Drones perform well in staged SAR operation

Started by Live2Learn, November 16, 2016, 06:10:53 PM

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RogueLeader

Interesting.  I'm wondering what the weather conditions were like, as compared to what can be expected for some of our other SAR conditions.
WYWG DP

GRW 3340

CAPDCCMOM

This really could be the face of the next generation for effective SAR. But we will need longer flight time, these batteries drain very quickly.

And of course CAP will get bogged down trying to figure out the correct uniform to operate a drone >:D

kcebnaes

Oh my gosh. I was just joking with my wife about this! I was going to "suggest" that when operating a drone for CAP events(aerospace education, SAR?, etc.) that we should wear a flight suit, with the proper wings!  >:D
Sean Beck, Maj, CAP
Great Lakes Region sUAS Officer
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Luis R. Ramos

Do we want a flight suit with NOMEX? For when the controller short-circuits and smokes???

Who will propose a new badge? Wings with a drone in the middle? Can we have someone--anyone--post a design like someone posted a Coffee Mission Officer badge???
Squadron Safety Officer
Squadron Communication Officer
Squadron Emergency Services Officer

CAPDCCMOM

Gentlemen,  gentlemen,  this is the highest level of cutting edge technology. It must be full Mess Dress, in order to show the proper dignity and respect for the mission.  :angel: >:D

Eclipse


Show: CAP Drone Command Post

Not pictured: Mom making Hot Pockets.

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Thonawit

With Mess Dress as the official Drone Pilot uniform, does that mean the accouterment  that is referred to as the "Dinner Plate" be replaced with a Satellite Dish?

Also there would be 2 more posistions needed;

Battery Tender - The person who installs the batteries in the drone and flight preps it.
Battery Handler - The person who removes the batteries in the drone and places them in the charger.
Regularly contradicts, contradicted CAP Regulations...

Live2Learn

Quote from: CAPDCCMOM on November 16, 2016, 08:53:58 PM
This really could be the face of the next generation for effective SAR. But we will need longer flight time, these batteries drain very quickly.

And of course CAP will get bogged down trying to figure out the correct uniform to operate a drone >:D

Looks like Amazon isn't too hung up on the "proper uniform" or even patches.  See http://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2017/01/amazon-drone-takes-on-slings-arrows-and-hackers/ for an interesting discussion of how they might protect the integrity of their aircraft. 

Unfortunately, I agree with the posters who (in good humor) poke fun at CAP's inability to move outside of its history.  I expect we're in an organization that will be a (very) late adopter of new technology.

A.Member

Hmmmm.  Seems the cost of that operation was missing from the article.  The operating costs of a 172/182 are significantly less than any vehicle mentioned.  Any opening bids on the cost of that little SAR demo?

That's our value proposition....for now anyway.
"For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

RRLE

From the article:

QuoteThe application also describes how a drone could be programmed to take avoiding action against an arrow or other low speed projectile launched by 'an adversarial person'.

I think most "adversarial people" would attempt to take a drone down with a rifle, handgun or shotgun and not a bow and arrow. The former are not low speed projectiles. Is Amazon protecting against the wrong threat?

Luis R. Ramos

What would autorotation acomplish for a drone?

If it ends going down in the middle of a city it would probably end going down in the middle of a street, causing an accident.

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THRAWN

Quote from: Luis R. Ramos on November 17, 2016, 12:24:58 AM
Do we want a flight suit with NOMEX? For when the controller short-circuits and smokes???

Who will propose a new badge? Wings with a drone in the middle? Can we have someone--anyone--post a design like someone posted a Coffee Mission Officer badge???

The RM, LE and some commercial operators already do this. Not saying you NEED a bag to be a UAV operator....

There are already wings designed: www.dronepilotwings.com
Strup-"Belligerent....at times...."
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SarDragon

Quote from: Luis R. Ramos on January 04, 2017, 01:19:13 PM
What would autorotation acomplish for a drone?

If it ends going down in the middle of a city it would probably end going down in the middle of a street, causing an accident.

