Slides from an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University webinar presented April 11, 2019 by Dr. Kristy Kiernan, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Master of Science in Unmanned Systems at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide. Dr. Kiernan looks at the threat drones may post to aviation, and how those threats can be mitigated.

1. Are Drones a Threat to Your Next Flight?
Dr. Kristy Kiernan, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Welcome!
Thursday, April 11, 2019
1 P.M. Eastern
(USA/Canada)

2. Today’s Agenda
• Welcome/Introduction —Bill Gibbs
• Presentation – Dr. Kristy Kiernan
• Questions and Answers
• Upcoming Webinars
• Certificate of Participation
• Optional Survey
Bill Gibbs
Associate Executive Director
& Webinar Coordinator

3. Dr. Kristy Kiernan
• Program Chair, Master of Science in Unmanned Systems,
ERAU-Worldwide
• Member of ANSI UAS Standardization Collaborative, AUVSI
Trusted Operator Program, ISO UAS Technical Advisory Group
• Ph.D. in Aviation
• B.S. in Neuroscience
• Airline Transport Pilot Rating with Falcon-type rating
• Remote Pilot Certificate

4. The Hype
For educational use only. Photo credit: The Guardian

5. The Reality
For educational use only. Photo credit: UNICEF

6. The RealityThe Reality
For educational use only. Photo credit: NCDOT

7. The Reality
For educational use only. Photo credit: Zipline

8. The Reality
For educational use only. Photo credit: Ocean Cleanup

9. The Reality
For educational use only. Photo credit: Drone DJ

10. Also The Reality

11. Air traffic over United
States Thursday April 4
about 1000 central

12. Air traffic in New York City
area Thursday April 4
about 1000 central
For educational use only. Photo credit: FlightAware

13. For educational use only. Photo credit: AirMap

17. Embry-Riddle study Daytona
Beach Airport
• 190 detections in 13 day period
• 133 detections in airspace reserved
for manned aircraft
• 7% of flights in excess of legal limit of
400 feet

18. Near midair collision example
• Daytona Beach Runway 7L
• Aircraft detected at touchdown
point (30’ MSL)
• sUAS at 90’ MSL 0.25 NM left of
approach path
• ILS RWY 7L Threshold Crossing
Height is 88’ MSL

19. Near Midair Collision Example
• Coastline (likely banner towing)
• First aircraft at 650’ MSL @ 0.30 NM
• Drone at 462’ MSL
• Second aircraft at 475’ MSL @ ~0.50 NM

20. Visual line of sight
• 15% visible and
recognizable
• 13% visible,
recognizable 30-
40% of the time
• 13% visible but not
recognizable
• 54% visible
• 6% unlikely to be
seen

21. “Every single day, 365 days a year, at every airport where our technology is
deployed, we are seeing multiple drones flying dangerously close to the airport”
Luke Fox, CEO WhiteFox Defense
For educational use only. Photo credit: WhiteFox Defense

22. What do we have now?
• Radars: designed for large, fast
moving objects
• Eyeballs: not very effective
• Training: B4UFly, DJI user quiz

24. What do we have now?
• Radars: designed for large, fast
moving objects
• Eyeballs: not very effective
• Training: B4UFly, DJI user quiz
• Geo-fencing

25. • DJI Geospatial
Environment
Online
For educational use only. Photo credit: DJI

26. • AirMap Real-time
geofencing alerts
For educational use only. Photo credit: AirMap

28. • Detection
• Identification
• Mitigation
For educational use only. Photo credit: Dedrone

29. • Robust
• Precise
• Reliable
• User friendly
• Affordable

30. • Vehicle
• Controller
• RF transmissions
• Vehicle control
• Data capture
• Acoustic signature
• Radar reflectance
• Visual signature
• Infrared signature
Unmanned System

31. Acoustic Radar RF Transmissions Infrared Visual
Electromagnetic Spectrum
For educational use only. Photo credit: Cisco Learning Network

32. Detection Detection
RF passive RF active Acoustic
Visual Infrared

33. Detection
RF Passive
+ Relatively
inexpensive
+ Most
commercial UAS
emit easily-
detectable
signals
- Cannot detect
quiet threat

34. Detection
RF Active
+ Detect quiet
threat
- Cross section
- Materials
- Clutter

35. Detection
RF Active
+ Relatively
inexpensive
+ Most
commercial UAS
emit easily-
detectable
signals
- Cannot detect
quiet threat
Acoustic Visual Infrared
+ Hard to disguise + Inexpensive + Declutter
- Library - Illumination + Night
- Range - Weather - Low signature
- Line of Sight

36. • Drone or not?
• Some detection systems
only detect drones
• Friend or foe?
• Remote ID and tracking
Identification

37. Mitigation
• Kinetic
• Eagles
• Nets
• Projectiles
• Lasers
• Nonkinetic
• Jamming
• Signal substitution
For educational use only. Photo credit: starwars.com

38. • Depends on agency
conducting counter UAS
• Department of Defense
• Department of Homeland
Security
• Department of Justice
What is legal?
For facilities covered by the Emerging Threats Act of 2018:
• Detect, identify, monitor, and track UAS without prior
consent
• Warn UAS operators using passive, active, direct or indirect
physical, electronic, radio and electronic means
• Disrupt control of the UAS without prior consent by
• Seize or exercise control of the UAS
• Seize or confiscate the UAS (including forfeiture)
• Use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy the
UASFor educational use only. Photo credit: wetalkuav.com

39. Technical
• Robustness
• Precision
• Drone market changing and moving
forward
Regulatory
• Lack of clear cUAS regulatory environment
Market
• Lack of standards
Education
• What cUAS can do and what it’s for
Challenges
“It’s not about the technology, it’s about enabling people to deploy the technology” – Leo McCloskey, VP Echodyne
For educational use only. Photo credit: wetalkuav.com

41. Thank you

42. Questions
Kristy Kiernan, Ph.D., ATP, PC
Assistant Professor
Program Chair MSUS
College of Aeronautics
kristine.kiernan@erau.edu

43. Upcoming Webinars:
webinars.erau.edu