UAS is an unmanned aircraft system - an aircraft that has no pilot on-board but which is remotely piloted. UAS can be manually controlled aircraft, operated through pre-programmed flight plans, or operated by more complex automated systems involving on-board sensors and/or processed data. UAS are used by the military but are increasingly being used by civil operators for civil operations including aerial photography, surveying and inspection, as well as in support of emergency services and disaster management teams.
The UAS Specialist group aims to:
The purpose of this UASSG Information Resource is to provide open-source documents and other information which can be viewed and downloaded and which might be of value to the UAS and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) sectors.
The entries are listed under general categories (eg Regulations and … ) and each has the title of the document or file and a very short description of its content.
This information resource was initiated in February 2018 and will grow and be edited as time passes.
UK Regulations and related documents (UK Gov (eg DFT) and UK CAA, NATS)
CAP 722 - Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace
CAP 722 provides guidance intended to assist those who are involved in the development of UAS to identify the route to certification, outline the methods by which permission for aerial work may be obtained and ensure that the required standards and practices are met by all UAS operators. The document highlights the safety requirements that have to be met, in terms of airworthiness and operational standards, before a UAS is allowed to operate in the UK.
It is the legal responsibility of the operator of a model aircraft to ensure that the model is flown safely. CAP658 is intended to provide guidance to anyone intending to fly a model aircraft. Guidance is also given beyond the statutory requirements, so that the experience of the aeromodelling associations can be of use to those new to flying model aircraft. The publication is laid out as a series of general chapters, applicable to the flying of any model, followed by more detailed information on flying particular types of aircraft, such as helicopters or seaplanes.
All RAeS Members who have an interest in unmanned aircraft systems and remotely piloted aviation are invited to join the UASSG discussion group,which is a LinkedIn group. Those wishing to access it will both need to be a member of LinkedIn and to be invited by a Group Moderator. If you are a member of LinkedIn and wish to join, please email either Dewar Donnithorne-Tait FRAeS at dewardt@aol.com or Andrew Chadwick at ajchadwick147@gmail.com and they will send you the required invitation.
The purpose of the RAeS UASSG LinkedIn group is to provide a forum for information distribution, comment, questions and debate.
If you specialise in this field, or wish to find our more, explore our additional resources below. To get involved with the activities of the UAS Group please contact the Chairperson by contacting conferences@aerosociety.com.
The Society’s UAS Specialist Group runs a conference every year and a number of interactive workshops addressing key aspects of the UAS arena, from societal issues, to maintenance (the 2016 Conference considered the current UAS landscape including future developments and advances from Facebook to more novel applications).