SINUE: Integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems in Air Traffic Control

Kurzfassung

The case for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is developing rapidly. Sense & Avoid will not be solved in the next few years, so that large unmanned aircraft will most likely fly in controlled airspace first, where instrument flight rules determine the flight profile and manoeuvring. In this sense, the air traffic controller is the eye of the aircraft through his radar picture. Because of the size of the airspace, these aircraft will fly Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) where Command and Control (C2) and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are relayed over satellite. The important questions to be investigated are how to obtain adequate situation awareness for air traffic control on UAS and how to set up emergency procedures in case of loss of satellite communication. We have set up a real-time man-in-the-loop simulation environment, where real air traffic controllers, a real pilot (for other traffic), and a pilot at a UAS ground control station (GCS) participated to evaluate the concept. We tested different scenarios, ranking from only loss of ATC communication to total satellite communication failure and investigated predictability of behaviour of the unmanned aircraft, response from the air traffic controller, and response from the UAS pilot. Analysis of the radar tracks was made and interviews were held. We have shown, in a simulated environment, that integration of UAS in controlled airspace, is a feasible concept; air traffic controllers indicated that control of the UAS did not differ significantly from control of other, manned aircraft. We have also demonstrated that UAS emergency procedures can be designed equivalent to those of manned aircraft, such that the air traffic controller will understand and is able to predict the behaviour of the UAS in several loss-of-satellite-communication situations.