Legislature(2013 - 2014)BARNES 124
03/21/2013 11:15 AM House ECON. DEV., TRADE & TOURISM
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentations(s): Unmanned Aircraft Systems | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TRADE AND
TOURISM
March 21, 2013
11:19 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Shelley Hughes, Chair
Representative Lynn Gattis
Representative Pete Higgins
Representative Lance Pruitt
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative Geran Tarr
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bob Herron
Representative Craig Johnson
Representative Kurt Olson
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Representative Steve Thompson
Representative Doug Isaacson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATIONS(S): UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
RO BAILEY, Deputy Director
Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration,
Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation (ACUASI)
Geophysical Institute
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint presentation
entitled, "Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Alaska."
ACTION NARRATIVE
CHAIR SHELLEY HUGHES called the House Special Committee on
Economic Development, Trade and Tourism meeting to order at
11:19 a.m. Representatives Gattis, Higgins, Drummond, and
Hughes were present at the call to order. Representatives Tarr
and Pruitt arrived as the meeting was in progress.
Representatives Thompson and Isaacson were also present.
11:19:39 AM
^PRESENTATIONS(S): UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
PRESENTATIONS(S): UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
11:20:03 AM
CHAIR HUGHES announced that the only order of business would be
a presentation on unmanned aircraft systems. She provided brief
background information on her interest in this technology and
advised she would be introducing a related House Concurrent
Resolution in the near future.
11:21:35 AM
RO BAILEY, Deputy Director, Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft
Systems Integration, Research, Development, Testing and
Evaluation (ACUASI), Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF), said she will introduce some of the projects
UAF has been working on for almost 13 years and will explain
their purpose and their importance to Alaska. Also, her
presentation will include a proposal to designate Alaska as a
test site for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S.
Department of Transportation, privacy issues, and the upcoming
resolution [slide 2].
11:23:12 AM
A video was presented from 11:23 a.m. to 11:29 a.m.
11:29:53 AM
MS. BAILEY explained two of the launches shown on the video were
regretted because difficult weather conditions risked a safe
recovery. She noted UAF's efforts have been to learn and
benefit from the technology related to unmanned aircraft. The
history of the project began in 2001 when UAF was working with
New Mexico State University seeking to develop civilian
applications for unmanned aircraft. Since then, the university
has received funding from the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG), and other organizations, and acquired a
ScanEagle aircraft in 2006. The ScanEagle is a 40-pound, fixed-
wing, gas-powered aircraft with the ability to fly for 22 hours
up to 23,000 feet in altitude. The Scout aircraft has the
ability to fly for 20 minutes up to 1,200 feet in altitude. The
ACUASI missions have expanded to include science projects,
emergency response, humanitarian needs, and engineering
development, and have advanced the capabilities of systems
through payload development and integration [slide 3]. The goal
of ACUASI is to meet Alaska's needs using the technology it
develops with a focus on working with state agencies and Alaska
companies and communities. The Scout flew in Nome during the
delivery of fuel to assist in determining where to lay hose, and
flew in Bethel on an emergency response exercise [slide 4]. Ms.
Bailey said that UAF has brought to the state over $4.5 million
through competitive grants and contracts with private and
federal agencies. The state funded $5 million in last year's
capital budget for the purpose of growing ACUASI and for seeking
designation as a FAA test site. In the last two and one-half
years, there have been three small company start-ups; in fact,
two aerospace companies are opening offices in Fairbanks to work
with UAF, one of which is the Atkinson Robotics and Technology
Integration Corporation (ARTIC) [slide 6].
11:34:40 AM
CHAIR HUGHES added that two companies in the Matanuska-Susitna
area have expressed interest in this field.
MS. BAILEY surmised one of the companies may be ATI. In further
response to Chair Hughes, she said the university has received
funding for work done for BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BP) and
Chevron Corporation. There has also been interest from other
governments such as Iceland and Finland. Other work is expected
for ADS-B Technologies in Anchorage, and Lockheed Martin's Skunk
Works (Advanced Development Programs) has an exclusive
partnership. Interest is growing very fast.
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON asked for the current status of airspace
issues.
