We are adaptive to the Winds of Change

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We are adaptive to the Winds of Change
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We are willing to learn new techniques
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Our Aviation Operational Environment is High Risk
Tom Iraci, USFS
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Every fire is unique
Tom Iraci, USFS
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We deal with a unique environment of adrenaline
and fatigue and politics
Tom Iraci, USFS
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In some of the most remote or complex airspace in
the US
Tom Iraci, USFS
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Lightning is a great equalizer
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Florida airspace complications
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Hawaii wildfires
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Hawaii Volcano TFR
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Airspace Program started in the 1980s
To Prevent Midair Collisions!
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Airspace Tools

• Interagency Airspace Coordination Guide (2003)

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Interagency Airspace Websites
www.fs.fed.us/r6/fire/aviation/airspace
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Interagency Airspace Website
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Airspace Posters
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1255 National Fire Fighting Transponder Code
1255
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Fire Traffic Areas
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Dispatch Offices are on the front lines for
airspace coordination
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Automated Flight Following (AFF)
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Tracking Fire Resources
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Our working environment is a TFR

• A TFR is a TEMPORARY flight RESTRICTION
  enacted by the FAA, at the request of a
  responsible party, in order to enhance aviation
  safety.
• Codified in 14CFR 91.137, 14CFR 91.138, 14CFR
  91.141, 14CFR 91.143, 14CFR 91.145 and 99.7

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14CFR 91.137(a)(2)

• Provide safe environment for operation of
  disaster relief aircraft.

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91.137 (a) 2 Exceptions

• Aircraft is participating in relief activities
  under the direction of the official in charge of
  on-scene emergency response activities
• Operating under ATC approved IFR flight plan

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91.137 (a)2 Exceptions

• Law Enforcement Aircraft

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91 137 (a) 2 Exceptions

• Operations directly to/from airport within the
  TFR,
• or as required to maintain VFR due to weather or
  terrain,
• and with the approval of the specified FSS or ATC
  facility,
• and the operation does not hamper or endanger
  relief efforts,
• and the operation is not to observe the incident.

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91.137 (a) 2 Exceptions

• Accredited media under a flight plan approved by
  the FSS or ATC facility. and at an altitude
  above those being utilized by relief aircraft,
  unless authorized by disaster officials

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DOD AP/1 (Ch 3, Hazards) contains direction
to DoD flight crews

• Flight crews must be alert for fire suppression
  activities using aircraft during the fire season.
  In many cases a NOTAM designating a temporary
  flight restriction area will be in effect for
  such areas when a fire exists.
• All aircrews should be extremely alert for such
  areas whether designated or not and avoid such
  areas by at least 5 NM.

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How does one get the TFR message across??
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TFRs have become a focal point of coordination
information

• Frequencies
• Dispatch Phone Numbers
• Altitudes
• Radius
• Check in Points

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You can Access real time TFRs with no delay from
the FAA through DINS at https//www.notams.faa.
gov
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Airspace Coordinators
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Work with IMTs by assessing fire perimeters and
TFR boundaries
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Coordinate Presidential TFRs
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TFR Consolidation
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TFR Mapping Products
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TFR Kneeboard Maps
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Idaho Fires Satellite Photo (1 day apart)
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TFR Complications (Political)
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Tracking TFR Changes
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Whats new with DOD?

• Fifth Gen Aircraft
• Dynamic Airspace
• Global Area Reference System (GARS)
• UAS Considerations
• Public Outreach
• Air Traffic to triple by 2025 with 1/3 of the air
  traffic consisting of UAS.

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Travis AFB

• Attempting to revise a current SR route to an IR
  route. Environmentalphase is next.

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Travis AFB Wind Turbine Issues

• Wind Resource Area Travis is located in one of
  the United States prime wind generation
  locations
• Wind turbines interfere with Travis ATC radar
  (700 near base within 5 NM 13NM)
• Results in dropped primary targets on some light
  civilian aircraft from surface to 4000.
• Travis AFB is engaged with AF Headquarters, FAA
  and Wind Developers.

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Numerous Airspace Proposals
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Hickam AFB

• Home of the 15th Airlift Wing (15AW) and 67
  partner units including Pacific Air Forces
  Headquarters and the Hawaii Air National
  Guard.  Today, the 15AW remains the launch
  point of strategic air mobility and operational
  missions in support of the Global War on
  Terrorism as well as special air missions in
  support of the commander, Pacific Command and
  commander, Pacific Air Forces

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Hawaii Military Training Route
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Upcoming Meeting

• April 21st Air Force is scheduled to present
  its proposal before the Public Works and
  Intergovernmental Relations committee at the
  Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort
• Rally at 2 PM at Honokaa as per Rep Cindy Evans
  (D)

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What Can You do?

