The FAA at work

MEDICAL CERTIFICATION FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT PILOTS
Though it may sound like one hand clapping, an unmanned aircraft must
have a pilot -- just not on the plane. And someone has to worry what
may happen if the pilot becomes incapacitated. "Although the term
'unmanned aircraft'
suggests the absence of human interaction, the human operator/pilot is
still a critical element in the success of any unmanned aircraft
operation," according to a new study from the Federal Aviation
Administration. "For many UA systems, a contributing factor to a
substantial proportion of accidents is human error." "Regarding the
risk of pilot incapacitation, at
least a few factors distinguish this risk from manned aircraft," the
study noted. Since the pilot is on the ground, the effects of changes
in air pressure can be ignored. Also, many advanced UA systems have
procedures for communications failures or "lost data link," which is
"functionally equivalent to pilot incapacitation." The most advanced
systems, such as
Global Hawk, "will continue normal flight whether a pilot is present
or not." The study therefore recommended adoption of a minimal medical
certification for pilots, including a waiver process that would also
permit handicapped persons to be certified. "This process gives
individuals who might not be able to fly manned aircraft an
opportunity to receive medical certification for flying an unmanned
aircraft." See "Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Medical Certification
Requirements," Federal Aviation Administration,
February 2007: http://www.fas.org/irp/program/collect/ua-pilot.pdf