The ScanEagle and the Ikhana serve very
different purposes, hence their significant difference in size and
features. At 39 pounds in weight, the
ScanEagle spans approximately 5.1 feet in length and is double that (10.2 feet)
in wingspan (Insitu, 2013). Due to its
size, the ScanEagle is considered to be a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS). According to its specifications, the
ScanEagle is capable of completing over 24 hours of flight time and is able to
climb altitudes of 19,500 feet (Insitu, 2013).
The Ikhana, in contrast, is a rather large UAS with a length of over 36
feet and a wingspan of approximately 66 feet.
The Ikhana is also capable of flying altitudes more than twice as high
as the ScanEagle as it reaches approximately 40,000 feet (Insitu, 2013). Due to these variances, the ScanEagle and the
Ikhana serve very different purposes in the field.
The ScanEagle, as its name implies, is ideal
for monitoring (or scanning) in various missions such as disaster response,
search and rescue, criminal pursuits, and wildlife monitoring among others
(Insitu, 2013). The Ikhana on the other
hand is typically used to conduct critical missions in the fields of
intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (NASA, 2007). Further, due to their size differences as
well as the significant difference in missions for the ScanEagle versus the
Ikhana, UAS crewmember selection varies for each as well.
Both the ScanEagle and the Ikhana require two
operators for successful flight missions; however, operators are not
responsible for the same task in each case.
When considering the ScanEagle, one operator is necessary in order to
determine flight path and to control the aircraft itself; conversely, the
second operator is tasked to control the payload (Pappalardo, 2007). The Ikhana also requires two operators,
however this is a minimum as multiple operator crews may sometimes be necessary
over longer missions. In the case of the
two operators for the Ikhana, one is responsible for maintaining control of the
aircraft while the second is responsible for overseeing the payload. Again, although this is similar to the small
UAS operations, the difference is primarily that due to the longer duration of
the missions for the Ikhana, these operators will typically need to be rotated
in shifts over time. The ScanEagle and
Ikhana also differ in their crewmember licensing requirements.
As a small UAS, operators of the ScanEagle are
not required to have a pilot’s license. These
in turn results in a much larger availability of pilots for the small UAS as
there is no license restriction.
Conversely, operators or pilots of large UASs such as the Ikhana must
currently have a commercial pilot license according to the FAA (FAA,
2007). Consequently, it is more
difficult and takes more time to find the necessary operators for the Ikhana
than it would for the ScanEagle. Additionally,
it is rather easy for an individual to learn how to operate a ScanEagle. According to their website, Insitu offers a
course over a span of 10 weeks that would ultimately result in the
certification of operators for the ScanEagle (Insitu, 2013). The Ikhana, however, requires approximately a
year of training in order to learn how to properly operate such a large UAS
(FAA, 2007).
There are a few factors that ideally can be
considered in order to identify the most highly qualified applicants to these
positions that would also ensure compliance with all regulations and laws. In terms of the ScanEagle, the company in question
should take into consideration the operators’ overall flight experience with
similar small UASs as well as manned aircraft.
However, specific training should also be offered upon selection in
order to familiarize the operators with his/her specific UAS (in this case the
ScanEagle). This training could provide
a certification (such as the 10 week process previously mentioned) that would
allow the company to weed out qualified versus unqualified individuals.
Operators for the Ikhana, on the other hand,
should also have experience with similar large aircraft and large UASs in
particular. These pilots would ideally
have experience particularly in large UASs, however the company should also
consider licensed pilots or large manned aircraft in general in order to widen
the currently limited selection available.
Similarly to the small UAS training, pilots for the Ikhana should also
receive specified additional training that targets the particular requirements
necessary to successfully operate the Ikhana and large UASs in general. Certification may also be granted upon
completion and this would allow for compliance of laws and regulations as well
as serve as a means of determining which pilots are truly qualified for the job
as operators.
References
Insitu.
(2013). ScanEagle. Retrieved from http://www.insitu.com/systems/scaneagle
FAA.
(2007). Unmanned Aircraft Operations in the National Airspace System. Retrieved
from
http://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/uas/reg/media/frnotice_uas.pdf
NASA.
(2007). Ikhana/Predator B. Unmanned
Science and Research Aircraft System.
Retrieved from
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-097-DFRC.html
Pappalardo,
J. (2007). Flocking ScanEagles. Air &
Space Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/FEATURE-Scaneagles.html.
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