Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Pilot Visual Detection Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Suas) Equipped With Strobe Lighting, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi, Samuel M. Vance, Jamey Jacob, Jared C. Dunlap, Taylor A. Mitchell
Pilot Visual Detection Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Suas) Equipped With Strobe Lighting, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi, Samuel M. Vance, Jamey Jacob, Jared C. Dunlap, Taylor A. Mitchell
Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering
When operating under Visual Flight Rules, pilots primarily rely on visual scanning to avoid other aircraft and airborne collision threats. Records from the Federal Aviation Administration indicate that near encounters with unmanned aircraft are on the rise, reaching 1,761 reported unmanned aircraft system (UAS) sightings or near-misses in 2016. This study sought to assess the effectiveness of pilot visual detection of UAS platforms that were equipped with strobe lighting. A sample of 10 pilots flew a general aviation aircraft on a scripted series of five intercepts with a small UAS (sUAS) that was equipped with strobe lighting. Participants were asked …