 deadline for achieving safe UAS integration," the paper continues.“As a result, while it is certain that the FAA will accommodate UAS operations at limited locations, it is uncertain when and if full integration of UAS into the NAS will occur.”
According to the paper, the DoT is “making recommendations” to facilitate the effectiveness by which the FAA can safely integrate UAS into the NAS.