UTM Evolution Into the 2020S – New York as a Case Study

Abstract

The New York Griffiss Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site is a designated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) national UAS test site. With an integrated UAS test facility and airspace covering around 7,000 square miles over central and northern New York State, the test site mission is to promote safe UAS integration into civil airspace through UAS test operations, together with collection and analysis of air traffic surveillance data.Following legislation passed by the U.S. Congress in 2012, the FAA selected New York in 2013 from among 25 applicants as a national UAS flight test site. The FAA noted that the New York planned "to work on developing test and evaluation as well as verification and validation processes under FAA safety oversight." The FAA role for New York was research on "sense and avoid capabilities for UAS and to aid in researching the complexities of integrating UAS into congested northeast airspace."This paper describes the test range data collection and instrumentation capability, employing multiple ground-based air traffic sensors to track both cooperative and noncooperative manned aircraft. Sensors include wide area multilateration (WAM or MLAT), ADS-B, and 3-D primary radars.The original test site concept was to support development of RTCA minimum operational performance standards (MOPS) for ground-based radar air traffic surveillance systems. RTCA standards in this area apply to ability of unmanned aircraft (UA) to remain well clear of and avoid collisions with manned aircraft. The test range would become a proof-of-concept for future ground-based detect and avoid (GBDAA) systems for UAS beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations in the airport terminal area and in transition to enroute airspace.In 2015, the New York UAS test range started to support NASA UAS Traffic Management (UTM). This required adding an ability for UAS remote pilots to detect and remain well clear of, not only manned aircraft, but also small UAS operating below 400 ft. above ground level (AGL).A major step in 2016 was a $30 million New York State award to develop a 50-mile Rome to Syracuse New York UTM corridor. The grant, along with state financial support for unmanned and connected systems development, enabled investment in a five-year program for air traffic surveillance, data collection, cyberphysical security, safety risk management, and commercialization.Working with NASA and FAA through succeeding UTM Capability Level demonstrations from 2017 to 2019, New York prepared a foundation to go beyond demonstrations and build a versatile and long-life UTM systems integration and operational testbed covering a wide geographic area.The paper reports on New York UAS Test Site development and lists challenges into the mid-2020s for unmanned applications, focusing on UTM evolution and UTM’s contribution to safe UAS integration into the NAS.