Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are being deployed for commercial and civil uses in a wide variety of sectors including construction, mining, agriculture, surveying, real estate, insurance, public safety, infrastructure, media, and entertainment. Standards topics include: airworthiness, flight operations, and personnel training, qualifications, and certification.
The ANSI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC) is a coordinating body that has published a roadmap (available as a free download) identifying published and needed standards to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace of the United States. Below is a listing of some UAS standards that have been published. Users may also wish to search the webstore.
This document provides an approach to the development of training topics for pilots of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for use by operators, manufacturers, and regulators. The identification of training topics is based initially on Practical Test Standard (PTS) topics for manned aircraft pilots. The topics identified could be used for the construction of a PTS for UAS commercial pilot operations and a PTS for a UAS pilot instrument rating. The UAS commercial pilot rating would contain restrictions on the types of operations that could be flown that would be dependent on the type of UAS used. The UAS type would also influence the specific training topics that would be covered. This document is not intended to outline the requirements for other crewmembers, such as observers, payload operators, or ground personnel, nor does it distinguish between different levels of pilot authority or discuss the roles for pilot-in-command, supplemental pilot, or observer. The recommendations outlined in this document assume that UAS pilot certification will not require a manned certification as a prerequisite. No recommendations are given for recurrent training, specific medical requirements, or whether or not UAS instructors must hold a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) certificate. Training and certification of UAS pilots for commercial operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) is a new field. Consequently, the scope of this document is limited to proposing an initial framework to train and certify UAS pilots for fixed wing UAS. As the community grows, certification and training requirements will become more detailed and refined. Additionally, there are other classes of UAS that will need to be addressed in detail in the future. These include rotary wing, ducted fan vertical flight, and lighter-than-air.
This document establishes recommended practices for the specification of general performance, design, test, development, and quality assurance requirements for the flight control related functions of the Vehicle Management Systems (VMS) of military Unmanned Aircraft (UA), the airborne element of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), as defined by ASTM F 2395-07. The document is written for military unmanned aircraft intended for use primarily in military operational areas. The document also provides a foundation for considerations applicable to safe flight in all classes of airspace.
This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) provides technical recommendations for the lighting applications for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The technical content of this ARP discusses the unique trade-offs that are necessary to maintain commonality to the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for aerospace lighting. The recommendations set forth in this document are to aid in the design of Unmanned Aircraft (UA) lighting for the size of aircraft and operation for which the aircraft is intended. In addition, certain concepts of operation for which UASs are suited will require unique lighting solutions.
This standard outlines the elements and characteristics of a serial number to be used by small unmanned aerial systems.
1.1 This terminology identifies and precisely defines terms as used in the standard test methods, practices, and guides for evaluating response robots intended for hazardous environments. Further discussions of the terms can be found within the standards in which the terms appear.
1.2 The term definitions address response robots, including ground, aquatic, and aerial systems. Some key features of such systems are remotely operated from safe standoff distances, deployable at operational tempos, capable of operating in complex environments, sufficiently hardened against harsh environments, reliable and field serviceable, durable or cost effectively disposable, and equipped with operational safeguards.
1.3 Units—Values stated in either the International System of Units (metric) or U.S. Customary units (inch-pound) are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents. Both units are referenced to facilitate acquisition of materials internationally and minimize fabrication costs. Tests conducted using either system maintain repeatability and reproducibility of the test method and results are comparable.
1.1 This practice identifies and describes equipage and procedures for safely handling unmanned aircraft forced to recover at alternate or diversionary airfields where personnel trained in recovering that type of aircraft may not be present. It is intended to apply to fixed-wing unmanned aircraft conducting non-visual line-of-sight operations. It is intended to establish common locations, labeling, and functions of equipment necessary to safely power down the aircraft without damaging it and common procedures for untrained personnel to follow to contact the owner of the aircraft. It addresses mission planning procedures, automated functions, and manual functions/handling procedures in the preflight, in-flight, and post-flight phases, respectively.
1.2 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This practice prescribes guidelines for the display of marks to indicate appropriate UAS registration and ownership for all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) except those categorized as small UAS (sUAS) by regulatory authorities. The FAA is developing a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) to define the term small UAS and provide regulations for these aircraft.
