Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Remotely Piloted NASA Aircraft Makes Unescorted Flight
Flies In Public Airspace Without Chase Plane

NASA’s large remotely piloted Ikhana aircraft successfully flew its first mission in the National Airspace System without a safety chase aircraft on Tuesday from the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. The Ikhana flew in accordance with FAA Technical Standard Order 211 (detect and avoid systems) and Technical Standard Order 212 (air-to-air radar for traffic surveillance). The FAA granted NASA special permission to conduct this flight under the authority of a certificate of waiver or authorization on March 30. Tuesday’s flight was the first remotely piloted aircraft to use airborne detect and avoid technology to meet the intent of the FAA’s “see and avoid” rules, with all test objectives successfully accomplished.