The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a statement which “clarifies FAA policy regarding the existing accuracy requirements for the reported geometric altitude of the control station of a standard remote identification unmanned aircraft. The FAA describes one acceptable way producers of unmanned aircraft can meet the minimum performance requirement for the accuracy of the control station’s reported geometric altitude. The FAA determined that this action is necessary to inform developers of means of compliance of one potential pathway to meet the performance requirement for the control station’s reported geometric altitude.”
According to an FAA statement:
“On January 15, 2021, the FAA published a final rule titled “Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft” (Remote ID final rule) with an original effective date of March 16, 2021. The Remote ID final rule requires the remote identification of unmanned aircraft in the airspace of the United States. Remote identification is the capability of an unmanned aircraft, in flight, to provide certain identification, location, and performance information that people on the ground and other airspace users can receive.”
The following paragraphs present a high level edited version of the statement:
“This statement of policy describes one acceptable way, but not the only way, that the accuracy requirements for the reported geometric altitude of the control station of a standard remote identification unmanned aircraft can meet the minimum performance requirement in Sec. 89.310(h). The FAA is not requiring developers of means of compliance to include the specific method provided in this statement of policy.
“A means of compliance that requires the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) control station position source to be a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver utilizing Global Positioning System
(GPS) and Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) satellite signals to determine the geometric altitude of the control station would be an acceptable method for a means of compliance to demonstrate that the unmanned aircraft built according to its specifications would meet the accuracy requirement in Sec. 89.310(h). The WAAS Performance Analysis report from the second quarter of 2021 shows that GNSS receivers utilizing GPS with a satellite-based augmentation system indicates a worst-site 95% vertical accuracy of 5 feet for the continental United States….This report demonstrates that GNSS receivers utilizing GPS/WAAS can achieve the necessary vertical position accuracy across the National Airspace System to meet the reported geometric altitude requirement of Sec. 89.310(h).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Siegmund, Policy and Innovation Division, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone 1-844-FLY-MY-UA (1-844-359-6981);
email: UAShelp@faa.gov.
