2015 tepee fire suas technology demonstration tests ... requesting altimeter setting, obtaining...
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2015TepeeSpringsFirePayetteNationalForest
BeyondVisualLineofSight(BVLOS)TestandEvaluationOverviewofPreliminaryResults
Background:DepartmentalManual(350DM1)chargesTheU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior(DOI)OfficeofAviationServices(OAS)withresponsibilityfor“conductingDOIaircraftandequipmentresearchanddevelopmentefforts.”Since2011,OAShascollaboratedwithDOIBureausandOfficestoconductOperationalTestandEvaluation(OT&E)ofunmannedaircraftsystems(UAS)inDepartmentalscienceandnaturalresourcesmissions.The2015UnmannedAircraftTechnologyDemonstrationOverview,Amendment#1,(https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.opengov.ibmcloud.com/files/uploads/2015%20Unmanned%20Aircraft%20Technology%20Demonstration%20Overview%20%2812‐5‐2014%29%20and%20Amendment%201%20%288‐9‐2015%29.pdf)providedaphased,risk‐managedapproachtosafelyconductingUASOT&Einthemorecomplexwildlandfiremissionarea.FollowingsuccessfulcompletionofPhase1Aand2,testingofPhase3A(Amendment#1)wasconducted.TheseOT&Etestswerealsoconsistentwiththe2015‐2020DOIUASIntegrationStrategy(https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.opengov.ibmcloud.com/files/uploads/DOI_UAS_Integration_Strategy_2015‐2020.pdf).ThesetestsweremadepossibleasaresultofclosecollaborationbetweenOASandtheFAA.Together,OASandtheFAAcraftedaMemorandumofAgreement(MOA)thatauthorizedDOItoflybeyondvisuallineofsightwithinanestablishedandactiveTemporaryFlightRestriction(TFR):(https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.opengov.ibmcloud.com/files/uploads/FAA_DOI_UAS_TFR_MOA_8‐13‐15.pdf).TestoperationswerealsogovernedbytherequirementsandconditionsoutlinedinanaddendumtoCertificateofWaiverorAuthorization2015‐WSA‐63.Purpose:ThisseriesoftestsexaminedtheabilityofanUAStobeemployedfromwithinaTFRintheintelligence,surveillance,andreconnaissancerole,whilebeingsafelyflownBVLOSandsegregatedfrommannedaircraft.TestObjectives:1. ExaminetheabilitytodeployandoperateanUAScompletelywithinan
establishedTFR.2. Establishproceduresfornotificationanddeconflictionproceduresforpotential
non‐participatingaircraftwithaccesstotheTFR(e.g.lawenforcement,emergencymedicalaircraft,etc.).
3. Developandemployairspacesegregationprotocolsforseparatingmannedandunmannedaircraftoperatingoverthefireduringthesametimeperiod.
4. AssesstheabilityoftheUAStobeoperatedBVLOSinthefireenvironment.5. EvaluatetheabilityofUAShotspotdetectionduringmop‐upandpatrol.6. EvaluatetheutilityofUASdevelopedprecisionmapproductsfornear‐realtime
incidentcommandandfielduse.
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TestConditions:TheTepeeSpringsFirewasanactivelysuppressedfireonthePayetteandNezPerce‐ClearwaterNationalForests.DuetotheactiveTFR,thethreatofnon‐participatingaircraftwaslow.Becausethefirewasreceivingmoistureanddownsizing,thenumberofgroundpersonnelandmannedaircraftparticipatinginthisfirewasminimal,mitigatingthisriskduringtesting.Thefireactivitywasminimal,makingitidealforexaminingthepotentialoftheinfrared(IR)sensorontheUAStodetecthotspotsandmaptheirlocation.TestAircraft:ATextronAerosondeMark4.7UASwasemployedduringthesetests.Theaircraftwasoperatedandpaidforbythecompanyaspartofagovernment‐sponsorednoticeofdemonstrationforwhichthisaircraftwasofferedandwasselected.FlightData:Thetestaircraftflewonfourseparatedays.Althoughthetestaircraftwascapableofmuchlongerflightdurations,timetoaccomplishindividualflighttestobjectivesdictateddailyflighttotals.Dailyandtotalflighttimes:9/19/155hrs.32min.9/20/156hrs.21min.9/21/156hrs.26min.9/22/152hrs.59min.TOTAL21hrs.18min.Results/LessonsLearned:ThemobilityoftheAeronsondeMark4.7launchandrecoverysystemsenabledtheUAStobedeployedinremoteterrainwithintheTFR.Priorplanningtolocatethelaunchandrecoveryequipmentonhighgroundenabledcommunicationrequirementsforsafeoperations.Aircraftdeconflictionprocedureswithparticipatingfixedwingandhelicopterswereeasilyaccomplishedthroughpreflightplanninganddisciplinedflightexecution.SegregationofmannedandunmannedaircraftontheinitialflightswasachievedthroughthecoordinationoftheFireTrafficAreabytheAirTacticalGroupSupervisor(ATGS).Later,separationwasachievedthroughtheuseofdesignatedaltitudereservations(ALTREV’s)setbytheATGSwithaminimum1,000’altitudebufferbetweenmannedandunmannedaircraftoperatinginthesamegeographicarea.ThisenabledtheUAStoconductintelligence,surveillance,andreconnaissancerole. TheUASwaseasilyintegratedintothefireincidentcommunicationsstructure.Consistentcommunicationwasestablishedpreandpostlaunch/recoverywiththefollowingcontacts:
IncidentCommander AirAttack Helibase IncidentCommunications
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PayetteDispatch BackCountryAM122.9
Theonboardelectro‐optical(EO)/IRcapabilityallowedforgoodviewsofthefirefromalongdistanceaway,enablingreal‐timecourse/missionrefinementsbasedonactualobservations.WhileplanninglaunchandrecoveryoperationswithintheFireTrafficArea,itwasimportanttodefinetherestrictedoperatingzoneROZontheincidentaviationmaps(NoFlyZoneattachedbelow).CooperationbetweenlocalForestManagementandtheIncidentManagementTeamtocreatetheNoFlyZonewitha.25milebufferpreventinganyUASflightsoverprivateland.SuccessfuloperationswithintheTFRwasaresultofclearcommunicationswiththeATGSrequestingaltimetersetting,obtainingclearanceforalloperationsanddeclarepositionwhileenteringandexitingtheROZ.Collaborationbetweenthevendor’sGISspecialistandtheincidentGISspecialistpriortoandduringthemissioniskeytosuccessfulmapping.Sensorsneedtobeevaluatedtoprovedeclaredresults.TwooftheexactsameMWIRcamerasproduceddifferentresultsbasedondateofproduction.Conclusions:Withpropercoordination,briefing,andinflightdiscipline,UASandmannedaircraftcanoperatesafelytogetheroveramanagedfireinaBVLOSmode,withinaTFR.Whilerawimagesprovidedsomeusefuldata,continueddevelopmentofdatapostprocessingneedstobeprioritytoproveapositiveniche.RecommendationsforFurtherTesting:AdditionaltestinginmorecomplexfireandairspaceenvironmentsshouldbeconductedtocontinuetorefineprotocolsforsafelyemployingUASonfiresinaBVLOSmodeofoperation.Continueddevelopmentandrefinementofdata‐to‐information‐to‐knowledge‐to‐actionprocessesthatprovidecriticalUASoutcomeproductsisalsorecommended.Ongoingimprovementsinthespeed,fidelity,andutilityofthesecritical“back‐end”processesarerecommended.
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