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Lab 06 - Advanced Mission Planning and Simulated Emergency

15 Points

Nathan Tyler Rose

Anestis Athanasios Tsagris

Last edited 6 days ago by Isabella Riley Avedician.

Overview

In this lab there are two major tasks. Believer Final Inspection Prep as well as Advanced Mission Planning and Emergencies. The Believer Final Inspection portion should be completed as a group.

The mission planning portion should be completely individual work and should not be completed with the assistance of your peers. We will be planning two separate missions. One will be a mission for the ULTRA on X-Plane and the other mission will be for your believer when operations start. All questions regarding mission planning should be directed immediately to your instructor. Task 0 should be completed before your sign up time.

Resources and Tools

Tasks - Believer Final Inspection Prep

Task 0 - Review Lab 01

Your classmates provided a quality assessment and punch list for your aircraft as a preliminary check before final inspection. Review this punch list to ensure all items were properly addressed.

Task 1 - Final Power On

Perform one final power check of your Believer. Be sure that the controls, motors, and all peripheral sensors work as expected. This is your final check before passing it off for final inspection next week.

Task 2 - Review Group E-portfolio

Your group e-portfolio will be reviewed as part of your final inspection next week. Be sure that you are happy with it’s condition.

Task 3 - Signoff Form

Complete the final inspection form below, confirming that your group is ready for final review beginning next week.

Believer Final Inspection

Believer Final Inspection

Group Number

enter number only

Is your vehicle ready?

Responses won't be saved because this doc is in play modeSubmit

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Tasks - Simulator

Task 0 - Pre-Briefings

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Using Section D of the ULTRA UAS QRH above, create the following (simplified) briefings before your flight. You will brief your instructor verbally, so you need not write down your briefing; be prepared to lead it.

Airport Briefing

Operational purpose

Flying a left-handed pattern at KLAF airport

Facilities and Logistics

KLAF Airport

Access

Got approval from ATC

Speed limits

80 knots

Hours of operations

daylight

Operations point of contact

Anestis

Facilities point of contact

phone - Purdue University Dispatch

Communication method within the team

verbal

radios

phone

Communication frequency with ATS

119.6

Areas of operations

KLAF

Circuit directions and height

Left-hand traffic

1000 feet above pattern altitude around 1600 ft MSL

Safety pilot position

On the side of the runway

BVLOS procedures

Line of Sight required

Concurrent operations allowed

Yes

Daily Briefing

Activities

Flights at KLAF

Airport closed for our operations

METAR

SPECI KLAF 031704Z 10005KT 2 1/2SM BR FEW009 OVC015 03/03 A3012 RMK AO2 T00330028

NOTAMS

PAPI out

Airport closed for any manned operation due to our operation

Traffic

KLAF is closed, no traffic, keep an eye out for any manned or drones

Fleet/Aircraft active

Flight Briefing

Objectives and roles

To practice flying a pattern

Air traffic services coordinated

Maintain communication over the radio

Satisfactory air vehicle inspection

Aircraft is ready for safe operation

Route/Time/Fuel

Left-handed traffic, time is 1300, should be about a 30-minute flight, and fuel max

DATX and SPAS battery and configuration

Full battery

normal configuration

Radio Links deconfliction

No conflict

Internal/External Comms

Verbal comms within team

ATC - 119.6

765-743-9687 - KLAF Tower Phone Number

Personal Protective equipment and fire extinguishers

No personal protective equipment required

Fire extinguisher easily accessible

Service bulletins

All up to date

FRAT

Completed and green

Threat and error management

fixed-wing drone, needs to stay on top of it

two-person operation, comms required

airspace shut down for this operation, will monitor 119.6

contingency in place for emergencies

Specific recovery procedures

Flight plan set with plans

safety pilot ready

Emergency scenario

Bird strike: stabilized landing in the best field

If buddy-boxed, the professor/ta take control

GCS initial setup and start checklists

done

For item 10, use the FRAT below.

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Task 1 - Kidney Bean Mission

Using

Broken link⁠

, other class resources, and the built-in GCS User Manual, recreate the mission below for KLAF RWY 10. Be sure that you achieve/answer the following:

What is the correct loiter direction for the rally point and why?

The correct loiter directions are in the direction of the pattern. For example, if in a left-hand pattern, the loiter direction should also be in the left direction. This is to ensure that when the aircraft comes out of the loiter, it reenters the pattern smoothly and efficiently.

Why is the takeoff point not on the runway? Consider when the wayboard is achieved.

It is not on the runway because the aircraft would not be able to ascend to the desired altitude in that short of a distance. A wayboard is achieved either in the XY direction or in altitude. Therefore, if the aircraft reaches the XY direction and then has another point further out to hit the required altitude.

