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AT 209 - End of Semester Review

When I started AT 209, I expected that I would be continuing to learn about Unmanned Aircraft Systems but in a more advanced way. In previous semesters, a lot of our time was spent on the basics of unmanned flight and how to safely operate drones. I figured this class would be similar, just with more advanced technology and maybe more flight time. I also assumed we would eventually learn how to build and maintain drones given this is a whole department dedicated to UAS.

Pretty early on, it became clear that this course was not about flying drones as much as it was about understanding and them. Instead of getting more flight time, AT 209 pushed us to learn how a UAS works internally and how to troubleshoot it when something inevitably goes wrong. At first, I was surprised we didn’t fly more, but over time that made sense. There is much more to this field than simply operating drones.

The semester started by reinforcing some basic skills before moving into more technical work. Early on, we worked on flight control accuracy and safety, this included completing the NIST OTL flight. This helped us with our drone maneuvering capabilities, and gave an example of what future training might look like for future UAS licenses like Part 108. After that, we moved into maintenance related labs where we learned about the tools and proper procedures used for maintaining drones. We spent time getting familiar with the Believer platform and learning what a proper wiring harness should look like. These first early few acted as introductions to what we would be accomplishing later on.

As the semester went on, the labs became much more in depth. One of the more memorable labs for me was modifying the DATX controller. The original Taranis controller had more switches than we needed, which increased the risk of hitting the wrong one during operation. To fix this, we opened the controller and secured the unwanted switch inside the shell of the controller with hot glue. They stayed electrically connected and were out of the way, so if we wanted to modify it differently the process would be easier since the switches were still installed. It was a simple change, but it made the controller safer and better for beginners to use. This was the first lab where we really delved into modifying and building our Believer drones, a process which I have enjoyed watching come together.

We also focused on setting up the avionics that would lay inside of our Believer drones. We set up the CubePilot Cube Blue, which acted as the core of the Believer’s avionics system. Along with the Cube, we installed and configured sensors like the GPS module, the airspeed sensor, and the Cube’s internal IMU and barometer. These sensors provide the aircraft with real time information about position, speed, orientation, and altitude, getting these installed proved to be tedious but worth the effort in creating a redundant autopilot for our Believer drones.

Telemetry was another big part of the semester. We worked with RFD900x telemetry modules to establish communication between the aircraft and the ground control station. Using PuTTY, we tested communication by sending simple messages like a “Hello World” prompt between the air and ground modules. Seeing this was exciting because it showed how our drone would communicate with our controller.

Later in the semester, we focused on bringing everything together. This included making a complete avionics system by adding ESCs, motors, and flight control servos to our CubePilot avionics systems. We simulated the full avionics, control, and propulsion setup used in the Believer aircraft and made sure everything was powered, connected, and calibrated correctly. Watching the motors respond correctly for the first time was honestly one of the most satisfying moments of the course, all the work from previous weeks had finally shown a final result.

Nearing the end of the semester, we began assembling the actual Believer airframe. This part was exciting because we could finally see how everything would fit together physically. We didn’t fully complete the build, but we made solid progress and set ourselves up well for next semester. Actually seeing where avionics, wiring, and controls would live inside the aircraft helped everything click.

One thing I really appreciated about this course was starting from a blank slate instead of working with pre-made systems. Building from scratch made troubleshooting unavoidable, but that ended up being one of the most valuable skills I learned. It taught me to be methodical in my processes and to slow down and work through the system step by step.

The labs also helped develop skills beyond just technical knowledge. A lot of the work was done in groups, I became aware of how uneven participation can hinder your ability to finish an assignment and its overall quality. So I learned when it made sense to take the lead and when it was better to step back and let others get hands-on experience. I found that if someone is not participating as much, make a suggestion of what they might be able to help with and their focus is back. Some may struggle with course work more than others so it is best to play to your strengths when working in groups. Also, working through problems as a group often led to better solutions and felt much more realistic than working alone.

While the labs provided learning about how to maintain and operate on UAS systems, there were other assignments that focused on different, equally important parts of UAS. We also focused on how to submit a waiver to the FAA for Part 107 operations. Doing this taught me what the FAA is expecting in your waiver, how it needs to explain how you will safely operate when flying, and mitigation steps you have taken to reduce the chances of having a crash and or dangerous situations. Ultimately mine was not approved but the FAA has agreed to come and help show the class how create a waiver that will get approved.

One thing that surprised me was how little flying we actually did. At first, this was not what I expected, relating to previous semesters. But by the end of the semester, I understood why. There is much more to UAS than just flight skills, what sets people apart in this field is understanding how a UAS is built and how it works internally.

What I am most proud of from this class is how much my confidence grew. At the beginning of the semester, working with wiring and avionics software felt intimidating to me. But bit by bit as we continued to grow with our course work, so did my abilities. Near the end of the semester I feel much more confident when working with softwares such as ArduPilot and have a better idea of how to solder components. I feel more of an interest towards the maintenance and building of UAS systems, and now have even more desire to keep tinkering and exploring UAS platforms.

Overall, AT 209 changed how I think about UAS and my place in this field. I no longer see drones as something you just turn on and fly. Now I understand how much work happens behind the scenes to make an aircraft safe, reliable, and functional. This class gave me practical experience that I know will carry into future courses and my career, and it has easily been one of the most valuable and hands-on classes I have taken in this major.

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