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Weather: it was 17 degrees celcius, partly cloudy, and windy at 6 knots with gusts up to 14 knots at the time of the lab. There was not precipitation or limit exceedences of the system. However, the wind was out of the west, and it made many of the landings difficult.Airspace/LAANC: the Purdue Turf Farm airspace was within the bounds of class D associated with the Purdue Airport, and LAANC was aquired. Our group member, Diego, obtained LAANC authorization up to 200’ AGL over the Purdue Turf Farm practice area, and it is pictured below:Team members: Diego Hernandez, Nico Jaeckle, Elijah Meadows, and Nolan LachDrone in use: DJI Mavic Pro 2 (dispatch designation H)
Lab 1: NIST Open Test Lane (09/04/2025)
This lab was completed in order to understand the skills required to operate a DJI Mavic to the standards of the NIST Open Test Lane (OTL) Level 1 Basic Proficiency Test with VLOS (visual line of sight). There is also the possibility of performing this test with BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) capabilities, but for the purposes of this class we were instructed to remain in visual line of sight.
Metadata
LAANC application
Description of test procedure
The goal of this lab was to test pilot acuity through the NIST OTL test, and this included a careful setup to do well. After a briefing from the supervisor, LAANC was acquired for the Turf Farm area up to 200’ AGL. To prepare for the flight, a landing pad and a series of three stations were all placed a distance of 10 feet apart with a tape measure from each other in a line. The stations were a collection of five buckets, each facing a different direction and with different letter designations relating to their station. Then, a checklist was performed for both the drone and the operation. Once these items were found to be satifactory, pilots in command as well as visual observers were given roles to play, and briefings were conducted on the nature of the tests and the responsibilities each man had. Communication with close groups was also conducted.
Drone ready after checklists
Briefings occurring
The test itself was completed in three parts. The first of the three parts was the position test, where the pilot would fly in a straight line with a series of pictures to take and tasks to complete. The pilot would first takeoff, and they they would hover over station one, taking pictures of the buckets as directed and climbing, descending, and yawing as required. Pictures of the buckets were taken in part to test the operator’s use of the gimbal and camera settings as well as their ability to position the drone in such a way that the entire green circle at the bottom of each selected bucket would be visible. If the green circle was visibly broken by the rim of the bucket, the points would not be awarded for that bucket. At the end of the position test, the pilot would land with at least one drone leg in the center circle of the landing pad.
Section 1 of the NIST test
The second two of the three tests was the traverse test, which was completed in a clockwise fashion and then a counter clockwise fashion. These tests had all the same bucket imaging criteria as the first, but this time the pilot was to operate the drone in a horizontal pattern around the stations. This required orbiting techniques around stations one and three, combining both yaw and roll. After the completion of the first test, the pilot would land and takeoff directly into the second, and the same was true for the third. All three sections of the NIST assessment were timed as one entire test, and the total time was to be completed in under 10 minutes. The total points available numbered 40, and a person could fail on the basis of scoring too few points, exceeding the time constraint, or causing a safety issue. Score cards were issued, and each pilot was timed and evaluated. The scoresheet below explains this in more depth.
Sections 2 and 3 of the NIST test
Photos of setup and flights
*A complete set of the test photos from my portion of the lab can be found in a one drive formed by N. Jaeckle here: *
Briefing from the supervisor on proper procedure
Visual observer and timer watching a first section test in flight
An example during test section 1 of an unbroken green circle in the bucket image, indicating proper spacial alignment for that part of the excercise
A safe landing demonstrated at the end of a NIST test; all four legs of the drone are within the central circle on the landing pad
Scan of scoresheet
*It is important to note that there are only 36 pictures designated for my test in the OneDrive for the lab images while there are 40 points on the scoresheet. This is because there were 4 points awarded for landings of which there are no pictures.*
This is the score sheet I was proctored for, and I passed the safety, points, and time requirements
As seen on the scoresheet above, I was awarded 40 points out of the possible 40 points for the picture taking and landings. Secondly, I was able to complete all three sections of the test in seven minutes and twenty seven seconds, allowing me to pass the time section for being under ten minutes. Finally, I conducted my test flight in a safe and cautious manner, allowing me to pass the overall test. I learned many positioning and camera skills from this excercise, and it should be a mandatory action for all new drone pilots.
Results and Discussion
From the time spent completing this lab, I placed an entry in the logbook for the applicable date. This can be found both in a different chapter of this page as well as my AT309 section in the UAS Logbook LiveLink. I awarded myself 0.2 hours of flight time, which will help me on my way to complete my goal of 8 total hours during this semester (fall of 2025). The time required for this course will be a great opportunity to practice my skills in this platform, and I look forward to using the aircraft for more than just required assignments.
As my group was completing the lab, it was apparent to me that many of the pilots thought they were much better at piloting the Mavic than they actually were. This test, especially because it is so easy to set up anywhere, does a great job at assessing true UAS skills as they apply to both speed and accuracy of the flight controls. I cannot remember who all passed and failed in my section, but it was apparent to me that each person in my group has some work to do. Fortunately, I was able to pass, but I realize that my gimbal control will need some practice.
We also had a great deal of trouble dealing with the wind, which approached but did not touch the limits of the aircraft. It was apparent to us that the multiple takeoffs and landings required for the flight were at least somewhat impeded by the tedium of the landings, and many of us lost time trying several times to land. Landing is a skill best learned with practice, and like our good use of checklists and contingency planning (primarily through return to home settings), our group is determined to get better.
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