On a recent February weekend, I attended an sUAS course in Dublin, California, on Advanced sUAS Standard Test Methods, which was the first ever course on NIST standards for BVLOS and night flights, by organized / taught by APSA, the Airborne Public Safety Association.
NIST is the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the US Department of Commerce. What do they have to do with aviation? In the absence of other national standards equivalent to the FAA’s private pilot checkrides, NIST (in particular, its Intelligent Systems Division), developed sUAS testing standards for evaluating both pilot and equipment performance.
Last year, I attended a class on the NIST Basic sUAS Standard Test Methods and became a “Proctor” (equivalent to Check Pilots for this flight test standard) – basically, a train-the-trainer type of course. I attended this course as an observer, as I am a candidate for becoming a future instructor.
This new course covered advanced topics. In particular, it addressed constructing and managing NIST obstructed test lanes, night operations, beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), and embedding apparatus within scenarios for real mission training. The course was the first of its kind, and we were fortunate to have Adam Jacoff from the Intelligent Systems Division, and the developer of this standard, leading the instruction.
The class was a lot of fun, though I’ll admit the days were long. Since the course covered night flight, we trained until 9pm the first two nights.
In class, students flew the “Obstructed Lanes” – having to maneuver their drones into positions and orientations to clearly see a set of targets from specific positions and angles, while maneuvering in the vicinity of obstacles. We flew these both during the day and at night. We also practiced simulated BVLOS by having the pilot turn his/her back to the drone and flying strictly by looking at the controller and getting input from the visual observer / technician. Finally, we practiced more realistic search scenarios, with targets embedded in vehicles and buildings for search purposes.
One unexpected bonus was the sudden activation of the sprinkler system out in the flying area… providing instant IP rating testing of all the equipment! OK, I’m joking – IP ratings provide a rating of the degree of protection by an enclosure for electrical equipment – e.g., telling you whether your drone can withstand flying in the rain. Most of the drones used in class are not meant for that! Fortunately, no equipment was damaged, and one of our hosts was able to turn off the sprinklers quickly.
The training was held at and hosted by the Alameda County Sheriff at their regional training facility in Dublin, which provided outstanding support for the entire weekend.
This post is largely based on an article I wrote for On Guard, the San Francisco Bay Area Group 2 newsletter.
Featured image credit: Probyn “Probe” Thompson
