A Mindset-Based Evolution of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Acceptance Into the National Airspace System (NAS)

The main goal of this research is to evaluate the Air Traffic Controller (ATCo) workload considering the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) integration into the National Airspace System (NAS) through fast-time simulations, and including futuristic scenarios in which the ATCo is familiar with manned and unmanned aircraft, i.e., different ATCo mindsets are considered. As these professionals play an essential role in optimizing the airspace operation, maintaining their workload at an acceptable level is essential. However, the integration of new technologies, such as UAS, may present an impact on safety levels from the workload perspective. In this context, the Technology Maturity Level (TML), which is a systematic metric/measurement system that supports assessments of the familiarity of a particular aircraft with ATCos, is proposed. The experiments showed that the integration of UAS into the NAS should be conducted gradually.