UAS Air Traffic Insertion Starts Now (Real-time simulation of UAS in ATC)

The project SINUE (Satellites enabling the Integration in Non-segregated airspace of UAS in Europe), investigated to fly an UAS as IFR traffic within national borders in controlled, non-segregated airspace by communication link via satellites. A real-time man-in-the-loop simulation environment has been set-up, where real air traffic controllers, a real pilot (for other traffic), and a pilot at a UAS ground control station (GCS) participated to evaluate the concept. Several representative scenarios were evaluated, including emergency situations. We have shown that integration of UAS in controlled airspace, is a feasible concept; air traffic controllers indicated that control of the UAS did not differ significantly from control of other, manned aircraft. We have also demonstrated that UAS emergency procedures can be designed equivalent to those of manned aircraft, such that the air traffic controller will understand and is able to predict the behaviour of the UAS in several loss-of-satellite-communication situations.