A case study for assured containment

While incremental steps are being taken to integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the various national airspace systems, much work remains to establish appropriate regulatory infrastructure that allows UAS larger than 55 lb to operate for commerce or hire. The magnitude of that effort is compounded by the wide-ranging variety of UAS types and possible applications, as well as the diversity in quality and provenance of UAS components. The FAA has suggested developing design standards tailored to specific applications and operating environments as an approach to facilitate integration and safe operation of some UAS. This paper introduces a case study to investigate design standards for a midsize unmanned rotorcraft operating in a rural environment. A key aspect of this study is the concept of using a certifiable containment system, different from a conventional geofencing application, to ensure that the unmanned aircraft does not escape its intended operational area. The proposed assured containment system is expected to reduce the effort needed to regulate some UAS that could not currently meet rigorous aircraft design standards and fall outside of the parameters for operation outlined in the proposed small UAS rule. This paper discusses how assured containment may be a useful approach to limiting risk and reducing an otherwise prohibitive certification burden to enable UAS operations in confined areas. The case study examines the potential effect the assured containment approach might have on airworthiness certification requirements.