Thus, holding or vectoring aircraft away from each other because of see-and-avoid responsibilities, as well as attempts to exempt Part 91.113, would so negatively impact controller workload, Bricker contends, that both safety and efficiency in the NAS would be compromised — in other words, the system would slow down to the point where a majority of aircraft would be denied service.

The major drawback in mixing UAVs with conventional aircraft today is the former’s questionable ability to see and avoid conflicting traffic, unionized air traffic controllers maintain.

Could automation provide a life-saving solution in the ultimate emergency — pilot incapacitation? Why not? responds David Vos, senior director, UAS business, at Rockwell Collins. Passenger-carrying aircraft could be fitted with a “panic button” that a crewmember or even a passenger could push if the pilots were unable to function, he believes. The button would engage automation that could safely fly the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport and land it.