ASTM Aviation Group Pushes Automation-Centric Aircraft Design

Standards body tackles autonomous aviation design

ASTM International will convene industry leaders in October to address a fundamental shift in how aircraft are designed around automation rather than traditional pilot skills. The standards organization's 7th Annual Autonomy in Aviation Symposium in Jacksonville, Florida, will explore how advanced systems can reduce dependence on exceptional pilot ability or extensive training.

The initiative, led by ASTM's Autonomy Design and Operations in Aviation Administrative Committee, aims to establish consensus on moving toward what committee chair Wes Ryan calls an "automation-centric design paradigm." Ryan, a Northrop Grumman fellow for airworthiness of autonomy and AI, said the goal is enabling automation to handle routine malfunctions while pilots focus on high-level mission management.

Why it matters

This standards work could reshape pilot certification requirements and accelerate deployment of electric and autonomous aircraft. As the FAA launches its eIPP initiative to fast-track electric aviation services and the military expands autonomous aircraft use, industry consensus on automation design principles becomes critical for both regulatory approval and public acceptance.

From guidance to standards

ASTM creates voluntary consensus standards that regulators frequently adopt. The FAA cited four ASTM standards in last year's MOSAIC rule updating light-sport aircraft regulations, demonstrating the organization's influence on aviation policy.

Since 2019, ASTM has published increasingly detailed guidance on aviation autonomy. A 2020 technical report outlined "Developmental Pillars of Increased Autonomy for Aircraft Systems," while a 2023 white paper raised unresolved questions: If automation addresses challenges traditionally handled by pilot qualifications or medical fitness, do those requirements remain relevant? Who holds authority in emergencies when automation replaces the pilot?

The committee plans to publish a paper on automation in aviation within a year following the symposium, though it has not yet begun drafting specific standards.

Industry perspectives

Tom Gunnarson, regulatory affairs lead at Boeing-owned Wisk, which is developing pilotless electric air taxis, serves on the ASTM committee. He described the forum as less formal than FAA rulemaking bodies but valuable for exposing innovations and engaging regulators early. When regulators develop performance-based rules, standards bodies can quickly create compliance methods.

Confirmed speakers include MIT aerospace professor David Mindell, author of "Our Robots, Ourselves," plus representatives from the FAA and NASA.

Ella Atkins, who directs Virginia Tech's Autonomous Aerospace Systems Lab, framed the challenge as "trust calibration." Humans need confidence in autonomous systems with override capability when machines malfunction, she noted, but machines also require safeguards against human error or malicious intent.

Ryan envisions a future of "carefree handling" where pilots become systems managers rather than constant interventionists, allowing automation to resolve low-level events independently.

These details were first reported by Aerospace America.