Challenges to SAR Teaming
These days, drones and helicopters can complement each other nicely in SAR operations. However, a number of challenges need to be overcome to realize their joint potential.
One of these challenges is interoperability. Drones and helicopters are separate aviation technologies that have grown up in isolation from each other. So it can be difficult to share data wirelessly between the two platforms. “This is why the aviation community needs to establish some standards in terms of connectivity and protocols between crewed and uncrewed aircraft,” said Pretolani. “We need everyone to be able to talk to each other using the same standards. Leonardo has been and is involved in different projects — OCEAN2020 and MUSHER to mention the latest ones on the rotary UAS side — aimed at developing and demonstrating crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities and interoperable architectures.”
Establishing common operations for sharing airspace
is also vital, using “coordination,
communication, and separation,” Miyauchi said. “Just as two manned helicopters jointly coordinate shared airspace with communications and visual separation, so is the case with unmanned and manned aircraft. Given the small size of drones and in some cases their lack of communication ability, this at times can be very challenging. When coordination, communication and separation is absent, it can have a grossly negative impact on a SAR mission. When absent, the manned helicopter is forced to vacate the area in order to maintain safety.”
However, MRA’s Nordfors said, “The biggest obstacle that faces this joint operation is education of the individual. As I am a manned aircraft pilot and a remote unmanned pilot, it’s fascinating to me how each branch of aviation knows so little of the other. Helicopter pilots need to learn what a drone can and what it can’t do, and vice versa for the remote pilot. Having each pilot educated in the ConOps of the other asset is super important to make this operation work. Manned aviation is largely ignorant of the drone industry, and it’s the same in the reverse order.”
The two platform operators also must share the same mental picture of the operation, he said. “When a drone and a helicopter are operating in the same airspace, they both need to be in constant communication to avoid any potential incidents. It is also imperative that the remote pilot maintains visual contact with his/her drone and the helo at all times.”
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