Avionics News January 2015 - 30

AVIONICS IN THE YEAR 2025

the avionics side and the FAA air traffic management
side. There are lots of people working on many
technologies, but we see 4-D trajectory management as
one of the biggest step-changes in that timeframe.

Continued from page 29

FORREST COLLIVER,
Vice President of NextGen Programs,
Innovative Solutions & Support
BRAD HAYDEN,
The biggest change we see in the 2025-plus timeframe
President, Robotic Skies
will be the evolution toward more effective use of fourI think one aspect that will be taking center stage in
dimensional trajectories. The idea is that in order to
2025 is the ongoing integration of unmanned aircraft
meet one of the major objectives of NextGen airspace,
systems. By then, hopefully we'll have all the rules and
we need to optimize the traffic flows in and out of major
regulations ironed out.
metropolitan airports. So presuming we continue to
But seriously, I think we can get a very good idea of
have the same type of physical airspace we have today
what the FAA will expect for UAS integration in the
concentrated abound these major
national airspace system and how that
hubs - I don't see this changing.
may impact the avionics industry.
Traffic in- and out-bound needs to
In a recent concept of operations
THE FLYING
be much more efficiently managed,
document, the FAA stated that many
EXPERIENCE WILL
which will require more precise 4-D
of the rules will apply to defining
performance from the aircraft.
BECOME VASTLY MORE
the UAS operator's responsibility
To achieve this, we will require
to provide safe separation of the
INTEGRATED WITH THE
aircraft to not only follow a very
unmanned aircraft from other traffic,
WORLD EXPERIENCE.
specific trajectory, but also will
and that the new regulations will be
require very precise control in the
incorporated under IFR and most of
fourth-dimension (time) to be at
the existing IFR rules will apply to
certain points at specific times.
UAS flights.
To do that, there will be
It also states that the new rules
requirements placed on avionics
and procedures "may be used by
not there today. There will be some
manned aircraft that elect to use
significant primary and navigational
TIM TAYLOR, Chief Executive Officer,
the technology to provide their
FreeFlight Systems
display requirements as well as
own separation assurance in certain
communications implications in
airspace or situations."
terms of onboard surveillance and
I don't see the FAA ever going away from requiring a
flight management systems in the air and on the ground
"pilot" for every UAS operating in the NAS - whether
to coordinate those 4-D technologies.
the pilot is on board the aircraft or not. This tells me that
For example, airborne and ground-based systems
the FAA expects avionics technology to be developed
to manage more precise communications between
that will actually be taken over into the manned aviation
pilots and controllers as well as providing the ability
space. Does this mean better autopilot systems and
to automatically communicate aircraft intent and state
software? Does this mean more accurate and dependable
information automatically via data downlinks to the air
aircraft positioning and locating technologies? Will that
traffic management systems.
mean more sophisticated radar systems? I think probably
Airspace from 2025 onward also will see more reliance
yes in all cases.
on required navigation performance procedures, again
Of course, it will all be something that can take
built around the 4-D trajectories, increased reliance
advantage of Next-Gen as we know it today, but also will
on air/ground data communications and the continued
potentially go well beyond what we envision it doing.
evolution of ADS-B capabilities.
These capabilities are being developed now, both on
Continued on page 32

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