REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS INTEGRATION IN NON SEGREGATED AIRSPACE: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERFACE FOR THE CONTROL STATION

Abstract

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems have gained great significance due to their economic potential and practical applicability. These systems allow the operation of an aircraft without a pilot on board, and include the ground control station, the communications link and the aircraft. Current regulations restrict the operation of these aircraft to segregated airspace, so multiple studies and initiatives are being conducted to achieve their integration into shared or non-segregated airspace, to ensure their viability. Non segregated airspace has a clearly defined structure, procedures and information services which are known as Air Traffic Management. The main function of Air Traffic Management systems is to those services required for the safe operation of aircraft into shared airspace, so that the interaction of these new systems is paramount for the future development. Based on the methodology used in system engineering, the study presented in this article establishes the design and development of a component for the ground control station that supports the communication between the operator of the remotely piloted aircraft system and the air traffic environment in which its aircraft operates. This component, developed as software application, allows the remote pilot to carry out the tasks associated to the interaction within controlled airspace. These tasks include the interactions with air traffic management services, communication and trajectory management that the operator will have perform during flight preparation Key Words: systems engineering and integration, remotely piloted aircraft systems, ground control station, human-machine interface, air traffic management