Recon Pods for Cessnas?

ddelaney103 · June 14, 2007, 02:07:21 PM

AvWeb links to a posting for a service run by John Deere Agro to survey fields for crop problems. They use pods that bolt onto 152/172 and a temp workstation the pilot uses to ensure he's flying the right field.

http://www.farmandranchguide.com/articles/2007/06/10/ag_news/regional_news/region11.txt

I wonder if it would be possible to "buy in" on their recon pod purchases and take advantage on the research they've done in the area. Alternately, maybe we could "rent" their pods during emergencies the way the AF options civilian transport.

sardak · June 14, 2007, 05:12:19 PM

Interesting concept. The system Deere uses was developed by GeoVantage, a company based in Swampscott, MA, which Deere bought in 2005. It uses a pilot installable/removable camera pod that attaches to the landing gear strut. A laptop, GPS and inertial measurement unit are installed inside the plane.

The current supplemental type certificate allows the system to be mounted to Cessna 150L/M, 172M/N/P/Q, 182P/Q/R, F150L/M, F172M/N/P, F182P/Q. Passengers aren't allowed in the aircraft when the system is being used.

This is a description of use from one project:
GeoVantage contracted with aviation rental services at several local airports to reserve up to 10 Cessna 152, 172, and 182 aircraft on the pre-determined target dates.
Flight lines for each mission were uploaded as Shape Files from ArcView into GeoPlan, the firm's mission management software.
Running on a laptop computer with a touch screen in the cockpit, GeoPlan linked with an onboard GPS and inertial measurement unit (IMU), developed by GeoVantage using military technology, to display the exact location of the aircraft and its intended flight lines. The software precisely guided the pilot onto the correct heading and triggered the camera to collect images at pre-assigned points.

If the aircraft deviated from the flight line, the software instantly notified the pilot to fly it again. When bad weather moved into an area, the pilot simply clicked to an alternative mission plan and headed for that target area. The software kept track of collected vectors, even if they were partial flight lines. For instance, pilots sometimes had to manually turn the cameras off in the middle of a flight line due to encroaching clouds. Rather than lose the work completed, the software saved it and guided the pilot back later to pick up the flight line where it had been interrupted.

As of 2005 there were 22 of the systems available.

Here is a link to a Deere document with a diagram and explanation of the system.
http://avspec.net/Aerial%20Imaging%20ICA%20Rev%20B.pdf

Mike

JohnKachenmeister · June 14, 2007, 06:47:24 PM

This sounds a LOT more useful than ARCHER. Plus its light enough to fit on a 152?

If they can figure a way to put IR capability into it, BUY THEM NOW!

Major Lord · June 14, 2007, 08:56:01 PM

IR would be nice, but what a SAR aircraft needs is Thermal Imaging, not near IR vision. ARCHER appears to be little more than a hoax. The equipment we really need can be purchase right out of the box from several suppliers. Yes go ahead and scream at me, but show me a real world ARCHER success story!

Capt. Lord

arajca · June 14, 2007, 09:30:45 PM

Quote from: CaptLord on June 14, 2007, 08:56:01 PM
ARCHER appears to be little more than a hoax. The equipment we really need can be purchase right out of the box from several suppliers. Yes go ahead and scream at me, but show me a real world ARCHER success story!

Capt. Lord

Blasphemer!

JohnKachenmeister · June 15, 2007, 12:08:19 AM

The three thinnest books in the world:

1. French War Heroes.

2. Who's Who in Haiti.

3. Successful ARCHER Missions.

wingnut · June 15, 2007, 02:07:23 PM

Once again

#1. The ARCHER SYSTEM HAS BAD LEADERSHIP

#2. The ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

#3. tHE ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

Chaplaindon · June 15, 2007, 03:27:10 PM

Quote from: wingnut on June 15, 2007, 02:07:23 PM
Once again

#1. The ARCHER SYSTEM HAS BAD LEADERSHIP

#2. The ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

#3. tHE ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

Wingnut, here's an overt violation of OPSEC ...

