| Abstract | Over the last number of years Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) operators, manufactures, regulators and researchers alike have been focusing attention on the development of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operational capabilities. As the potential for true BVLOS operations comes more plausible and possible in Canada (and around the world) it is apparent that operators will look to gain further efficiencies and enhanced capabilities achievable through autonomous aircraft operations. Likewise there is growing interest in the adoption of increasing levels of automation in traditional aviation platforms as well as newly emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) platforms. Although technical and regulatory challenges remain, research, experimentation and development is already rapidly evolving to focus on autonomous operations of RPAS and Optionally Piloted Vehicles (OPV) in the coming BVLOS environment. In the area of certification, “autonomous1” aircraft operations present a complex challenge in a number of domains, to which traditional approaches applied to aircraft avionics are not well suited. Recent experience with the certification of rotorcraft fly-by-wire systems, amongst many other examples of advanced technology, have highlighted the need for regulators to better understand and anticipate the technical complexities of these rapidly evolving technologies |
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