VFR General Aviation Aircraft and UAV Flights Deconfliction

Abstract

Abstract 1 Integrating UAV traffic into airspace requires that deconfliction of UAV flights from those of aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) can be achieved. Today, the separation of two aircraft flying under VFR relies on the “see and avoid” principle but sometimes fails for reasons like high closing-in speed or pilot lack of vigilance. Equipment can be considered to solve this problem and, providing they are fitted to most of flying vehicles, they could dramatically change the picture of UAVs incoming into the airspace. Such an equipment, designed to provide assistance to light general aviation aircraft pilots in case of a risk of collision, delivers a voice message to the pilots giving them information to visually acquire each other. Once in visual contact, they both apply usual VFR to avoid collision. Fitting UAV with a similar equipment would change the “see and avoid” concept into a “sense and avoid” concept. In case of a conflicting flight path between a UAV and a manned aircraft, the pilot of the aircraft would vocally get information enhancing his capability to visually acquire the UAV while the UAV would “numerically sense” the light aircraft. Both would then be able to modify their flight path to avoid collision.