Page 22 - Forum-2020-JulyToSeptember
P. 22
ACCIDENTS PAST, ACCIDENTS FUTURE:
SAFETY IN THE AGE OF UNMANNED AVIATION
(Adapted with permission from
the author’s technical paper he theme of the 2019 ISASI annual information to understand the hazards,
Accidents Past, Accidents Future: seminar is “Future Safety: Has the and regulators would ensure that the
Safety in the Age of Unmanned Past Become Irrelevant?” This is a rules under which new entrants are
Aviation presented during ISASI Ttimely and necessary issue to take granted access would be applied fairly
2019, Sept. 3–5, 2019, in The Hague, up in the context of unmanned aviation. and uniformly. Indeed, this has been the
the Netherlands, by Gerard de There are few directly relatable lessons case for generations as the framework
Rover. The theme for ISASI 2019 learned upon which to base a path for allowing experimental and homebuilt
was “Future Safety: Has the Past forward for the certification and opera- aircraft and less comprehensively trained
Become Irrelevant?” The full tion of remotely piloted aircraft systems pilots has evolved to incorporate all safely
presentation can be found on the
ISASI website at www.isasi.org in (RPAS). Still, countless analogies can into the overall aviation system.
the Library tab under Technical and should be drawn to the evolution of At its core, unmanned aviation is just
Presentations.—Editor) manned aviation and the history of major another form of aviation, and unmanned
aviation accidents to date in considering aircraft are just a different breed of air-
how RPAS should join and participate in craft. However, the “unmanned aviation
the greater flying community. At the same sector” is a very different collection of
time, the historical record is extremely interests, with very different priorities
important as a means to avoid repeating from the pioneers of manned aviation.
in the unmanned domain errors first Its proponents and practitioners have
identified in manned aviation. consistently sought to operate as free of
Throughout the first century of pow- regulatory constraints as they can.
ered flight, aviators and engineers Two seemingly conflicting arguments
constantly ran afoul of what they did regarding unmanned aviation frequently
not know about the flying environment, are raised in advocating for widespread
the demands it put on both pilots and expansion of the unmanned sector. The
aircraft, and the complexities of keeping first is that RPAS can safely be employed
ever-faster and more numerous air- in support of a wide range of “integrated”
craft safely separated from one another. operations, including those currently car-
Gerard de Rover Painful but essential lessons were learned ried out by manned aircraft. The second is
through accidents and their investi- that unmanned aircraft should be allowed
gations. Perhaps most important, the to operate at will in any class of airspace,
speed with which aviation expanded and with minimal obligation to adhere to ex-
evolved tended to reduce the likelihood isting rules governing pilot qualification,
that important preventive measures, once system certification, aircraft equipage, or
implemented, subsequently would be even the conduct of aviation operations
abandoned. Lessons learned throughout themselves.
aviation’s brief history for the most part In consideration of these two contra-
have stayed learned. dictory perspectives, this paper seeks to
Against this backdrop of hard-won reemphasize the importance of history in
experience, it seems reasonable to as- the growth of unmanned aviation by ad-
sume that new entrants into the aviation dressing two key questions with respect
Thomas A. Farrier environment would seek all available to the relevance of past experience:
22 • July-September 2020 ISASI Forum
