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Skydio 2+ C3 sets 5 buckets Set up according to the NIST OTL guidelines1st set of buckets 3 meters from the launch pad, 2nd set of buckets 3 meters from the first, and 3rd set of buckets 3 meters from the second set.
William H. Daniel Turf-grass Research and Diagnostic CenterThe turf-grass farm falls under Class D airspace, about 2.3 miles from the Purdue University Airport. Due to this, team 1 submitted and got approval from LAANC to fly this mission. Each team member submitted their own LAANC
METAR KLAF 111754Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 28/11 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP220 T02830111 10283 20144 58008 All parameters were in Part 107 and FAA regulations for this flight to be performed.
UAS pilots are not allowed to operate the drones over the turf grass. Refer to Figure 40. There are a few trees near the flight area to be aware of.
There is a parking lot at the flight location to be aware of.
NIST OTL BVLOS Flight
Introduction to the lab
The mission of this flight was to complete the NIST Open Test Lane (OTL) test for pilot acuity with Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). The goal was to become familiar with the testing procedures, get practice flying the course under the time limit, get a better understanding of the score sheet, and practice flying BVLOS.
Figure 1. PIC is completing the NIST OTL test
Team 1 Members
Isabella Avedician
Kenzie Florkiewicz
Clayton Brown
Venkata Devapatla
There are no rows in this table
Equipment
Figure 2. The buckets were set up 3 meters (10 feet) apart and 3 meters
Location, Weather, and Hazards
Location
Figure 3. The William H. Daniel Turf-grass Research and Diagnostic
Figure 4. LAANC for the location of the flight.
Weather
Hazards
Figure 5. Tree hazards
Figure 6. Tree hazards
Figure 7. Parking lot
Set up
As stated previously, the NIST OTL test guidelines are for the sets of buckets to be 3 meters, or 10 feet, from one another in a straight line. The first set of buckets is to be 3 meters from the launch pad, as shown in Figure 39. To ensure the buckets were set up properly, team 1 had a field measuring tape.
In addition to the proper setup of the buckets, Team 1 performed multiple pre-flight checks. The first was at the Purdue University UAS Dispatch. Team 1 made sure that all equipment was present, there was no damage to any parts, and there were 4 fully charged batteries. At the site, team 1 performed another pre-flight check. This time it was to ensure proper setup. Team 1 communicated with one another about the goals and intent of this flight. Each team member had a set role, and each team member performed each role at least once. The roles were Pilot In Command (PIC), Visual Observer (VO), timer, and test proctor. Each time a new PIC took control, team 1 changed batteries and performed another pre-flight checklist.
The test was conducted with the PIC standing behind the launch case, which was behind the launch pad. The PIC had their back to the UAS; this was to simulate BVLOS, and the test proctor was standing directly beside the PIC. The VO and timer were both standing near the PIC and around the test area to ensure the UAS was flying safely. The VO and timer were there to be the ‘eyes’ and communicate to the PIC if needed. This allowed us to stay in compliance with Part 107. The proctor would tell the PIC a command, and the PIC would conduct it. The goal was to complete the entire test sheet under the 10-minute time constraint.
The Flight and Summary
As stated previously, each team member took on each role: PIC, VO, timer, and test proctor, at least once. The time restraints of this flight were set at a maximum of 10 minutes. The overall mission was a success. Each team member successfully completed the NIST OTL test within 10 minutes. Below are Isabella Avedician’s pictures taken from her flight test of the NIST OTL practicing BVLOS.
Figure 8. Isabella Avedician’s NIST OTL Score Sheet
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