International leaders in drones will fly into Rome at the beginning of June to collaborate and develop uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) standards.
NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance Inc.) will host the ASTM International unmanned aircraft committee at the New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport on Wednesday, June 1, through Friday, June 3.
The meeting is expected to bring together up to 100 international industry leaders in the UAS industry, focused on developing industry standards to advance the integration of UAS into the national airspace, according to NUAIR officials.
Drone users have been working on ways to fly drones outside a user’s line of sight. This could potentially make it possible to use drones to drop off packages for commercial purposes, among other possibilities.
“NUAIR has had an active voice in ASTM International and many other UAS standards organizations for years, helping to develop the standards needed for safe, commercial drone operations,” said NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart, in a statement. “We are looking forward to hosting and taking part in the next ASTM International meeting at the New York UAS Test Site.”
ASTM’s F38 committee addresses issues related to design, performance, quality acceptance tests, and safety monitoring for unmanned air vehicle systems, officials said.
Stakeholders include manufacturers of unmanned aircraft systems and their components, federal agencies, design professionals, professional societies, maintenance professionals, trade associations, financial organizations and academia.
Over 600 members are involved in this multinational initiative: all participating actively within a three-tiered subcommittee structure focusing on airworthiness, flight operations and operator qualifications.
One key standard that NUAIR has helped ASTM International establish was the small UAS Parachute Recovery Systems Standard. NUAIR has validated multiple parachute recovery systems on multiple drone platforms since the standard was published in late 2018.
Having an UAS parachute recovery system validated to the ASTM standard opens a wide range of commercial opportunities for companies by enhancing their safety case with the FAA when applying for their waiver to fly over people, NUAIR said.
“Oneida County is happy to host ASTM International’s annual meeting at our UAS Test Site at Griffiss,” said Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. in a statement. “We welcome the industry leaders whose cutting-edge development is advancing the integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace. We are proud to conduct the research at our site that is aiding in their efforts to revolutionize the capabilities of drone delivery.”
Ed Harris is the Oneida County reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Ed Harris at EHarris1@gannett.com.