• Attend Air Force Airspace Range Council Meetings
• Update MOUs
• Know your AFReps, NAVReps and DARRS
• Know your Local Airspace Managers
• Share your SAFECOMs/Incident Reports
• Respond to Airspace Proposals

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Next Gen Aircraft Coming

• New Airspace issues new aircraft need more
  airspace for training
• Airspace Proposals on the Upswing

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What is the Next Generation Aircraft for
Firefighting?
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Current Issues we are studying involving UAS

• Issues
• Airspace Coordination
• Command and Control
• Integration (not segregation)
• Interoperability
• Force Development

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Using Research and Development Centers to pave
the way
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2007 WSFM

• Continuation of objectives in-place from 2006
  mission.
• Missions aboard the new NASA Ikhana UAS
• Ikhana is a Native-American word from the
  Choctaw Nation meaning intelligent, conscious or
  aware.
• Missions Series
• 9 August 15 September 2007
• Mission Plan
• One LE mission / week
• 4-5 missions through summer
• Mission Durations
• 20 hours
• Flight Altitude Operations
• FL230 (23,000 feet MSL)

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2007 WSFMIkhana UAS Platform Specs
Sensor Payload Pod will be mounted on mid-point
wing attachment (not belly).
Ikhana is a native American word for
Intelligence
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CDE DisplayFlight Track/Images/MODIS
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Watching History in the Making
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COA (Certificate of Operations) Stipulations
from the FAA

• 4 or 5 flights total
• One a week
• 5 NM away from ARTCC Boundaries
• 10 NM away from International Boundaries
• Remain 75 M of backbone route
• No flight in GPS testing area
• No flight into known icing areas or areas of
  turbulence
• 3 business day notification to the FAA
• IR flight plan submitted 72 hours in advance
• No more than 48 elements (Fixes and loiters)
• But who knew where the fires would be in 72
  hours??

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Primary and Secondary Emergency Landing Sites
Radius 400 nmi Minimum Range on Battery Power
Aircraft has single generator Landing
agreements negotiated with each site
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Ikhana Flights

• 1st Flight 8/16/07 9.5 hours 1400 NM
• 2nd Flight 8/29/07 16.1 hours 2500 NM
• 3rd Flight 9/7/07 20 hours 3200 NM
• 4th Flight 9/27/07 10 hours 1800 NM
• PLUS
• Four 9 hour flights in 5 days during the
  California fires in October

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WSFM Flights
Missions August 16 (10 Hrs) CA August 29-30 (16
hours) CA, NV, UT, ID, MT, WY September 7-8 (20
hrs) CA, OR, WA Sept 27(10 hrs) CA BAER Imagery
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Providing Real Time Images to Incident Management
Teams

• Pod Line Scanner
• Georectifies
• Provided Shape Files
• Didnt want to make the firefighter a photo
  interpreter
• 10 minute delivery

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Image Products
Temporal
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Incredible Detail
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FEMA Operation Top Off 4
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Air Ops/FAA/Operations at the JFO
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The Challenges of California Airspace
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Some of the most complex airspace in the nation
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Two NASA Pictures Three Hours Apart
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Complications were almost beyond belief
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One million people evacuated
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Oct 23rd FAA Issues

• SoCal Tracon within 30 minutes of evacuating
  fire is 3 miles away and operating at 65 level.
• Los Angeles Center (ZLA) slowing down the traffic
  to assist Southern California TRACON (SCT).

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So Cal FAA Issues

• El Toro, CA Remote Transmitter/Receiver facility
  for the So Cal TRACON failed.
• Saddle Peak, CA (QMM) En Route Communications
  (ECOM) frequency 125.8 MHz, main and standby,
  failed
• Fillmore, CA (FIM) VORTAC out of service when
  the monitors were blown off the pole due to high
  winds.
• Julian, CA (JLI) BUEC (Back up Emergency
  Communications) failed
• Ramona Airport (RMN) control tower has been shut
  down due to local mandatory evacuations

