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AT 209 – Autonomous Aircraft Technology and Maintenance I
Aerial Drone Tests and Scorable Scenarios for Evaluating System Capabilities and Remote Pilot Proficiency (VLOS)
Tuesday September 2, 2025
AIRSPACE: FRIA
TEAM MEMBERS: Kyle Struck, Evan Madura
WRITEUP:
Our group began setting up by using a 100-foot measuring tape to space out three buckets, a landing pad, and the drone case. With the case as our starting point, we placed the landing pad at 10 feet. We then place a bucket marked 1A at 20 feet, a bucket marked 2A at 30 feet, and a bucket marked 3A at 40 feet (10 feet of spacing between each bucket). The goal was to complete this exercise in under 10 minutes. As soon as our group finished setting up, we requested LAANC and began setting up our DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.
Evan was the first to fly, and Kyle and I followed shortly after. The first time we ran the test, it was slow because it was our first time flying since the spring, and we had to get used to the controls. Also, Kyle and I knew exactly how to fly the scenario after carefully watching Evan perform it. During my portion, I struggled at first to get used to the drone’s controls and adjust to their sensitivity.
The first section of the exam included hovering over one bucket, taking a picture of the letter directly below you, then repositioning the gimbal 45 degrees vertically and taking a picture of the next one. At a certain point, you also had to climb in altitude to take a picture of both the bucket under you and the next bucket. Stage 2 included moving counterclockwise around the buckets, keeping the gimbal stable and capturing pictures of certain points, and then returning to land on the landing pad. Stage 3 was the same, but in a clockwise motion. For stages 2 and 3, I mostly used the yaw and roll controls. For stage 1, I used the gimbal controls as well as the pitch, yaw, and throttle controls.
ONEDRIVE LINK TO BUCKET PHOTOS:
SCORESHEET:
Aerial Drone Tests and Scorable Scenarios for Evaluating System Capabilities and Remote Pilot Proficiency (BBLOS)
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
METAR KLAF 090154Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 17/12 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP196 T01720117
AIRSPACE: FRIA
TEAM MEMBERS: Kyle Struck, Evan Madura
WRITEUP:
Our group began setting up by using a 100-foot measuring tape to space out three buckets, a landing pad, and the drone case. With the case as our starting point, we placed the landing pad at 10 feet. We then put a bucket marked 1A at 20 feet, a bucket marked 2A at 30 feet, and a bucket marked 3A at 40 feet (10 feet of spacing between each bucket). The goal was to complete this exercise in under 10 minutes. As soon as our group finished setting up, we requested LAANC and began setting up our Skydio 2+ drone.
Evan was the first to fly, and Kyle and I followed shortly after. Our times were significantly shorter than they were with VLOS because we had all previously flown the test. We had to get used to the controls and feel of the Skydio, which made it hard for the first couple of maneuvers. During BBLOS, we had to face away from the drone and solely rely on the camera. Although with the Skydio, there was a lot of delay between the camera and what was actually happening. When flying, we found ourselves overshooting our targets and landing zones.
The first section of the exam included hovering over one bucket, taking a picture of the letter directly below you, then repositioning the gimbal 45 degrees vertically and taking a picture of the next one. At a certain point, you also had to climb in altitude to take a picture of both the bucket under you and the next bucket. Stage 2 included moving counterclockwise around the buckets, keeping the gimbal stable and capturing pictures of certain points, and then returning to land on the landing pad. Stage 3 was the same, but in a clockwise motion. For stages 2 and 3, I mostly used the yaw and roll controls. For stage 1, I used the gimbal controls as well as the pitch, yaw, and throttle controls.
ONEDRIVE LINK TO BUCKET PHOTOS:
SCORESHEET:
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