sUAS Progress in Ops Quals

[kcebnaes]

Looks like OHWG is up and running. I was able to get both my uMP and uTechnician ratings finalyl uploaded, approved, and on my 101 card. Very excited this is starting to feel more and more "official!"

[PHall]

Now the million dollar question, will this new capability get used? And not just for training and evaluation missions.

[THRAWN]

Now the million dollar question, will this new capability get used? And not just for training and evaluation missions.

Why should it be any different from any other ES specialty?

[PHall]

Now the million dollar question, will this new capability get used? And not just for training and evaluation missions.

Why should it be any different from any other ES specialty?

sUAS is not unique to CAP. Just about any SAR agency has their own sUAS. And the bigger ones like the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Cal Fire have the bigger and more capable units that can do way more then ours can.
Not to mention that are about a dozen states where their Air National Guard units are equipped with Predator/Raptor UAS which can and have been used on State missions like Disaster Relief and such.
That's why.

[etodd]

sUAS is not unique to CAP. Just about any SAR agency has their own sUAS. And the bigger ones like the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Cal Fire have the bigger and more capable units that can do way more then ours can.
Not to mention that are about a dozen states where their Air National Guard units are equipped with Predator/Raptor UAS which can and have been used on State missions like Disaster Relief and such.
That's why.

Everyone always gets stuck on SAR.  Heck, 95% of our saves are with the Cell Phone Forensics Teams. And what is that now, five people?

Yes I know 'some Wings' are still active in SAR, but they are by far the exceptions, and not the rule.

One example. FEMA has no interest in flying drones for themselves, any more than they want to fly airplanes.  Our airplanes will get the first wide views of large areas, then sUAS teams can be sent into targeted areas for low level detailed inspections.

There are MANY localities, small areas, that will not have this type of gear. If your Squadron is in one of those, seek out MOUs with local agencies, so they can call NOC and request you. The success of the sUAS Program will largely be grass roots like this. Not so much national, as it will be those few squadrons that desire to make it work, and get out in the local community and sell it.  The other Squadrons ... will find their niche other than sUAS.

[Eclipse]

Now the million dollar question, will this new capability get used? And not just for training and evaluation missions.

Why should it be any different from any other ES specialty?

sUAS is not unique to CAP. Just about any SAR agency has their own sUAS. And the bigger ones like the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Cal Fire have the bigger and more capable units that can do way more then ours can.
Not to mention that are about a dozen states where their Air National Guard units are equipped with Predator/Raptor UAS which can and have been used on State missions like Disaster Relief and such.
That's why.

Yep.

CAP will have a handful of press-friendly missions a year that look good on FaceSpace and at CAP-USAF briefings
but will have little major impact and will likely have "back stories" such as the recent post-hurricane missions.

Any agency of consequence has their own UAV people and if they don't, probably don't need one except in
unusual circumstances.

Which doesn't even address the "It's in Joe's trunk." issues which are a problem across the board.

And sadly, it's no different then CAP's other ES missions right now which are in about the same shape.

[Eclipse]

Everyone always gets stuck on SAR. 

"Stuck?"  It's a stated mission.  Until that changes, members aren't "stuck" they are focusing
on what is supposed to be a core competency.

FEMA has no interest in flying drones for themselves,

Correct, but irrelevant.

"FEMA" doesn't actually "do" anything. They are essentially a coordination agency for managing money.
Private contractors will continue to fulfill all but the most opportunistic needs for DR incidents.

There are MANY localities, small areas, that will not have this type of gear. If your Squadron is in one of those, seek out MOUs with local agencies, so they can call NOC and request you. The success of the sUAS Program will largely be grass roots like this. Not so much national, as it will be those few squadrons that desire to make it work, and get out in the local community and sell it.  The other Squadrons ... will find their niche other than sUAS.

Yeah...no.

That's the rhetoric, but that math has never translated meaningfully for other SAR/DR ops and won't
for UAVs.  I've had these direct conversations with these "small areas".

They either aren't interested, can ask the news helo to take some pics for them in exchange for
an interview, or "The Chief's nephew got one of the drone things for his birthday..." (etc.).
For those with a special need, 1-800 drone is in their contact list.

And as to the average unit offering services to a local agency, that's not how CAP works.
Unless you believe every unit is going to wind up with a pro-sumer UAV and trained ops
(in an organizaiton that purports to be expert at SAR-DF and has only a few receivers in every state)
you really don't understand the question.

Like every other CAP mission, few and far between will be a self-sufficient unit, so any
commitment of resources will have to be done in coordination with (at least) Group, and probably wing,
and that's >AFTER< the capabilities are ramped up and established.