ARCHER secret # 1 (REVEALED) ... "It's a total waste of money."
ARCHER secret # 2 (REVEALED) ... "It's useless waste of gross weight."

ARCHER's "bad leadership," ... NO SECRET at all, d'uh!

ARCHER FACT #1 ... "ARCHER is not hyperspectral ... it's just simple HYPE."
ARCHER FACT #2 ... As an IC, pigs will fly (under their own power) before ARCHER will leave the ground on a mission I command.
ARCHER FACT # 3 ... The system is an highly under-rated (and sadly under-utilized) boat anchorage device.

Major Lord · June 15, 2007, 07:44:06 PM

Quote from: Chaplaindon on June 15, 2007, 03:27:10 PM
Quote from: wingnut on June 15, 2007, 02:07:23 PM
Once again

#1. The ARCHER SYSTEM HAS BAD LEADERSHIP

#2. The ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

#3. tHE ARCHER SYSTEM IS A SECRET.

Wingnut, here's an overt violation of OPSEC ...

ARCHER secret # 1 (REVEALED) ... "It's a total waste of money."
ARCHER secret # 2 (REVEALED) ... "It's useless waste of gross weight."

ARCHER's "bad leadership," ... NO SECRET at all, d'uh!

ARCHER FACT #1 ... "ARCHER is not hyperspectral ... it's just simple HYPE."
ARCHER FACT #2 ... As an IC, pigs will fly (under their own power) before ARCHER will leave the ground on a mission I command.
ARCHER FACT # 3 ... The system is an highly under-rated (and sadly under-utilized) boat anchorage device.

Oh, quit trying to sugar coat it!

Capt. Lord

lordmonar · June 15, 2007, 11:04:44 PM

But you know...we don't even need a fancy pod or anything. Just a nice set ($15K) of thermal imagers and a set of night vision gogles ($7K).

Change 60-1 to allow us to use them in the scanner and observer posiitons and make it absoulty forboden to "fly the aircraft" with NVG's on. We might have to rig a curtain to block the light from the panels but that is all.

RiverAux · June 15, 2007, 11:11:37 PM

I think 60-1 has already been changed to allow the scanner to use them.

IceNine · June 15, 2007, 11:15:09 PM

Quote from: RiverAux on June 15, 2007, 11:11:37 PM
I think 60-1 has already been changed to allow the scanner to use them.

Quote please! If this is true it sounds like a great opportunity to use a grant

RiverAux · June 15, 2007, 11:47:33 PM

Quote2-17. Prohibited Equipment. The use of night vision devices by the pilot flying CAP aircraft is prohibited. Night vision devices are for use ONLY by scanners and observers who have completed nationally approved training in the use of this equipment. Only nationally approved night vision devices are authorized for use.

I'm think that it has been written that way for a versions of 60-1.

ddelaney103 · June 16, 2007, 03:41:15 PM

Quote from: lordmonar on June 15, 2007, 11:04:44 PM
But you know...we don't even need a fancy pod or anything. Just a nice set ($15K) of thermal imagers and a set of night vision gogles ($7K).

Change 60-1 to allow us to use them in the scanner and observer posiitons and make it absoulty forboden to "fly the aircraft" with NVG's on. We might have to rig a curtain to block the light from the panels but that is all.

Sure, but it doesn't solve the same problem. The pod solves the problem of not being able to do things like view straight down or take stable pictures of an entire area.

The pod is more of a DR tool than a SAR tool, though IR would be nice.

172rgpilot · October 10, 2011, 07:33:24 PM

Hi....sorry for reviving this post.....
So you think the John Deere POD could work for CAP? If so let me know a contact, I can arrange a demo at no cost. There are new variants of it which include very high resolution imagery, Stereo Capabilities, and yes IR. So anyone out there who is interested in seeing this in action, let me know.