1.2 This practice will allow determination of nationality in cases where UAS may cross international boundaries.
1.3 This practice does not apply to sUAS. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has left the designation of sUAS to each state and the states will develop rules and regulations for sUAS.
1.4 This practice does not apply to model aircraft.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification provides the minimum requirements for an Unmanned Aircraft Flight Manual (UFM) for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed, manufactured, and operated in the light UAS category as defined by a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Depending on the size and complexity of the UAS, an UFM may also contain the instruction for maintenance and continuing airworthiness for owner / operator authorized maintenance.
1.2 This specification defines the UFM information that shall be provided by the manufacturer of a UAS as part of the initial sale or transfer to an end user.
1.3 This specification applies to a UAS seeking a CAA approval, in the form of airworthiness certificates, type certificates, flight permits, or other like documentation as a UAS, in the configuration specified in the UFM delivered with the system.
1.4 Any modifications that invalidate or otherwise affect the accuracy of UFM operating instructions shall be approved by the manufacturer and communicated to the regulatory authority in the certificate / permit application.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification establishes the standard practice for the maintenance and continued airworthiness of a lightweight unmanned aircraft system (UAS). 1.2 At a minimum, a UAS is defined as a system composed of the unmanned aircraft and all required subsystems, control station, all required crew members, command and control (C2) links, and any required launch and recovery equipment. 1.3 The intended use for this specification is for civil aviation authority (CAA), self-, or third-party determinations of continued airworthiness for UAS. This specification provides the core requirements for continued airworthiness of lightweight UAS or for certain CAA operational approvals using risk-based categories, or both. Additional requirements are envisioned to address the requirements for expanded operations and characteristics not addressed by this specification. 1.4 This specification is intended to support aircraft developed in accordance with Specifications F2910 , F3002 , F3005 , and F3298 . 1.5 This specification is intended to support UAS operations. It is assumed that the risk of UAS will vary based on concept of operations, environment, and other variables. The fact that there are no human beings onboard the UAS may reduce or eliminate some hazards and risks. 1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. 1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification defines the design, construction, and test requirements for a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This standard defines the production acceptance requirements for a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS).
1.2 This standard is applicable to sUAS that comply with design, construction, and test requirements identified in Specification F2910. No sUAS may enter production until such compliance is demonstrated.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This specification is provided as a consensus standard in support of an application to a nation’s governing aviation authority (GAA) for a permit to operate a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) for commercial or public use purposes.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This standard defines the quality assurance requirements for the design, manufacture, and production of a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This standard defines the requirements for batteries used in small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS).
1.2 This standard does not define requirements for the systems in which sUAS battery packs may be utilized.
1.3 This standard is subordinate to Specification F2910.
1.4 If allowed by a nation’s GAA, certain sUAS may be exempt from this standard and may use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) batteries in non-safety-critical payloads (lithium chemistries may not be exempted). Air transport regulations still shall be adhered to when air transport is used for COTS cells or batteries in bulk.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This practice focuses on preparing operational risk assessments (ORAs) to be used for supporting small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) (aircraft under 55 lb (25 kg)) design, airworthiness, and subsequent operational applications to the civil aviation authority (CAA).
1.2 It is expected that manufacturers and developers of larger/higher energy sUAS designs, intended to operate in controlled airspace over populated areas, will adopt many of the existing manned aircraft standards in use. These include standards such as SAE ARP4754A and ARP4761, which prescribe a “design for safety” top-down design approach to ensure the sUAS designs can reasonably meet more stringent qualitative and quantitative safety requirements. The ORA, however, remains the same for all risk profiles and will be a part of any sUAS operation.
1.3 In mitigating and preventing incidents and accidents, it is understood that people generally do not seek to cause damage or injure others, and therefore, malicious acts are beyond the scope of this practice.
1.4 As part of the ORA, the applicant should clearly understand and be able to articulate their intended mission for purposes of assessing safety and providing information to regulators. This documentation of a sUAS operation (mission, or set of missions) is what many refer to as a concept of operations (CONOPS).