That's a year+ away (AFTER the org is back to a steady state from C19) and on the optimistic side.

[MacGruff]

Wanted to come back to this topic. I finished the IS-3 training and as others have stated, while the FEMA web site tells you that it takes about 10 hours to get through this course, it only took me about 3 and a half.

Wasn't as bad as some of the others, but there were several head scratchers in there!

[etodd]

Wanted to come back to this topic. I finished the IS-3 training and as others have stated, while the FEMA web site tells you that it takes about 10 hours to get through this course, it only took me about 3 and a half.

Yep. And IS-5.a  is about the same. Both are open book. I think the 10 hour quote is someone who wants to read a couple paragraphs and then spend 30 minutes thinking and soaking it in, then read another 2 paragraphs ....

You can make of it what you want.

[AirDX]

So how does one go about training for and getting a Form 5U? I can't find a sUAS IP or check pilot anywhere.

[etodd]

So how does one go about training for and getting a Form 5U? I can't find a sUAS IP or check pilot anywhere.

Ask your Wing DO, if a sUAS DOU has been assigned in your Wing. If so, start talking with that person and see what they have planned for your Wing. If no one has been assigned yet, maybe send out a Wing wide email and ask if anyone in the Wing has been working with Lt. Col. Austin Worcester at Hdqs. If so, start talking with that person.

If you cannot find ANYONE in your Wing working on this yet .... you just got elected.

I assume you have your Part 107(?) How many hours logged?

Have you completed all six FEMA courses listed on the SQTR? If not, start there.  Then start studying the sUAS Mission Task Guide. and all the areas of the SQTR.

Once completing all that, maybe poll your Wing again and see if any is working with Hdqs yet. If not, contact Worcester and let him know you would like to get your Wing started in the program. See if he will let you do the video F5u and F91u and get you signed off as an Instructor. Then you can start training others in your Squadron and Wing.  This is how this program has been built. Grass roots, from the ground up. One Wing at a time.

BTW, before contacting Hdqs, let your Squadron, Group, and Wing Commanders, as well as the Wing DO, know of your plan. Get it approved and run with it.

[AirDX]

We have a DOu. I've talked with him.

I have a Part 107 ticket. I just started logging time, so officially about 4 hours.  Goes up about 40 minutes a day. :-)

I've done all 6 FEMA classes.

I'll talk with the DOu and see what his ideas are. I'd be happy to be a catalyst.

Thanks for the words.

[THRAWN]

Now the million dollar question, will this new capability get used? And not just for training and evaluation missions.

Why should it be any different from any other ES specialty?

sUAS is not unique to CAP. Just about any SAR agency has their own sUAS. And the bigger ones like the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Cal Fire have the bigger and more capable units that can do way more then ours can.
Not to mention that are about a dozen states where their Air National Guard units are equipped with Predator/Raptor UAS which can and have been used on State missions like Disaster Relief and such.
That's why.

You missed my point. To your point about if it will be used for anything other than training, the answer is it will probably be used as often as any other ES specialty. Lots of preparation for the big dance, but never an invite...Until wings get their act together an start developing and living MOUs again, this is going to continue to become another internal milestone that has little or no applicability to the greater ES/EM/DR world. Sure, initially, there were some successes. As time goes on, though, the calls will get less frequent, and those that are made will be answered by CAP members to busy with "other stuff" to participate. Or the props are broken. Or the battery pack is out for a refresh. Or the gear is locked up in the squadron...You know how this goes. Hope I'm wrong, but history says otherwise...

[Eclipse]

You missed my point. To your point about if it will be used for anything other than training, the answer is it will probably be used as often as any other ES specialty. Lots of preparation for the big dance, but never an invite...Until wings get their act together an start developing and living MOUs again, this is going to continue to become another internal milestone that has little or no applicability to the greater ES/EM/DR world. Sure, initially, there were some successes. As time goes on, though, the calls will get less frequent, and those that are made will be answered by CAP members to busy with "other stuff" to participate. Or the props are broken. Or the battery pack is out for a refresh. Or the gear is locked up in the squadron...You know how this goes. Hope I'm wrong, but history says otherwise...

So much this, especially the bolded, with my only issue being the use of the word "again" in regards to MOUs.

I know there are anomalies, or that wings have taken the soft language of MOUs and through the perseverance
of certain members turned that into mission work, but then when that person leaves or is tired, the calls stop,
and the mission and activity ends.

Also this: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=25079.msg434463#msg434463