UAS Traffic Management (UTM) Field Test

Project Overview

With significant growth in demand for airspace access, the FAA recognizes the continued need to collaborate with industry to improve UAS traffic management (UTM) for both visual line of sight (VLOS) and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. To that end, the UTM Field Test (UFT) was conducted in 2023 to validate proposed standards and evaluate new capabilities that support drone operations in the real world.

UFT was conducted in collaboration with two FAA UAS Test Sites:

The FAA and its partners executed flight tests in complex environments including operations over people, at night, and among diverse missions. UFT also examined data correlation using remote identification, an updated cybersecurity framework, and other updates to UTM technology.

Artistic rendering of an operational view of UAS activity during the day. It illustrates various potential drone activities including inspection, agricultural, media, photography, delivery, public safety, and recreation. One drone flies above a crowd of people, while other drones travel in different directions. Drones in this image operate both within visual line of sight and beyond visual line of sight of the operators.
Figure 1: Operational view of UTM Field Test with UAS activity during the day
Artistic rendering of an operational view of UAS activity during the night. It illustrates drone activities including medical delivery and public safety. One person is monitoring a drone that flies above a crowd of people, while other drones travel in different directions and deconflict their paths. Drones in this image operate both within visual line of sight and beyond visual line of sight of the operators.
Figure 2: Operational view of UTM Field Test with UAS activity during the night
artistic rendering of the portion of UTM Field Test evaluating data correlation activities. A crowd of people watches an outdoor concert while a public safety official monitors UAS activities nearby.
Figure 3: Operational view of UTM Field Test evaluating data correlation activities
graphical depiction of UTM Field Test's evaluation of strategic deconfliction capabilities.
Figure 4: Operational view of UTM Field Test evaluating strategic deconfliction capabilities

UFT focus areas included:

  • Industry services supporting UTM
  • Planning and coordination in complex operating environments
  • Priority status of operational intent
  • Data correlation service enhancements
  • Identity and access management

Through this concept development and engineering and validation activities, the outcomes of UFT will help mature technologies, inform policy development and validation of standards, and lay the groundwork for creating a safe and scalable UTM ecosystem. 

UTM ecosystem

Diagram depicts a high-level view of the UTM ecosystem. On one side, Flight Information Management System (FIMS) Services and Processes are shown beside a series of databases. Next to these databases, within FIMS Services and Processes is a collection of FAA services and functions that support information exchanges between UTM stakeholders and the FAA

(click to enlarge)

For additional information, please review the UFT Final Report and watch project videos on FAA’s YouTube channel.

UTM Field Test will help improve UTM capabilities and services within UTM ecosystem.

UFT Reference Documents

Contact

Last updated: Thursday, December 7, 2023