REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS OF DRONE USE IN FORENSIC ACCIDENT RECONSTRUCTION ROGER BURGMEIER BURGMEIER CONSULTING INC. DEFINITIONS Aircraft: device that is used, or intended to be used, for flight. Drone: unarmed aircraft that can navigate autonomously without human control or beyond line-of-sight, or any aircraft that is guided remotely. DEFINITIONS suas (small Unmanned Aircraft System): unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds, including everything onboard or attached to the unmanned aircraft. 1
DEFINITIONS Remote Pilot-in-Command (Remote PIC): person who holds a remote pilot certificate with a UAS rating and has the final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the UAS Operation conducted under Part 107. Who can fly and where? Two types of suas Flight Operations 1. Recreational 2. Commercial Recreational defined as flights conducted strictly for enjoyment or non-commercial use. Recreational operators are not required to be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) but they are required to follow many of the same flight restrictions imposed on commercial suas pilots. 2
Commercial Can cover a wide variety of activities. In general, any drone activity providing: 1. Profit through sale of photos/videos 2. Provision of any kind of service 3. Monitoring the progress of business project Partial list of activities which constitute the commercial use of a drone: wedding photography or video land surveying or mapping utility inspection (power lines) deliveries pest control Recreational Pilot: No permission needed from the FAA to fly a drone for fun or recreation, but it must always be flown safely. You must be at least 13 years old to register your drone. Your FAA registration number must be displayed on your aircraft. Recreational suas Safety Guidelines: fly at or below 400 feet keep your UAS within line of sight never fly near airports, aircraft, stadiums, events never fly near emergency response efforts (fires) never fly under the influence be aware of airspace requirements 3
Commercial Pilot: Must meet a number of requirements which are designed to make commercial drone use safer. Ensure that pilots flying commercially are knowledgeable and competent to do so. These collective requirements are referred to as the FAA Drone Certification. The following are the requirements set forth by the FAA: must be 16 years of age must successfully pass the FAA Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge examination at one of the FAA s more than 600 testing centers in U.S., or hold a part 61 pilot certificate (private pilot or sport pilot). Commercial Pilot: Must meet a number of requirements which are designed to make commercial drone use safer. Ensure that pilots flying commercially are knowledgeable and competent to do so. These collective requirements are referred to as the FAA Drone Certification. The following are the requirements set forth by the FAA: must be vetted by the TSA. must take a written examination every two years to confirm your continued knowledge of drone flight. Commercial Pilot: These requirements will certify you as a remote pilot, qualified to operate a drone commercially. In addition, however, there are regulations with which you are required to comply. These regulations are: Commercial drones are restricted to 55 pounds or less. Drones must be carefully inspected before each flight. Must report all accidents resulting in more than $500 of damage to the FAA within 10 days of incident. Drones must be operated in visual line of sight only No operations or flights over persons not directly participating in operation, not under a covered structure and not inside a covered stationary vehicle. 4
Commercial Pilot: These requirements will certify you as a remote pilot, qualified to operate a drone commercially. In addition, however, there are regulations with which you are required to comply. These regulations are: Daylight operations only, or civil twilight if suas has required anti-collision lighting. Must yield to other aircraft. Maximum ground speed of 100 mph. Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level. Minimum visibility of three miles. No person may act as remote pilot for more than one aircraft at a time. Commercial Pilot: These requirements will certify you as a remote pilot, qualified to operate a drone commercially. In addition, however, there are regulations with which you are required to comply. These regulations are: No operations from moving aircraft. No operations from a moving vehicle unless in a sparsely populated area. No careless or reckless operations. No flights within 8 hours of consuming alcohol. Select regulations of Part 107 may be waived by the FAA. The written waiver process can take 30-90 days. Commercial Pilot: These requirements will certify you as a remote pilot, qualified to operate a drone commercially. In addition, however, there are regulations with which you are required to comply. These regulations are: Your suas must be registered with the FAA. In Minnesota, the MN Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics also requires a commercial operator to obtain a state registration for the suas. No operations in class G airspace without Air Traffic Control permission. Operations in class B, C, D and E airspace are allowed with permission of air traffic control. 5
Commercial Pilot: These requirements will certify you as a remote pilot, qualified to operate a drone commercially. In addition, however, there are regulations with which you are required to comply. These regulations are: Utilize electronic gear to maximize intelligent flight plans and obtain best possible images. Before You Fly = B4UFLY. Always know where you are and what is around you before you fly. FAA INSPECTIONS Remote Pilot-in-Command (Remote PIC): must make available to the FAA upon request the small UAS for inspection or testing, and any associated records required to be kept under the rule. Remote Pilot-in-Command (Remote PIC): ALL flights are logged and presumably can be reviewed by the FAA at an inspection. SAFETY CONCERNS The safe operation of drones in the national airspace is the primary concern of the FAA, and the reason for such slow movement on the implementation into the commercial operations. Drone operations near many high-profile landmarks are restricted by use of restricted air space. However, when this airspace is violated, it usually is a front page news story: 6
SAFETY CONCERNS In addition to safety concerns on the ground, real safety concerns exist for the pilots of commercial aircraft as they encounter drone users in violation of national airspace regulations: 7
MICRO DRONES The aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) has made recommendations to the FAA which may allow the smallest drones (micro-drones) to fly near/over people not involved in the flight operations. The weight of these microdrones would range from.55 lbs (category 1) to 4-5 lbs (category 4). Drone manufacturers will have to undertake testing to confirm that their drones comply with the impact energy thresholds set forth by the FAA: INVASION OF PRIVACY Don t fly near my house! Care must be taken to always fly in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. However, even when you do everything right, things can still go wrong 8
USING suas FOR CRASH ANALYSIS & RECONSTRUCTION Aerial Mapping: THE PROCESS PIX4D CAPTURE FREE ipad App for Capturing Data 9
Time to Capture: 8 MIN 19 SEC Flight Time to Capture 182 12 Megapixel Images PROCESSING IMAGES PROCEDURE Using PhotoScanPro Photogrammetry Software One Batch Command Performs All These Functions Align Photographs Create Dense Point Cloud (PTS) Create Model (Mesh) Create Texture Map Create Orthographic Image Export Orthographic Image Total Processing Time Approximately 2 Hours No Additional User Input Required All Data Can Be Used with Cad Zone, Reality and FARO Zone Export 3D PDF 10
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USING suas FOR CRASH ANALYSIS & RECONSTRUCTION Vehicle Documentation: USING suas FOR CRASH ANALYSIS & RECONSTRUCTION Video Reenactments and Collision Scene Testing: DRONES CAN BE WIDELY USED BUT NOT ON A GOLF COURSE! 14
QUESTIONS? BURGMEIER CONSULTING, INC. 14790 113 TH Street South Hastings, MN 55033 651.437.2259 Website: burgmeierconsulting.com Email: rjb@burgmeierconsulting.com 15