Most drones I've seen don't have the right rotor profiles to autorotate. They are too short, and have too little mass to work effectively.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

Luis R. Ramos

I know. I was responding to the article that was posted in the link.

Any drone with four motors one in each corner would not autorotate.

I still state that autorotation would not do any good for market delivery drones. They would just land in places where the merchandise may be lost  because of an accident.


Squadron Safety Officer
Squadron Communication Officer
Squadron Emergency Services Officer

Live2Learn

Maybe there's another issue Amazon will have to address:  Hijacking.  See:  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-tech-drones-idUSKBN14M180 for a very interesting discussion of anti-UAV technology startups, some of which might produce spoof 'n snatch tactics.  It could be interesting.  Walmart might sell drones to the "recreationist" and the anti-drone to everyone else. Some of the disabling anti-UAV technologies might raise Amazon's headaches with package snatching to an entirely new level.   Free enterprise at work!

Starbux

My thought is that drones will not replace manned light fixed wing in the CONUS.  I do see the technology such as MTS balls being attached to the fleet like the one that hangs on the Green Flag SP bird very useful for SAR.  I successfully found two targets one in OIF and the other in OEF with the MQ-1.  When I was a RAPO I was trying to facilitate this through my leadership in CAP-USAF.  The MTS system can change the way we do business because we would no longer need to do any high risk low altitude flying anymore.  The IR sensor can spot things that the eye may not pick up, especially for missions with lost hikers in the mountains in the winter time.  An IR ball would be able to pick up a heat signature of a live person very well against the freezing background.  It would also give us a night capability meaning in those crucial hours we maybe more likely to get a live rescue versus a recovery. 

For drones in CAP.  My thought is that they can be a useful tool to a ground team by using some of the COTS solutions.  There are systems like the DJI Inspire 1 XT which carry a FLIR camera.  Even though they do not fly far or long 20 minutes.   They do go out a few miles.  If you wanted to investigate something without hiking in terrain a few miles you can launch the drone go out and search the area and get a very good view.   Even some systems like this pocket foldable Mavic with just a normal video camera, you can get a 4K image at very high detail and possibly help in searching high rick areas.  So there is potential for various uses of this tech.  There are some large industrial solutions as well.  I think they have a potential use in some situations.  They wont be a replacement, but they can be a useful augment.

SarDragon

"No bucks, no Buck Rogers."

Who's going to buy the technology? Who's going to pay for and perform the maintenance? These are important questions to ask when considering new things. Look at the fiasco named ARCHER. Decent idea, but poorly conceived and eventually relegated to CAP's dustbin.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

etodd

Quote from: SarDragon on February 20, 2017, 01:11:48 AM
"No bucks, no Buck Rogers."

Who's going to buy the technology? Who's going to pay for and perform the maintenance? These are important questions to ask when considering new things. Look at the fiasco named ARCHER. Decent idea, but poorly conceived and eventually relegated to CAP's dustbin.

I agree that small drones at this point may be best suited for ground search teams who have an approx location and can use a drone to search that area quicker. (Lots of variables here)

This may well be the time when 'member owned gear' will be more of a reality. You don't need a pilot who just flies a squadron drone a few times a year. A drone owner who flies weekly doing other things, even as a hobby, will be very familiar with his/her particular setup and do much better ... and be much safer. No doubt about it.

I'm a PPSEL and also have my Part 107 FAA Remote Pilot certification for small drones. I'm ready, and would bet CAP has many others as well.
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Breathe in, breathe out, move on ..."

Gunsotsu

Anyone that thinks that drones will not have a big piece of the air SAR pie are kidding themselves. Look only at what Autel Robotics has in the pipe for this year alone. Member owned drones with FLIR capability, a 1+ mile range, and 25+ minutes of flight time for less than for less than $2K? Not to mention their VTOL Kestrel with a 60+ mile range.  Just think about having that tool at one's disposal. Imagine how many of those CAP could put out during a mission for the cost of one C172.

The future of this business belongs to UAVs. That's just a fact.