Skip to content
LAB 2 - NIST OTL Flight
Lab 02 — NIST Open Test Lane (Level 1) Basic Proficiency Flight
09/04/2025
This week I completed the NIST Open Test Lane (OTL) Level 1 Basic Proficiency Test to demonstrate fundamental UAS stick and positional control skills. I flew the course using a DJI Mavic 2 Pro and achieved a PASS within the time limit.
Flight & Environment
Pilot: Hongsik Kim
Affiliation: Purdue University (AT 209 – Lab 02)
Date: 2025-09-04
Location/Facility: Turf Farm
UAS: DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Test Level: NIST OTL Level 1 – Open Lane (Basic Proficiency)
Proctor: Trigg Stawhorn | Team: 2
Pilot View: Line of Sight
Visibility: Lighted (300+ lux)
Lane Spacing: 10 FT (3 M)
Bucket Diam: 8 IN (20 cm)
Wind: Avg 11.5 mph, Gusts 17.2 mph
Airspace / LAANC: Class G at Turf Farm /Not required
Methods / Procedure
I placed the NIST buckets/targets according to the Open Lane layout and confirmed lane spacing per the lab kit. A pre-flight risk assessment and checklist were completed (battery, RTH altitude, home point update). I verified the test boundaries with the proctor and established emergency procedures.
Starting from hover over the launch pad, I executed the Level 1 positional tasks: fore/aft pitch holds, left/right roll holds, controlled climbs/descents, and yaw alignment to numbered stands. After each translation, I stabilized over the designated bucket ring prior to moving to the next step. The focus was maintaining altitude, heading discipline. I concluded with a precise landing in circle.
I then flew the leftward/rightward traverse sequences, orbiting/aligning with the numbered stands at 90°/180° increments as called. I emphasized smooth acceleration transitions, constant lateral speed, and coordinated yaw to keep the gimbal centered on the targets. I finished with a final land in circle. The run was completed in 09:47, inside the 10 minute limit, meeting the minimum passing score.
Lab 02 — NIST BVLOS Test
09/11/2025
This week I conducted a BVLOS-simulated NIST test to evaluate display-only pilot performance while preserving safety via a Visual Observer (VO). I flew the course with a Skydio 2+ Pro and achieved a perfect 40/40 within 08:20.
Flight & Environment
Pilot: Hongsik Kim
Affiliation: Purdue University (AT 209 – Lab 02)
Date: 2025-09-11
Location/Facility: Purdue Turf Farm
UAS: Skydio 2+ Pro (Drone #H)
Test Type/Level: NIST test procedures (BVLOS-simulated VO maintained VLOS)
Team: Erik Krellner, Ryan Shurtleff, Trigg Strawhorn, Hongsik Kim
Pilot View: Display-Only (PIC faced away from aircraft) VO present (maintained line of sight)
Weather: Sunny, 82 °F Wind avg ~10 kt (11.5 mph), gusts up to 15 kt (17.3 mph)
Airspace: FRIA located within controlled airspace (training/assessment)
Methods / Procedure
I followed the standard NIST test setup and checklist (battery, RTH altitude, home point, geofence). The modification for this lab was that the PIC faced away from the aircraft and flew solely by the controller display, while a VO continuously maintained VLOS for safety and compliance. I verified the test boundaries, briefed emergency procedures with the team, and executed the required NIST tasks using the FPV/video feed for navigation, target finding, and alignment cues. Throughout the run I emphasized stable altitude holds, smooth yaw/translation coordination, and timely target captures per the rubric.
Performance & Results
Score: 40/40
Time: 08:20
Anomalies: None observed; link and GNSS stable; winds (gusts to 15 kt) did not adversely affect control.
Data: A complete record of test photos is archived in Google Drive.
Photos & Score Sheet
Logbook Entry
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.