UAV Program

[vorter]

My squadron started up a UAV program, with the purposed of being able to fly a remote controlled plane with ground teams to do Search and Rescue, for real cheap, using a battery or little fuel, and if it were to crash, only a few hundred dollars would be lost and no lives would be at risk. We are training cadets through first R/C planes, and then moving to bigger full size, multi-thousand mission UAV's, with cameras in it. It is currently being funded by one of our senior members, but hopefully it will be funded by NHQ, as it promotes aerospace education and emergency services for cheap all at once. I highly recommend that a UAV program should be started in your own squadron.

[HGjunkie]

You could send this idea to NHQ... sounds like a good idea that with a little R&D, could lower costs of search ops significantly.

[SABRE17]

a SM at MAWG HQ is working on a similar project, he even gave a small intro class at wing confrence, with the national comander in attendence.
great minds do think a like

[Майор Хаткевич]

We're talking the hand held versions the Army uses basically? Why re-invent the wheel? Look at what theirs cost, build it yourself = save a lot.

[SABRE17]

thats pretty much what i saw as a template at confrence, the idea is perfect, except building a man or vehicle  mobile unit with the reliability and endurance of what the army has wont be to easy, maybe get in contact with an aeronautical university, i know texas A and M have been working on stuff.

[Krapenhoeffer]

OH! This gives me an idea for a Senior's Thesis!!

TO THE UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING LAB, AWAY!

Now, could this be done with a Doppler DF unit, and a GPS receiver?

Does anybody own a Doppler DF unit that works, and can they weigh it?

In addition, I think that "ditching" one of these with a 121.775 beacon could be useful as a more "realistic" SAREX target.

[CommGeek]

During DeepWater Horizon, the UAV came up.  CAP was asked to provide pilots to fly UAV's ... Not sure if it happened.

[HGjunkie]

During DeepWater Horizon, the UAV came up.  CAP was asked to provide pilots to fly UAV's ... Not sure if it happened.

I'm not too sure if it did either.

[Eclipse]

If you're planning on doing this as a fun learning experience and AE project, good on 'ye.

But if you're seriously going to take a run as something resembling a UAV that could operate like the big boys, I just don't see it.

Those birds are controlled via satellite, and have some semi-autonomous capabilities when the controller loses signal - that's why they are effective tools, because they can be controlled across an ocean.

The radio range of anything legal in the RC world would mean you'd have to basically be standing on the site you are surveying - handy in a gee-whiz way for a top-down look, but not all that useful.

[vorter]

If you're planning on doing this as a fun learning experience and AE project, good on 'ye.

But if you're seriously going to take a run as something resembling a UAV that could operate like the big boys, I just don't see it.

Those birds are controlled via satellite, and have some semi-autonomous capabilities when the controller loses signal - that's why they are effective tools, because they can be controlled across an ocean.

The radio range of anything legal in the RC world would mean you'd have to basically be standing on the site you are surveying - handy in a gee-whiz way for a top-down look, but not all that useful.

Well our mission UAV was apparently custom made with parts from a certain contractor, that I don't know, and has a capable range of 20-40 miles. And we are trained how to operate in a emergency, such as how to land a UAV with no power and line of sight.

[Eclipse]

...has a capable range of 20-40 miles. And we are trained how to operate in a emergency, such as how to land a UAV with no power and line of sight.

I'm gonna throw the flag on that one.

This is a device that exists or is planned?  Outside cellular or satellite, what kind of controller in this price range has that kind of power?

[vorter]

According to my superior who is running the program, we already have it, in storage but I think it's some kind of long range signal technology. I don't know the full details.

[coudano]

missouri had a program going some years back, working with local science and tech college.  i think it hit funding roadblocks, and never got off the ground (literally)


a smart uav won't be controlled from a radio (like an rc airplaine) except on takeoff and landing
it'll have an onboard computer that flies a set path
the you just send updated destinations to it from the ground


i have thought this would be a great idea for a while, but who has the time energy and money (not i) 

[MikeD]

I worked on some of the hand-launched ones for the Army, and they cost big $ for the system.  You're pretty much in violation of the FAR once you operate outside of AMA rules.  Interesting project for a school project like for Krapenhoeffer (who should PM me a resume), but not something practical for CAP to use on missions at this point. 

UAS in the NAS is coming, but no one knows what the requirements will be yet, or how it will impact small UAS.  I see this as something really cool for an AE activity but not as an ES asset anytime soon.

[RiverAux]

During DeepWater Horizon, the UAV came up.  CAP was asked to provide pilots to fly UAV's ... Not sure if it happened.

I'm not too sure if it did either.

I'm sure that if they did ask them, we turned them down since we have no such capability. 

[CommGeek]

We were tasked just to provide pilots. the contractor would have provided the hardware.  FAA regulations states that you must have a real pilot fly a UAV.

It turns out if was cost prohibitive, and believe it or not it was cheaper to fly a real plane and crew.

[RiverAux]

Yeah, I'm sure CAP and the AF were raring to put our pilots at the controls of some random equipment that we don't own and have never practiced with.  I can see it now "UAV piloted by CAP member crashes into house, killing family of 5". 

[Krapenhoeffer]

Not to mention that DHS and USAF already have people who are specifically trained to fly the darned things.

Were very good at what we do. I would not trust a typical American Airlines pilot to go find an ELT. Nor would I trust a typical CAP pilot to fly a 777 across the ocean.

After getting off of my nerd high, I think the UAV is a most likely not good idea.

[FARRIER]

My squadron started up a UAV program, with the purposed of being able to fly a remote controlled plane with ground teams to do Search and Rescue, for real cheap, using a battery or little fuel, and if it were to crash, only a few hundred dollars would be lost and no lives would be at risk. We are training cadets through first R/C planes, and then moving to bigger full size, multi-thousand mission UAV's, with cameras in it. It is currently being funded by one of our senior members, but hopefully it will be funded by NHQ, as it promotes aerospace education and emergency services for cheap all at once. I highly recommend that a UAV program should be started in your own squadron.

Keep us posted on your units progress.

[Eclipse]

Not to mention that DHS and USAF already have people who are specifically trained to fly the darned things.

DHS would probably be OK, but USAF personnel, on duty, would likely violate the PCA operating in CONUS.  That is likely why there
was the push to put current and active military pilots in CAP uniforms for the surrogate program - best of both worlds.  Military skills without a PCA violation.