11:37:49 AM
MS. BAILEY explained to fly an unmanned aircraft in national
airspace one must be a public entity established and accepted by
FAA. To do so, Alaska's attorney general verified that UAF is
an instrumentality of the state. Also, UAF applied for a
certificate of authorization or waiver to the normal rules for
flying in the national airspace. Over time, UAF has had 50
waivers approved, and has flown in military restricted airspace
by obtaining access through Range Control of the military
installation. The university has established a partnership with
the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex (JPARC) for access to the
range. To get a certificate of authority (COA), specific
information is provided to FAA on each flight, and a notice to
airmen is published 48 hours in advance. Before and after each
flight, UAF notifies the airports in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
11:41:30 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON surmised this ability will help with the
commercialization of the university's work.
MS. BAILEY agreed, however, UAF does not have the ability to
file a flight plan and proceed with a flight. This is due to
safety concerns and she assured the committee ACUASI is
dedicated to the development of rules that are adequate, well-
tested, and thoroughly evaluated. Established procedures should
be that operators are rigorously trained and certified, and the
flying vehicle is safe for flying. She opined unmanned aircraft
flight should not be open to non-public entities until safety
procedures are established and approved. Returning to the
presentation, Ms. Bailey said UAF has over 50 partners in and
outside of Alaska working on the FAA test site designation.
Other areas in which the project is expected to bring value to
the state are through future search and rescue missions in
remote areas and infrastructure monitoring for the purpose of
critical assessment and mapping in advance of a disaster. For
example, if the buildings in Cordova had been previously
assessed with 3D mapping, it would have been known whether they
were able to withstand the record snow load last winter.
11:46:06 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether unmanned aircraft have been used to
monitor the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).
MS. BAILEY responded not yet; however, UAF has a funded project
with BP to develop a sensor to detect escaping gasses around
drilling stations that would indicate a leak. The goal is to
identify what sensors are needed to detect the different gasses,
in order to locate leaks early enough to eliminate the need to
send a human into a possibly dangerous environment. However, at
this time, flights near TAPS are prohibited. In further
response to Chair Hughes, she said a proposal is underway with
the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to complete
3D mapping in order to establish changes over time in unstable
areas. In 2010, UAF flew unmanned aircraft during the Arctic
Edge simulated earthquake scenario to assess overpasses and
bridges without risk to an engineer [slides 7 and 8].
11:49:16 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON asked about the range of the Scout
aircraft.
MS. BAILEY said the Scout has a 20 minute flight time with a top
speed of 31 knots. The ScanEagle can fly 22 hours; the distance
away from the controller is limited by radio line-of-sight and
the FAA rule of visual line-of-sight. In further response to
Representative Isaacson, she described the National Marine
Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, closure of the fishery in the Aleutian Islands
that was based on limited data acquired by one week of
assessments on the number of Stellar sea lions. After UAF
collected three weeks of data counting sea lions, and biologists
determined that the sea lions are the same as those found in
ample numbers in Southeast Alaska, the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council used the data to prove that Stellar sea lions
are not endangered [slide 14].
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON inquired as to what factor made the
unmanned aircraft data more successful than other methods of
observation.
MS. BAILEY explained that manned aircraft could not see the
entire Aleutian Islands chain, and weather conditions and
distance interfere with accurate observation from satellites.
The Scout flew from a boat under the weather and collected data
over a longer period of time at much less cost. In further
response to Representative Isaacson, she said another
application would be to count polar bears.
REPRESENTATIVE HIGGINS asked for flight details.
MS. BAILEY restated that the Scout flies for 20 minutes but
there are efforts to develop new batteries that will extend the
flight time. In further response to Representative Higgins, she
said the Scout is controlled by a base station; if on a boat, or
with permission in restricted airspace, the ScanEagle can fly
five miles from the base station. Restrictions to line-of-sight
are based on the lack of "sense and avoid" technology.
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether this technology will be available
soon.
11:55:02 AM
MS. BAILEY expressed her belief that the solution will be a
combination of techniques. The technology is based on risks,
such as the risk of bringing down a high altitude aircraft,
which can be addressed by an altitude limit on unmanned aircraft
of 400 feet. Higher flyers need radar systems or the ability to
communicate via transponder. The ability to detect another
aircraft from an unmanned aircraft is not available.
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked for clarification.
MS. BAILEY answered the sense and avoid technology is about
detecting other aircraft. The Scout is autonomous for landing,
except under certain conditions like landing on a boat.
Currently, hand piloting is responsible for avoidance of
obstacles at landing.
11:58:43 AM
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether FAA will require a second pilot on
the ground.
