Information Package for UAS Demonstration Teams

Transcription

1 FAA & Georgia Public Safety Training Center Drones in Public Safety Information Package for UAS Demonstration Teams Purpose This document provides the background, objectives, procedures and plan for the event being held at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center on August 28-30, Background With the FAA Reauthorization act of 2012 and subsequent laws and regulations, the use of small (less than 55 lbs total weight) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has greatly expanded in the United States. The FAA, in partnership with the GPSTC is conducting a 3 day event with a combination of local law enforcement agencies, fire & rescue departments and commercially approved UAS operators and vendors to exercise UAS in realistic scenarios and then develop a set of protocols or best practices that can be shared across the state as more local agencies acquire and use UAS in their operations. Objectives The objectives of the event are: Safely operating UAS in a realistic training environment as the basis for gathering data and experience that can inform the creation of best practices. Documenting those best practices. Establishing an informal network among Georgia agencies to facilitate the effective adoption of UAS in their operations. Concept of Operations The event will be separated into three phases: Day 1: Introductory presentations on legal, regulatory and operational aspects of UAS operations to ensure that there is a common baseline of understanding. There will be briefing on all scenarios and flight rules at the end of this session. Day 2: UAS operations in five realistic scenarios, with multiple iterations of the scenarios by different teams. The experiences will be measured and captured for analysis and discussion. Day 3: Detailed discussion of the scenarios by participants, observers and other experts.

2 Flight Operations Flight Operations will be conducted within the perimeter of the GPSTC at several different locations. Figure 1 is an overhead view of the area with marked locations for the scenarios. Each scenario site will have an FAA member as site leader, reporting to the Remote Air Boss (RAB), located in a field command center (in the vicinity of Scenario 3). The RAB will pversee the flow of teams between scenarios and track the completions at each site and will communicate with the Operations Center (Located in the GPSTC Learning Resource Center or LRC). Several teams will be organized to monitor the scenarios results, acting as Emergency Operations Centers (EOC). See Figure 2 for a rough schematic of the setup. Several teams will accomplish each of the scenarios in sequence during the Day 2 flight operations phase. The tentative flight schedule will be provided shortly before the event. Each scenario site lead will manage the flights to remain close to scheduled event times to prevent overlapping flights and potential in flight incidents. Communications between the scenario site leads and the RAB will facilitate data gathering and coordination. Helo Pad LRC & Auditorium 5 Prison County Figure 1 Overhead View of GPSTC (North is to the Left)

3 Figure 2 Air Operations View Flight Rules All operations will be conducted within the framework of FAA Part 107: UAS will be operated in daylight, visual conditions below 400 feet and within visual line of sight of the Pilot in Command or Visual Observer. Positive control of the UAS will be maintained, but autonomous operations are authorized. UAS will be launched and recovered from the same designated location at each scenario. Only one UAS will operate at any one time for each scenario. In flight aborts or incidents will be immediately reported by the PIC to the scenario site lead, who will relay that status to the RAB and EOC. Flight worthiness of any UAS must be checked and verified before launch at each scenario. Scenario Site Leads will obtain clearance for their launches from the RAB and periodically report flight status. Site leads will confirm landing with the RAB as they occur. For scenarios that may involve coordination with a manned aircraft, the RAB will announce to all site leads that the manned aircraft is inbound and will require that the UAS involved in the Scenario yield to the manned aircraft and land as soon as a safe landing can be made, and that all other Scenarios in the vicinity closely monitor their aircraft and avoid the vicinity.

4 Scenario Descriptions Scenario 1: Disaster Search and Assessment Location: The Lake Narrative: In the aftermath of a remnant of a Gulf Hurricane, GEMA and FEMA are overseeing the assessment of the aftermath and are coordinating with local agencies. Local law enforcement personnel are sent to search a flooded area around a small pond with an earthen dam and spillway. There are reports of possible missing personnel and concern for the spillway and perimeter of the dam.. There are places that have been reported as safety critical, and the UAS is tasked with searching the area. There are four specific points that the UAS must view and relay back to the command center. The best launch and recovery point for the UAS is an existing boat ramp. Expected success: Locate the four points of interest and relay images back to the command center.

5 Scenario 2: Lost Person Location: Ridgeline between Lake and Driving Course Narrative: A call received by 911 reported a lost elderly adult who was last seen near a steep ridgeline. He has cognitive difficulties and is in need of medication. Expected success: The UAS Team is able to conduct a visual search for the individual and relay the position of the individual back to the command center.