1.5 This practice is intended primarily for sUAS applicants seeking approval or certification for airworthiness or operations from their respective CAA, though sUAS manufacturers may consider this practice, along with other system safety design standards, as appropriate to identify sUAS design and operational requirements needed to mitigate hazards.
1.6 Units—The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 Compliance with this practice is recommended as one means of seeking approval from a civil aviation authority (CAA) to operate a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Any regulatory application of this practice to sUAS and other unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) is at the discretion of the appropriate CAA.
1.2 Units—The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This standard practice intends to ensure the dependability of UAS software. Dependability includes both the safety and security aspects of the software.
1.2 This practice will focus on the following areas: (a) Organizational controls (for example, management, training) in place during software development. (b) Use of the software in the system, including its architecture and contribution to overall system safety and security. (c) Metrics and design analysis related to assessing the code. (d) Techniques and tools related to code review. (e) Quality assurance. (f) Testing of the software.
1.3 There is interest from industry and some parts of the CAAs to pursue an alternate means of compliance for software assurance for small UAS (sUAS).
1.4 This practice is intended to support sUAS operations. It is assumed that the risk of sUAS will vary based on concept of operations, environment, and other variables. The fact that there are no souls onboard the UAS may reduce or eliminate some hazards and risks. However, at the discretion of the CAA, this practice may be applied to other UAS operations.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.1 This classification defines small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) land search and rescue resources in terms of their capabilities.
1.2 The classifications in this standard are intended to aid emergency managers ordering resources for search and rescue incidents. These classifications provide a means by which resource managers and sUAS pilots/operators can convey to emergency management the tasks for which their systems are capable of performing.
1.3 This classification does not define standards of performance or training for sUAS systems and operators engaged in search and rescue.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This guide is intended for two distinct readers: educators who wish to develop curricula and training courses and individual pilots wishing to raise their knowledge level for particular flight operations. The guide describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to safely operate unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes. A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may, at their discretion, use this guide to aid the development of existing or future regulations. This guide addresses powered fixed-wing, vertical-take-off and lift and rotorcraft UAS and not other potential unmanned aircraft categories (for example, glider, lighter-than-air, etc.).
1.2 An unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is composed of the unmanned aircraft and all required on-board subsystems, payloads, control station, other required off-board subsystems, any required launch and recovery equipment, all required crew members, and command and control (C2) links between UA and the control station.
1.3 This guide provides fundamental general knowledge, task performance and knowledge, and activities and functions for remote pilots of lightweight UAS (but not necessarily limited to UAs under 55 lb Gross Take Off Weight) or for certain CAA operational approvals using risk-based categories. Flight operations outside the scope of this guide require additional knowledge, experience, and training.
1.4 This guide can be used to evaluate a training course outline and syllabus to determine when its content includes the topics necessary for training individuals to be proficient and competent remote pilot personnel. Likewise, this guide may be used to evaluate an existing training program to see when it meets the requirements in this guide.
1.5 A person meeting the requirements of this guide does not necessarily possess adequate knowledge, experience, and training to make specific mission-critical decisions safely. This guide merely describes recommended topics and does not provide specific mission training.
1.6 It is not the intent of this guide to require that a training course track the sequence or exact scope of the topics presented. However, the knowledge and skill objectives that are part of the training course should be included in any training course outline and syllabus to be used to train remote pilots. Furthermore, it is not the intent of this guide to limit the addition of knowledge and skill objectives required by local conditions or any governmental body.
1.7 The knowledge, skills, and abilities described in the following sections are not intended to be a rigid training sequence and should be adjusted by the appropriate CAA for specific scope and context.
1.8 This guide does not stand alone and must be used with other CAA/ASTM standards to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for remote pilots to operate safely and effectively.
1.9 Where proficiency in a skill or ability need be demonstrated, unless stated otherwise they shall be demonstrated for initial qualification, and as frequently as required by CAA.
1.10 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.11 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.12 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This standard practice defines design and test best practices that if followed, would provide guidance to an applicant for providing evidence to the civil aviation authority (CAA) that the flight behavior of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) containing complex function(s) is constrained through a run-time assurance (RTA) architecture to maintain an acceptable level of flight safety.