MS. BAILEY advised a pilot and an observer are required now. In
further response to Chair Hughes, she said currently a general
aviation license is required for a pilot to fly above 400 feet,
but training on the individual system and on how to work in the
airspace is what is most important. In further response, she
said FAA is going to release rules on small unmanned aircraft
which are defined as either under 55 pounds or under 25 pounds.
The aviation community considers 55 pounds and under small,
because aircraft above that weight require runways and "air
force-level stuff." The ScanEagle is a 40-pound, fixed-wing,
10-foot wing span, catapult-launched aircraft.
CHAIR HUGHES asked whether universities are offering courses in
this field.
MS. BAILEY indicated that the University of North Dakota has a
training program for operators and UAF is allocating funds to
education and outreach on the engineering side. She suggested
an operator class may be offered at the University of Alaska
Anchorage (UAA) because they already have pilot training. She
returned to the reasons to use unmanned aircraft and said its
use is to do work that is "dirty, dull, or dangerous." For
example, Alaska has remote, extreme terrain and volatile weather
conditions and unmanned aircraft are ideal for collecting data
under risky conditions; dirty work includes observations over
chemical spills, volcanoes, and wildfire smoke; and mapping is
dull work, involving taking tens of thousands of photographs
along a grid pattern [slide 8]. Alaska offers the program vast
airspace with little traffic; access to military ranges with
data gathering ability; and a history of pioneering aviation
technology and thoughtful policy decisions [slide 9]. She said
ACUASI's job is to determine how this technology is used and to
ensure it is used properly for the benefit of Alaska. The
mission is to establish a research center for small, unmanned
aircraft systems providing integration of unique payloads and
supporting pathfinder missions within government and science
communities, with a special emphasis on the Arctic region
[slides 10 and 11].
12:06:13 PM
MS. BAILEY described an ice seal population study and pointed
out that the seals were not frightened away by the unmanned
aircraft - as they are by helicopters - which resulted in a more
accurate count [slides 13-15]. During the Crazy Mountain
Complex Wildfires in 2009, manned aviation was unable to fly for
five days due to smoke so the unmanned aircraft located the
boundaries of the fires, whether structures were threatened, and
behavior of the fire at night [slide 16]. Along the Snake River
and Clearwater River in Idaho manned aircraft cannot fly in the
canyons and salmon spawning redds were located by the unmanned
aircraft [slides 17-19]. A comparison of a satellite and an
unmanned aircraft picture of fish habitat was displayed [slide
20]. Ms. Bailey described a Prescribed Fire Combustion and
Atmospheric Dynamics Research Experiment (Rx-CADRE) in Florida
[slide 21]. The Bear Bite-SAREX mass casualty exercise in
Bethel demonstrated the aircraft's search and rescue
capabilities in extreme cold temperatures [slides 22-24]. Images
from the Shoreline Clean-up Assessment Technique (SCAT)
Evaluation for BP were shown. The purpose of this mapping is to
record the condition of the shoreline before it is impacted by
an oil spill [slide 26]. Also for BP, work has been done on oil
infrastructure monitoring [slide 27]. Another possible
application is to assist ships piloting through ice to locate a
pathway [slides 28-30]. During the winter Nome fuel delivery,
the unmanned aircraft provided guidance on where to lay the
hose, monitored for polar bears and open leads, and documented
the site [slide 31]. The university has developed a radar
system known as iPASS to monitor airspace; the system has been
certified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) for use during rocket launch operations and was funded by
FAA [slide 32]. Ms. Bailey said ongoing projects include the
detection of marine debris generated by the 2011 Japanese
tsunami and the Marginal Ice Zone Ocean and Ice Observations and
Processes EXperiment (MIZOPEX) for NASA and NOAA to encourage
FAA to allow multiple aircraft to fly over international waters
[slides 33 and 34]. Work done for the Department of Public
Safety (DPS) included a demonstration of the Scout, and she
described how unmanned aircraft could be used by state troopers
[slide 35]. The most recent project is an oil spill response
exercise along the Columbia River estuary in Washington State
[slide 36]. Another unique ACUASI capability is the ability to
collect information in extremely remote areas [slides 37 and
38].
