The
issue I wanted to understand was the reason behind the rising number of manned
aircraft encounters with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as reported by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (FAA, 2015a;
“Mather,” 2015). Because it was an issue in the media, it seemed like a good
topic for the Case Analysis. A review of current regulations and guidelines for
UAS was an important first step to understand the rules governing operations
and much information was available on the FAA’s website (FAA, 2015b). After
that, I reviewed media reports of UAS encounters with manned aircraft to learn
the scope of the issue. The next step, peer review, provided valuable input and
helped me clarify my writing. The feedback from the professor was clear and
kept me on track with the analysis and any defense if necessary. The results
from my Case Analysis led me to two recommendations; first, more local law
enforcement involvement and awareness of UAS flying in their patrol area, and
secondly, additional marking requirements for all UAS. More law enforcement
involvement should increase UAS familiarity and awareness among police, which
should help them identify suspicious or unauthorized flying. The requirement to
further mark the UAS would help forensic investigators identify a UAS in the
event of a collision with a manned aircraft.
I’m glad I understand the Case Analysis tool
a little better after this class, but I don’t think I’ll use it specifically in
my work. The challenges in my current position as an instructor pilot do not
translate well to in-depth studies or analysis. In the past, I could have used
this process during safety school in the Air Force. We would study prior
accidents and their causes, but a longer look at underlying issues could have
benefited from this approach. We were in close groups during the school, so
collaboration would have been easy in that environment. The tool will be useful
in the future with additional classes at ERAU Worldwide!
Federal Aviation Administration. (2015a). FAA news. Retrieved
from www.faa.gov/news/updates/?newsId=83445
Federal Aviation Administration. (2015b). Small UAS Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). Retrieved http://www.faa.gov/uas/nprm/
