I've spent quite a lot of time working with Small Unmanned Aerial Systems. I've worked with extraordinarily bright end users, engineers, scientists and program managers to improve system designs and performance. I have also worked diligently to increase awareness and to develop new area's to operate these systems.
I gave a talk to the AUVSI San Diego Chapter in November and decided to post the core thesis of the talk when I could.
The primary issue was, is and remains to be "low altitude access for small unmanned aerial systems".
I believe this is a national issue and of great importance and interest to every American.
I've spent hundreds (if not thousands) of hours working unmanned systems issues in my career both as a military member and now as a civilian. The most difficult set of issues that I have personally dealt with (and still deal with) are unmanned systems access to the national airspace in the United States.
My professional assessment is that the United States is at least five years (yes, I said FIVE years) away from any meaningful remedy that will enable rapid, ad-hoc, low altitude national airspace access for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS).
So, what does this mean to you or I as American's and taxpayers?
Imagine that a Police Officer has a small drone in the trunk of his or her car. He or she receives a call that a person is lost in the woods. They respond by driving to the approximate last known location of the lost person and park their vehicle. They pull out their small drone system with a camera onboard, launch the system and begin a hasty search of the area.
I'm not a Law Enforcement expert. I'm not an expert in conducting searches. (although I've conducted a few searches in my life for lost gear....including a few lost small unmanned aerial systems...which is another story...)
It seems to me, in this situation, an effective and swift response might make a difference.
Today, this Police Officer probably wouldn't have the equipment because no administrator or councilmember or city manager in their right mind would (or perhaps could?) approve purchasing equipment that is illegal to operate in the United States.When I say "illegal" I am describing the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) regulations that specify and permit equipment to be operated in the United States National Airspace System every moment of every day at every altitude everywhere in the United States.
To wit, in large part,the FAA does a fantastic job, considering all of the complexities and issues that they deal with minute by minute with regards to ensuring a safe aviation transportation system.
Put simply, the US national airspace management system (designed in the 1940's) that the FAA uses to keep America's skies safe actually limits and restricts our safety in other ways.
When filing a Flight Plan isn't an option
It doesn't help that police officer may not know specifically where or when he or she might need to begin a hasty search for that lost person.
Presently, in order for that Police Officer (end user) to operate equipment (e.g., Small Unmanned Aerial Systems) in the National Airspace, they are required to have a Certificate of Authorization (COA) Waiver, which is a license of sorts that allows "specific persons with specifically certified and approved equipment with specified and special permissions to deviate or depart from existing FAA regulations for a specific period of time at a specific location".
Currently, the FAA prefers that all Unmanned Aerial Systems operations (Small, Medium and Large) be confined to Warning Area's and Restricted Area's airspace, Non-Joint use Military Class D airspace and in some cases Class G airspace for "low altitude" access provided that that airspace is owned/controlled by the Federal Government.
Again, unfortunately, this doesn't do the lost person or the first responder much good.
Put another way, Imagine filing a flight plan that takes two years to be approved.
The problem is that it can and does take years to be granted these permissions. (If you can get them). If you live in area's that are "unsuitable" from the FAA's perspective, your request will be denied or rejected.
Again, unfortunately, this doesn't do the lost person or the first responder much good.
The present regulatory requirements for having pre-approved (Certificate of Authorization Waivers) COA's essentially eliminates the possibility for "rapid and ad-hoc" access to low altitude airspace in the US. These requirements also eliminate certain US citizens from the value and benefit to a) compete in a burgeoning industry and b) benefit as tax payers and citizens from the protections and capabilities these systems can provide to all of us.
Another time we'll talk about additional consequences of such restrictions such as the impact of lost business opportunities, job creation, industrial diversification and innovation.
I and most of my peers have accepted this to be the present situation for now and into the foreseeable future that we find ourselves in.
Put it on a Tether
The primary reason I decided to design and build an inflatable wing on a tether is a very practical one.
The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) allow moored and tethered equipment (e.g., lighter than air balloons) to operate at or below 500 ft. above ground level (AGL).
So we're developing a new product category that on one hand is an interim solution that can serve to provide "rapid and ad-hoc access" to low altitude airspace in the US. On the other hand it's also a capability that has merit in that it just might democratize the very undemocratic process of accessing low altitude airspace in the United States.
One of the biggest benefits of the ASAP product category is actually being able to easily (and legally) get payloads airborne, thereby allowing for low altitude airspace access for numerous reasons, one of which might be searching for that lost child in the woods.
Our early beta customers such as Murray State University and The Department of Justice's Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center and the Border Region Technology Center agree.
Cheers,
John Surmont
Founder/CEO
Sofcoast, Inc.
