Page 12 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2022 Online Magazine

drone-enhanced public services: urban air
taxis, cargo and delivery services, security
operations, healthcare support and environ-
mental monitoring.

Expanding Advanced
Air Mobility

PREPARING Collins Aerospace is leveraging the synergies
of its recent acquisition of FlightAware by
FOR THE FUTURE launching aircraft tracking and alerting fea-
tures for its Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS)
digital platform, WebUAS. By integrating
FlightAware FirehoseSM, a comprehensive
PROGRESS TO THE CREATION OF A UTM global flight tracking and ADS-B flight status
WILL BE ACCELERATED BY THE USE OF A data feed, WebUAS is now able to provide
PACKAGE OF TECHNOLOGIES ANSP and UAS operators an even higher-fi-
delity picture of active flight operations within
 JAY MENON airspace they are monitoring.

Air traffic around the world is continuing its dramatic growth as Collins said it is helping to bridge these gaps
with the integration of aircraft telemetry data
emerging air transport vehicles such as electric Vertical Takeoff and primary radar feeds, and the ability to
and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) become certified to fly. To accommodate the increased stream real-time aircraft tracking data from
195 different countries, private data link part-
volume of aircraft in flight, it is critical for Air Navigation Service
Providers (ANSP) around the world to expand airspace capacity. ners, and the ADS-B network. “Collins is not
only preparing for the future of flight, but
The future air traffic management system is expected to allow also setting the framework for the success-
airspace to become more efficient through automated nav- ful integration of autonomous operations
igation systems that will improve airspace coordination and through the integration of FlightAware data
information sharing among air traffic controllers, new indus- with the rest of our leading digital and con-
try airspace services, and vehicle operators, as well as from nected aviation solutions,” said Jen Schopfer,
vehicle-to-vehicle. President of Connected Aviation Solutions
for Collins Aerospace. “By continuing to
As a first step, NASA, industry, and the Federal Aviation deploy intelligent solutions and connected
Administration (FAA) have already completed evaluations of flight services, Collins Aerospace is helping
new airspace management technologies using simulated eVTOL to create the path for expanded Advanced
aircraft. More evaluations are underway as these partners move Air Mobility and creating new value for the
toward the goal of testing this system in the field. Another aviation community.”
element of future airspace is the use of more automation, incor-
porated both in airspace management systems and vehicles, to Collins Aerospace is also an active partner
avoid bad weather and other aircraft, and to safely take off and for NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National
land. These increasingly automated systems will communicate Campaign as a developmental test partner
with a connected air traffic management system to streamline for infrastructure services. The campaign’s
the entire process and keep the airspace safe. goal is to promote public confidence and
accelerate the realization of emerging avi-
However, autonomous and remotely-piloted flights are cur- ation markets for passenger and cargo
rently unable to commercially operate Beyond Visual Line of transportation in urban, suburban, rural, and
Sight (BVLOS) because of gaps in Air Traffic Management (ATM) regional environments.
technologies and infrastructure systems. The need for drone
operators to safely utilize low altitude airspace (below 400 feet Recently, the FAA selected the New York
above ground level) continues to grow with more business cases UAS Test Site for a project that supports safe
where drones operate both in visual line-of-sight and beyond drone integration and the development of
visual line-of-sight. a new traffic management system for UAS.
Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research
Uncrewed aerial vehicles and operations are already bringing Alliance (NUAIR), a non-profit organization
benefits, such as improving medical logistics for isolated areas, based in upstate New York will manage the
or enabling inspections of difficult to reach infrastructure such project.
as high masts and wind farm turbines. But a transformation
of ATM capacity and systems is needed to open up a new age NUAIR and the FAA kicked off the UFT project
of commercial opportunities for the aviation sector, as well as in July with the goal of completing the project

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