http://www.fai.org/ciam-our-sport/drone

=>첨부파일: Draft Rule UAVWG Ed. 1 1-5-2015 V1-3

FAI DRONE MODEL AIRCRAFT

The miniaturization of on-board electronic devices (video camera, gyro sensors, altimeter, telemetry, GPS, ...) and advanced flight systems (flight stabilisation, automatic flight control,...) offer new possibilities for model aircraft and open the field of exciting aeromodelling activities.

As an illustration, First Person View (FPV) activities are more and more developed in some counties regarding the actual performances of the on board video cameras with possibility of a transmission to a pilot headset or to a computer and screen on ground.

In this context, CIAM has produced a draft rule document to help organization of recreational or sporting events for "drone model aircraft". This document must be clearly considered only as a guideline document and definitively not as an official FAI set of rules.

Two types of events are covered in the document:

• Contest event for multi-rotor drone model aircraft (FPV Racing and Freestyle Aerobatics).
• Recreational event based on a list of flight tasks to be done (task A to task H) for multi-rotor and/or fixed wing drone model aircraft.

• Download the draft rule document (Edition 1 effective 1^st May 2015)

Such events can be organised on a national basis, but also on an international one if a country is interested to organize an international event. In case of an international event, it is strongly recommended to publish it on the FAI calendar in order to get better information.

Important:

For aeromodelling activities, use of the terms Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) or Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) must be avoided.

Indeed, those terms are directly relative to FAI class U which corresponds to professional activities (scientific research, commercial, governmental or military purposes) done with aircraft which does not carry a human being.

So, it is very important to avoid any confusion between those professional activities relative to class U and the aeromodelling activities (competition, sport or recreational purposes) relative to class F.

Useful definitions

Model aircraft: aircraft of limited dimensions, with or without a propulsion device, not able to carry a human being and to be used for competition, sport or recreational purposes.

Important: for the whole flight, a radio-controlled model aircraft must be within visual line of sight (VLOS) of the person who directly assumes its control or who is in a situation to take the direct control at any moment, including if the model is being flown automatically to a selected location

Drone model aircraft: model aircraft equipped with on-board electronic devices (video camera, gyro sensors, altimeter, telemetry, GPS, , ...) at ends of catch of sight and/or for automatic flight control.

Self-guided drone (model aircraft): drone model aircraft equipped with a programmable autopilot system which can automatically stabilize the drone and/or initiate a programmed flight path. Such a drone is mission orientated and computer controlled nearly its entire flight, but it must be possible for the flight operator to desactivate at any moment the autopilot system.

Note: it is strongly recommended that the system includes a "Return To Home" (RTH) function so that the drone may automatically return to a selected location in case of lost of the radio link.

Flight operator: person who flies the drone model aircraft and takes flight decisions based on received information.

Important:

VLOS of the drone model aircraft must be maintained at any moment of the flight.So, a self guided drone model aircraft must be maintained within visual line of sight (VSOL) for the whole flight.

If the flight operator is not sure to be in VLOS of the model aircraft at any moment of the flight, he must have a helper in situation to maintain permanent direct unaided visual contact with the model aircraft and to take if necessary the direct control or to inform immediately the flight operator of any danger.

FPV flight requires such a helper (other than the FPV flight operator) in situation to guarantee the VSOL of the drone model aircraft during all the flight.

First Person View (FPV): video view of the model aircrafts camera transmitted to a pilot headset goggle or to a screen on ground.

Note: it is strongly recommended that the system is configured to initiate a failsafe procedure cutting off motors when losing the radio link.

Impact of National Regulations

Each country regulations take precedence. So, the organizer must define any appropriate local rule especially in order to respect the airworthiness and airspace regulations applicable in the organizing country.

Such local rules may especially concern national regulation concerning

• respect of permanent VSOL of the drone model aircraft and FPV flight (for example mandatory "safety operator" with or without a dual radio-control transmitter, RTH function, …).
• limitation regarding dropping of objects.

General characteristics of a drone model aircraft

For an event as concerned in the Draft Rule document, it is recommended to limit the maximum flying mass to 5 kg. In any case, the flying mass must not be over 25 kg which correspond to a general characteristic of a model aircraft (see Volume ABR Section 4C 1.2).

For respect of environment, noise limit of 96 dB(A) at 3 metres is also strongly recommended to be imposed.

Other specifications may be defined for the event such as a maximum span for a fixed wing or swept area of the lifting rotor(s) for a multi-rotor drone model aircraft.

Safety

The Event Director, the Flight Director and other judges of a contest must always take care about safety and ensure that participants, helpers and officials involved in the flying site comply with the safety rules defined by the organiser.

Any participant who infringes or ignores the safety rules may be disqualified, without right of appeal. Any other person who deliberately infringes or ignores the safety rules may be excluded from the flying site.

(Photo credit: Rodolphe Jobard)