6 Scenario 3: Aircraft Fire Location: Fire training area with burning aircraft Narrative: A call to 911 has been received, reporting a small civilian plane has run off a runway and caught fire. Status of occupants is unknown, but there are unconfirmed reports that at least one occupant was seen running from the aircraft towards a wooded area. For reasons of limited access, the UAS has been requested to provide visual coverage of the scene. Expected success: The UAS is able to relay the requested images and respond to further tasking.

7 Scenario 4: Criminal Suspect Search Location: Substation and Mock Town Narrative: Following a call to 911 Dispatch about a suspicious person near an electrical substation at the edge of town, the UAS team surveys the substation area and is told that someone (described as male, dark hair, dark clothes) has been seen running toward town. The UAS team is given a brief description of the perpetrator and has been tasked with locating the individual as soon as possible, with the warning that there are other people in the area that are not involved. Expected success: The UAS team searches the immediate vicinity of the reported location and finds the individual evading the officer, using imagery.

8 Scenario 5: Auto Accident with Medevac Location: Intersection of Perimeter Road near the Back Gate Narrative: A call received by 911 reported a collision with injuries. The UAS team is requested to take images for post accident analysis to minimize road closures due to heavy traffic on the road. Potential need to medevac injured from the accident will require close coordination with the medevac helicopter. Expected success: The UAS Team is able to conduct a visual search of the accident site and gather sufficient imagery for forensics. L Z

9 Scenario Documentation

10 Mission Execution Each scenario has been briefly scoped to ensure that it can be completed within the average flight time available to commonly used small UAS. There should also be ample time to move between scenarios and set up for the mission. Treat the scenarios as real events and execute your team s procedures as you would in a real situation. There is no tangible benefit to expediting the scenario to finish fastest. Use the time available to accomplish the scenario goals and gain experience for your team. Take the time to interact with the scenario site leaders as you would with an on scene commander in a real situation. Flight Incident In the event of any flight incident/accident: The appropriate scenario lead will notify the RAB and suspend operations until the FAA incident team can reach the site. Upon clearance from the incident investigation team, the scenario site lead can re-commence flight operations after notifying the RAB. The affected flight team may be authorized to continue flight ops after evaluation by the FAA incident team, with either the incident UAS (if determined flightworthy) or a substitute UAS. Training and Lessons Learned To maximize the value of the event, each team should be documenting its own experiences and observations so that the discussions on Day 3 can leverage the combined effort and develop some best practices.

11 7:30 Registration Opens Agenda for August 28, :00-8:30 Welcome & Administrative Remarks Tony Hightower, GPSTC Deputy Director Amy Hudnall, Director, Center of Innovation for Aerospace Pearlis Johnson, FAA 8:30-9:30 FAA Panel on UAS in Public Safety: How it works and what you need as a Public or Part 107 Operator (COA s, SGI s, CFR s, RPC s or equivalent) Mike Wilson, Danielle Corbett, John Meehan, (Pete Acevedo/Charles Phillips) 9:30-9:45 Break 9:45-10:30 Legal Panel on UAS Operations in the NAS (Law Enforcement, Privacy, case studies, registration) Ryan Landers (FAA), John Fry (Morris Manning), Lydia Hilton (Hilton Law Group) 10:30-11:30 Technology Panel Jason Barton (KSI), David Geisler (Rapid Imaging), Matt Sloane (Skyfire), Jesse Kallman (Airbus Aerial), Ryan English (FlyMotion) 11:30-12:30 Lunch 12:30-1:45 Experiences in real world Panel Matt Sloane (Skyfire), Tommy Rutledge (Gwinnett Fire), Ryan English (FlyMotion), Matt Beebe (Georgia UAV) 1:45-2:00 Break 2:00-2:45 News Media Coordination Doug Evans (Fox-TV) and Tommy Rutledge (WSB-TV) 2:45-3:45 Infrastructure, Security, and Utility Considerations: FEMA/GEMA Process and Perspective Harry Nuttall (Southern Company), Jason Ritter (GEMA), Chip Johnson (AirView), Leah Russell (FAA) 3:45-4:00 Break 4:15-5:00 Flight Preparation and Scenario Briefing Rich Scheibel and Matt Beebe 5:00 Adjourn