1.2 This practice will have the benefit of enabling highly automated UAS operations. It is envisioned that applicants will use this practice as a means of compliance for safe implementation of complex functions for routine operations.
1.3 Verification of complex functions is considered too challenging to use conventional software assurance methods such as RTCA DO-178C or IEC 61508. Certification challenges under these standards include generating required artifacts, such as requirements, elimination of unintended functionality, traceability/coverage, and test cases required for verification.
1.4 There is significant interest from industry and CAAs to have a standard practice to enable flight operations for UAS containing complex functions. Developing a certification path for these UAS technologies could also advance safety in General Aviation.
1.5 The following design tenets are offered to provide guidance to the UAS manufacturer as to the intended application of this standard.
1.5.1 The RTA Architecture is intended to be used for Complex Functions that would require an amount of effort that is beyond reasonably practicable to pass CAA conventional certification requirements.
1.5.2 The UAS manufacturer should engage in appropriate design, test, and validation activities to enable the Complex Function to perform as intended.
1.5.3 The complexity of the Recovery Control Function (RCF) deterministic commands should be minimized insofar as practicable.
1.5.4 Repeated invocation of an RCF during a single mission may be considered an indication of improper Complex Function performance.
1.5.5 An RTA design with multiple RCFs should consider the aircraft state, relative outcomes, and differences in RTA recovery times in prioritizing the recovery actions in the safety monitor.
1.5.6 The UAS manufacturer should strive to minimize false or nuisance triggers of one or more RCFs as these false alarms undermine user confidence in the system and impact operational efficiency.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification covers the airworthiness requirements for the design of light unmanned aircraft systems. This specification defines the baseline design, construction, and verification requirements for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
1.2 As a minimum, a UAS is defined as a system composed of the unmanned aircraft and all required on-board subsystems, payload, control station, other required off-board subsystems, any required launch and recovery equipment, all required crew members, and command and control (C2) links between UA and the control station.
1.3 The intent is for this standard of practice for CAA, self- or third-party determinations of airworthiness for UAS. This specification provides the core requirements for airworthiness certification of lightweight (UAS) (not necessarily limited to UAs under 55 lb GTOW) or for certain CAA operational approvals using risk-based categories. Additional requirements are envisioned to address the requirements for expanded operations and characteristics not addressed by this specification.
1.4 This specification is intended to support UAS operations. It is assumed that the risk of UAS will vary based on concept of operations, environment, and other variables. The fact that there are no human beings onboard the UAS may reduce or eliminate some hazards and risks. However, at the discretion of the CAA, this specification may be applied to other UAS operations.
1.5 The values in Imperial units are to be regarded as the standard. The values in SI are for information only.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification covers the design and manufacture requirements for deployable parachutes of small unmanned aircraft (sUA). This specification defines the design, fabrication, and test requirements of installable, deployable parachute recovery systems (PRS) that are designed to be integrated into a sUA to lessen the impact energy of the system should the sUA fail to sustain normal stable safe flight. Compliance with this specification is intended to support an applicant in obtaining permission from a civil aviation authority (CAA) to fly a sUA over people.
1.2 This specification is applicable to the design, construction, and test of deployable parachute recovery systems that may be incorporated into the system or structure, or both, of sUA seeking civil aviation authority (CAA) approval in the form of technical standard orders (TSO), flight certificates, flight waivers, flight permits, or other like documentation.
1.3 Units—The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
1.1 This specification defines the requirements for training and the development of training manuals for the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operator.
1.2 The specification addresses the requirements or best practices, or both, for documentation and organization of a professional operator (that is, for compensation and hire) for the purposes of internal training programs and for programs offered to the general public.
1.3 This specification supports professional entities that will receive operator certification by a CAA, and provide standards of practice for self- or third-party audit of operators of UAS.
1.4 The standard case study used to develop this specification focused on operators of light UAS (below 1320 lb/600 kg as defined by EASA), but the specification may be applied to larger aircraft for using other methods of classification (that is, risk based classes and pilot privileges classes).
1.5 Training manuals that do not include all the minimum requirements of this specification may not be referred to as meeting this specification.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.