12:18:40 PM
MS. BAILEY returned to the subject of the FAA test site
application, explaining that FAA has been directed to select six
test sites to research and test for the safe integration of
unmanned aircraft into airspace. The university is leading a
team that has submitted the first of multiple proposals required
prior to the selection date of 12/31/13 [slide 39]. The
proposed test site is known as the Pan Pacific UAS Test Range
Complex, and has specified fourteen test ranges within the test
site in Alaska, Oregon, and Hawaii [slide 40]. Turning
attention to the subject of privacy, she said ACUASI is
dedicated to ensuring that privacy is protected so that the
beneficial uses of the technology are not blocked. Although
this is a new technology, many rules for manned aviation apply
to unmanned aviation. Furthermore, the Fourth Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution has accommodated privacy issues associated
with new technology such as portable cameras, manned aviation,
and paparazzi, by statutory provisions and case law on the
expectation of and right to privacy. Ms. Bailey acknowledged
that although many issues have been addressed, others require
appropriate procedures that are unique to unmanned aircraft to
protect privacy. The National Institute for Justice, U.S.
Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security are committed to defining specific rules at the federal
level. Also, FAA is anticipating privacy issues will be
addressed along with the test site policies. In addition, the
U.S. Department of Defense and the National Guard have training
guidelines in place regarding current rules for gathering
intelligence [slide 41].
12:24:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ISAACSON recalled procedures by the U.S. Air
Force that required the destruction of recordings of Americans'
voices. Since [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001] he
heard spying on Americans was permitted. He asked, "...
whether or not Alaskans need to be afraid of having these
devices being used as spy, you know, the government spying on
us."
MS. BAILEY said:
From our viewpoint the Congress and the intelligence
committee rules on these things in the sense that they
establish what are the provisions that the military,
which is who is guided by this from my own experience,
but I don't believe it's just the military, that is my
own experience and all I'm willing to speak to on, but
the military is still actively training about
destroying tapes just as, whether it's voice tape or
visual, about the separation between domestic and
foreign. [The Posse Comitatus Act] is still in
existence and that, posse comitatus is the specific
rule that says that the military cannot be used for
domestic police work ... so, where they've wanted to
use military technology in support of some kind of, is
mostly drugs, is where it has been used mostly, Gulf
of Mexico area and south where drugs are coming into
the country. They've had to have other agencies on
board, and that's all of who is actually allowed to
collect information or anything; so from the military
perspective, that privacy is rigorously protected and
the separation between domestic and overseas or
foreign operations is rigorously defined, and they're
actively training on it. ... They're literally putting
a program together for our team so that we can go out
with them and be properly trained. The [Uniting and
Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools
Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of
2001 (the Patriot Act)] is, I think, what you're
referring to, is rules that were changed after 9/ll,
that is an act of Congress and did change some rules,
and I'm not qualified or prepared at the moment to go
into detail on that sort of thing ...
12:28:40 PM
CHAIR HUGHES pointed out that Congress is looking at this topic.
MS. BAILEY noted that the full text of guidelines from the
International Association of Chiefs of Police on the use of
unmanned aircraft for law enforcement is included in the
committee packet. She reviewed some of the guidelines [slide
42].
CHAIR HUGHES understood that some of the appointees to the
proposed task force will be working on state policy over the
summer.
MS. BAILEY concurred and added that a group that includes the
lieutenant governor is working on that policy. She turned to
the issue of weapons on unmanned aircraft, saying there are
media scares about weapons because the public image of unmanned
aircraft comes from what the military is doing overseas. The
military is using unmanned aircraft that carry weapons; however,
the unmanned aircraft community is totally against this use
because it would destroy the possibility of beneficial use. In
addition, most unmanned aircraft cannot carry the weight [of
weapons], and FAA prohibits weapons and the dropping of objects
from manned or unmanned aircraft. Finally, this use is
unacceptable to the public [slide 43].
REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT asked about using unmanned aircraft for
avalanche control.
12:33:24 PM
MS. BAILEY stated that the first consideration for expanded uses
of unmanned aircraft is where there are other means to do a
task, do not use unmanned aircraft.
MS. BAILEY observed the upcoming legislation recognizes the hard
work being done at UAF always with the goal to benefit Alaska.
The impression of danger will be absolved by approaching this
technology in a methodical and thoughtful way [slide 44].
CHAIR HUGHES said the development of this technology holds
potential for Alaska in new jobs because of commercial interest.
12:38:12 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Economic Development, Trade and Tourism
meeting was adjourned at 12:38 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| AUVSI Code of Conduct.pdf |
HEDT 3/21/2013 11:15:00 AM |
|
| IACP_UAGuidelines.pdf |
HEDT 3/21/2013 11:15:00 AM |
|
| History & Value of UAS to Alaska.pdf |
HEDT 3/21/2013 11:15:00 AM |