You have been hired by a company that has purchased both the Insitu ScanEagle and a variant of the General Atomics Ikhana UAS to conduct oceanic environmental studies. Now the company needs to select and hire legally qualified personnel to fly and operate these aircraft in the U.S. National Airspace System and in the case of the Ikhana, conduct Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) missions over the open ocean. As a human factors expert it is your task to identify the required crew positions that need to be filled in order to safely operate these aircraft. Also, you will need to determine the qualification, certification, and training requirements according to the FAA that the selected personnel will need to conduct operations. Finally, provide a minimum and ideal set of criteria that can be used to identify the most highly qualified applicants for these positions to ensure compliance with all applicable rules and regulations.

UAS Crew Member Selection

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

ASCI 638 Human Factors in Unmanned Aerospace Systems

May 11, 2017

As a human factors expert who has been hired by a company that plans on operating both the Insitu ScanEagle and a variant of the General Atomics Ikhana unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), my first order of business would be to determine crew requirements for each system. To do so, I would collaborate directly with the manufacturers of each UAS. With the assistance of the manufactures, an accurate set of crew requirements can be determined based on mission requirements. Additionally, I would utilize training provided by each manufacturer for both initial and recurring training until an internal training regime could be established.

Crew positions vary between the ScanEagle and Ikhana aircraft. The ScanEagle can be operated by a single pilot in command (PIC) (Insitu, 2017). The Ikhana also only requires one PIC, however, the payload operator station provides redundant controls making it suitable as a co-pilot station (Merlin, 2009). For the scope of operations, a single pilot for the ScanEagle and two pilots for the Ikhana would be required. Although other crew members may be required for scientific research roles, this paper will concentrate on those operating the aircraft.

For the ScanEagle, minimum qualifications for a PIC would be those applicable to small UAS (sUAS). Items such as physical and mental attributes would be required to meet minimum qualifications as listed in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Rule (2017) also known as Part 107. Other requirements such as the ability to pass a color vision test, be at least age 16, read, write, and speak English would also be minimum qualifications. Additionally, pilots must pass Transportation Security Administration (TSA) vetting (Small Unmanned Aircraft System Rule, 2017). Once these requirements are met, the individual can test for their Remote Pilot Airman Certificate. Ideally, operators would be certificated prior to hiring.

The aforementioned qualifications may meet minimum requirements but may be insufficient for planned operations. Because the ScanEagle is capable of operating for over 24 hours and beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) (Insitu, 2017) the company will likely wish to exploit these abilities. To do so would require a certificate of waiver to Part 107. In order to gain approval for this waiver, it may be prudent to require additional pilot qualifications such as certification as prescribed under 14 CFR Part 61. Without such a waiver, the aircraft can only be operated within visual line-of-sight (VLOS) thereby drastically reducing its usefulness.

Because it weighs over 55 pounds and operates BLOS, the Ikhana does not fall under the purview of Part 107. In this case, the company will need to file for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Section 333 waiver to operate the UAS. With that said, Section 333 cannot waive the statutory requirements of Title 49, United States Code (49 USC) § 44711 (FAA, 2014). According to 49 USC § 44711, the PIC must possess the appropriate airman certificate as prescribed by 14 CFR Part 61. Additionally, the PIC must also possess the appropriate medical certificate as prescribed by 14 CFR Part 67. Other pilot requirements are made on a case-by-case basis during the Section 333 waiver process. With that said, the more training, experience, and certification that can be demonstrated would increase the likelihood of waiver approval.

As previously mentioned, minimum training requirements would be met using training provided by the manufacturers. Additional training would be required such as lost link, in-flight emergency, and pre-flight procedures. Ideally, pilots will meet all these training requirements and qualifications prior to hiring with enough available to fill multiple shifts for crew rest purposes. Finally, setting a minimum experience level may also be helpful such as 100 flight hours although this may need adjustment based on the pool of trained, qualified, and certificated pilots available.

References

Insitu. (2017). ScanEagle: The industry-leading UAS that invented the agile ISR category. Retrieved from https://insitu.com/images/uploads/pdfs/ScanEagle_SubFolder_Digital_DU032817.pdf

Merlin, P. W. (2009). Ikhana unmanned aircraft system: Western states fire missions (NASA SP-2009-4544). National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/connect/ebooks/aero_ikhana_detail.html

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Rule, 14 C.F.R. Part 107 (2017).

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (2014). Public Guidance for Petitions for Exemption Filed under Section 333. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/uas/beyond_the_basics/section_333/how_to_file_a_petition/media/section333_public_guidance.pdf