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Lab 2
VLOS Exercise Weather: METAR KLAF 031554Z 23008KT 10SM CLR 24/13 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP110 T02440128
BVLOS Exercise Weather: METAR KLAF 091754Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 23/08 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP213 T02330083 10239 20067 58014
Airspace/LAANC: Class D airspace. Our group got LAANC approval up to 200ft for both days
Team Members: Minje Kim, Andrew Heiden, and Dylan Vanderploeg
The NIST Open Test Lane (OTL) procedure is designed to evaluate a remote pilot’s ability to perform aerial search and reconnaissance tasks in an open environment. The test setup consists of a cleared, flat area where 15 distinct targets in three groups are placed on the ground. These targets are printed images of targets, and are mounted on 5-gallon buckets. The targets are spaced 10 feet apart, with the takeoff location 10 feet behind the first bucket and the operator standing 10 feet behind the takeoff location. A score sheet is used to evaluate the pilot during the test, allowing an evaluator to track which targets were appropriately captured in the camera view.
The flight begins with a vertical takeoff to 10 feet AGL. From this height, the pilot navigates the drone in order to attempt to capture the targets in the field of view of the camera. The pilot must visually capture all of each target in the bottom of the bucket. The test requires the drone to land 3 total times on the landing pad, but the drone does not touch any targets. The test requires the pilot to hover, orbit, or change altitude and angle as needed to inspect each target, but must remain within a visual line of sight and adhere to safe flight practices.
The test concludes when the pilot successfully identifies all 15 targets in a specified sequential order by the evaluator. The evaluator then scores the performance based on how many targets were satisfactorily captured in the field of view on the camera. Generally 10 minutes is allotted to complete the test, but the evaluator can set their own time requirements as necessary. The time to completion and smoothness of flight path are do not affect scoring. The procedure emphasizes practical skill in remote visual reconnaissance, simulating real-world scenarios like search-and-rescue, disaster response, or reconnaissance missions.
Score Sheets
Sheet
Type
VLOS
BVLOS
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