Which waypoint appears unnecessary for landing on RWY 23 at KLAF? Under what conditions might this waypoint be necessary?

Waypoint 10 seems unnecessary because if the aircraft is going from 9 to 11 for landing, the aircraft should automatically descend. However, it could be necessary to set a specific altitude to avoid higher objects, such as trees or possible structures in the area. This ensures the aircraft is descending too low and hitting these obstacles.

Task 2 - Auto/stabilize handoff

Control transfer follows a three-step callout:

"you have control," "I have control," "you have control.“

Specific calls between UAV Pilot Instructor and student:

"I have the sticks," "you have the sticks," "I have the sticks"

— confirmed by a nudge.

Alerts:

If callout isn't completed in three steps, current commander retains control.

Instructor must release momentary switch in emergencies to assume control formally.

Refer to the control transfer calls above to transfer command of the aircraft in the following scenarios. Repeat these for all group members:

Tips

Under normal operations, the SP will trigger mode changes.

To abort a landing, SP throttle to 100% or press the abort landing button in GCS.

Auto-takeoff

GCS: State intention, direction of circuit, altitude, rally point location.

SP: Read back and confirm GCS intentions.

Stabilize in downwind, continue circuit (aircraft already in infinite auto circuit)

SP: State intentions. Nudge aircraft.

GCS: Confirm nudge seen. Confirm intentions.

SP: Switch to stabilize after a proper countdown. State control

GCS: Confirm SP has control.

SP: Confirm control.

Auto in downwind, perform an SP-triggered aborted landing (go-around) to return to circuit.

GCS: State intentions. Setup GCS for taking control.

SP: Confirm intentions. Switch to auto after a proper countdown.

GCS: State control

SP: Confirm GCS has control

GCS: Confirm control.

SP: Abort auto landing just before flair. State go-around.

GCS: Confirm go-around. Ask for the reason.

SP: State the reason for the go-around. For example, the aircraft was not aligned with the centerline.

GCS: Update mission as required.

Full stop stabilized landing.

SP: State intentions.

GCS: Confirm intentions.

SP: Nudge.

CGS: Confirm nudge seen.

SP: Switch to stabilize after a proper countdown. State control.

GCS: Confirm SP has control

SP: Confirm control

GCS: Update current waypoint as needed.

SP: Land, apply brakes, switch to taxi mode.

GCS: Confirm taxi mode seen. Request SP intentions.

SP: State intentions to switch control with another team member.

Task 3 - Emergencies

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Using section 8 from the ULTRA UAS - SOP above, answer the following questions:

What is the target speed for dual engine failure?

The target speed is 60 knots and flaps are clean.

What is the target speed for single engine failure?

The target speed is 52 knots and flaps are clean.

When should you deploy flaps?

For single engine is is recommended to use half flaps during landing with a single-engine fire. However, this may vary, so adjust flaps as necessary to optimize the approach and landing performance.

For dual engine, flaps are not recommended.

When you recognize that you’ve lost both engines, what should your first move be when you are within a few hundred feet of the ground? Speculate how this changes if you are at a few thousand feet above the ground?

Near ground:

Your first move will be to control your airspeed and roll towards the runway

Far above ground:

First move is to control airspeed with pitch. If able to restart, then do, if not, turn towards the runway and land.

use flaps if you are sure you will make runway

Simulated Dual Engine Failure

Without warning, you will experience dual engine failure. It is your responsibility to alert your crew in an effective manner and land the ULTRA in a safe location.

Simulated Single-Engine Failure

Without warning, you will experience a single engine failure. It is your responsibility to alert your crew in an effective manner and land the ULTRA in a safe location.

Task 4 - Post-Briefings

Using

Section D of the ULTRA UAS QRH⁠

above, prepare to deliver a post-briefing to your instructor covering the following sections:

Out-Briefing

Daily De-Briefings

Task 5 - Believer Mission as homework

Taking the skills you have learned from this lab and lecture this week, plan an efficient mission. This mission will not be used for X-Plane simulations and should meet the criteria talked about in the lecture for a believer operation. This plan will be used when we operate the believers. We will be conducting operations at this location.

The red pin is on a grass strip used for landings.

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Task 6 - Lab Out Brief

A quick out brief regarding the lab with you instructor

Deliverables

Upload to Brightspace the following

PDF of this completed page

.json file of your X-Plane flight plan

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Avedician_Lab7_Mission-2026-03-03T18_26_11.json

4.2 KB

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.json file of your Believer flight plan

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Avedician_Lab7_Believer_Mission-2026-03-05T18_32_55.json

3.1 KB

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