NUAIR conference lays automation groundwork for high-density vertiports

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — NUAIR on March 5 held an all-day virtual conference to further develop a plan that supports NASA’s advanced air mobility (AAM) efforts.

More than 70 officials from the FAA, NASA, and other industry professionals participated.

Syracuse–based NUAIR is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research. The nonprofit focuses on UAS operations, aeronautical research, safety management, and consulting services. A UAS (unmanned aircraft system) includes a drone and equipment used to control its flight. A drone is also referred to in the industry as an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV.

NASA awarded Oneida County this “critical” contract in August 2020 to conduct research in automation technology to support high-density vertiport operations that facilitate the vertical takeoff and landing of large-scale unmanned aircraft across populated areas.

A vertiport is a collective term referring to areas designed specifically for AAM aircraft to take off and land, much like a heliport is a designated area for helicopters.

NUAIR manages the $897,000 task order for AAM and vertiport development on behalf of the New York UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. The project team includes Deloitte; Chicago, Illinois–based Boeing (NYSE:BA); Arlington, Virginia–based Crown Consulting; Mosaic ATM, a Leesburg, Virginia–based software company; 5-Alpha LLC of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Helicopter Association International (HAI) of Alexandria, Virginia; and the Washington, D.C.–based General Aircraft Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

After eight months of work, the team opened the floor to their industry colleagues to discuss and gather feedback on three reports focusing on the project: a trade study, the concept of operations (ConOps), and the software-architecture requirements for vertiport automation.

“Oneida County’s long-standing partnership with NASA has proven to be a productive one,” Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said in a release. “Together, we have conducted crucial research that has led to transformative advancements in the UAS industry. I look forward to the impact this new collaboration will have on the future of this emerging technology.”

Conference details

Marcus Johnson — high-density vertiplex subproject manager with NASA — opened the event by discussing NASA’s overall vertiport-research plans, which all stem from the groundwork that’s under development in this initial project.

The FAA’s Robert Bassey gave an update on vertiport-standards development and research, outlining multiple operational requirements for vertiport facilities. They include layout designs, electrical needs, and safety requirements.

The FAA and NASA meet regularly with the AAM industry for “open collaboration in building the future of public air transportation,” NUAIR said.

Michael Patterson — systems analysis and AAM ConOps lead with NASA — reported on the current maturity level of AAM and gave an “in-depth vision” of what is needed and what it might look like to advance into the “intermediate” maturity level.

This level would include complex operations and automated systems, consisting of hundreds of simultaneous flights.

Individual aircraft may have the option of being flown by an onboard pilot, flown using simplified vehicle operations, or by someone at a “command station” who may be piloting or monitoring multiple aircraft at once.

Project partners Crown Consulting and Mosaic ATM outlined what these “skyways” and vertiport structures might look like, how they would integrate with current airspace regulations and the communication systems needed for safe flight. Air traffic will be a mix of piloted, semi-automated, and fully automated aircraft with multiple vertiport configurations depending on the location and type of operation. Vertiports could be built on top of buildings, be a stand-alone hub with amenities like an airport, or be a simple “vertistop”, intended solely for pick-ups and drop-offs.

After hearing the project group’s concept of AAM and vertiport operations, participants were separated into moderated breakout rooms to discuss the three phases of AAM operations: pre-flight and planning, departure and en route, and landing and surface.