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Southern California Fire Effects on Public Use
Airports Wednesday October 25, 2007 945 AM
Local Time
Note All FAR Part 139 Airports are open and
operating normally. LAX, BUR, PSP, OXR, LGB, SNA,
SAN, CRQ, ONT, VCV
Southern Cal Logistics Airport is open and
operating normally. Extensive aerial firefighting
operations occurring at the airport including
DC-10 Tanker operations.
Fox Field Airport is open and operating
normally. Extensive aerial firefighting
operations occurring at the airport.
San Bernardino International Airport is open and
operating normally. FAA is operating a temporary
tower at this airport. Extensive aerial
firefighting operations occurring at the airport.
Agua Dulce This is a privately owned public use
non-NPIAS airport. Airport is open and operating
normally.
Big Bear Airport is open. Extensive aerial
firefighting operations occurring at the airport.
Hemet Ryan Airport is open and operating
normally. FAA is operating a temporary tower at
this airport. Extensive aerial firefighting
operations occurring at the airport.
Camarillo Airport is open and operating
normally.
French Valley Airport is open and operating
normally. A small number of local pilots have
evacuated to the airport.
Fallbrook Airport is closed to all but emergency
operations. Heavy lift firefighting helicopters
are operating from the runway.
Montgomery North east 1,400 feet of Runway 5/23
is closed to accommodate aerial firefighting and
ground support operations. Rwy 10L/28R (4,577 X
150) and Runway 10R/28L (3,401 X 60) are open for
public use.
Oceanside Airport is open and operating normally.
Ramona The airport is open and operating
normally. Extensive aerial firefighting
operations occurring at the airport. The
non-federal tower is operating normally.
McClellan Palomar Airport is open and operating
normally.
Lindbergh Field Airport is open and operating
normally.
Gillespie Runway 9R/27L is closed to accommodate
aerial firefighting and ground support
operations. Rwy 9L/27R (5,342 X 100) and Rwy
17/35 (4,145 X 100) are open for public use.
Brown Field The airport is open and operating
normally. Extensive firefighting operations
occurring at the airport.
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Miramar Aircraft Evacuated

• USMC relocated their aircraft from Miramar Marine
  Corps Air Station to several bases in AZ

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Gillespie Field

• Areas of Gillespie Field are being used as a
  staging area for ground firefighting operations
  and as an evacuation site for large domestic
  animals (horses, etc.)
• Rwy 9R/27L closed for fire support activities.

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Ramona Airport

• Ramona Airport (RMN) contract control tower has
  been reopened. Fires reported on and around
  airport property

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FAA Temporary Tower Request s

• A temporary air traffic control tower, supporting
  the large increase of aerial firefighting
  missions, was established at Hemet and San
  Bernardino

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FEMA Aviation Coordination Group deployed
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Meeting the FAAs needs 9 TFRs in Place
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Malibu TFR/Airspace Issues
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Ikhana Program Re-activated
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Ikhana COA Situation

• California Fires not within COA Boundary
• FAA Gave a 75 mile extension to the COA
• STAY Away from the International Border by 10 NM
• No populated area flights (Malibu is out)

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October 24 October 25 October 26 October 28
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McCoy Fire
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Ranch/Buckweed
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Witch/Poomacha
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DOD Global Hawk Also Provided Imagery to the So
Ops GACC
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Presidential Visit

• Presidential Visit Floating TFRS
• Outstanding Coordination by Dennis Brown and the
  Airspace Coordination Unit

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WADS Liaison

• Bob Roth sent to Western Air Defense Sector
  during the Presidential Visit
• Downloaded AFF Program
• Reduced the potential number of targets

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POTUS TFR Oct 25th
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Presidential Visit No Known Impact to Air
Operations
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Oct 26th fire perimeters
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October 27th Shared Borders TFR and Ground
Perimeter issues
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Successful TFR Negotiations kept major airports
open
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And it could be worse

• Mississippi TFR 4,338 Sq Miles
• Alabama TFR 2,031 Sq Miles
• New Orleans TFR 567 Sq Miles
• Combined Total 33,625 Square miles

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Relief Aircraft on Hurricane Katrina (What
happens when ATC goes down)
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Adapting New Technology
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Were entering an era in which unmanned vehicles
of all kinds will take on greater importance in
space, on land, in the air and at the sea.
President Bush at the Citadel, 12/11/01
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UAs and Airspace

• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are here, more are
  coming, and they will ultimately transform
  aviation, military and civilian.
• Popular Science, June 2003

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The development and use of unmanned aircraft is
the next great step forward in the evolution of
aviation. Nick Sabatini FAA Associate
for Aviation Safety
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Current FAA Philosophy

• UAS are part of the future of aviation, and that
  future is on our doorstep right now. The system
  in place today to accommodate the entry of new
  aircraft into the National Airspace System This
  is nothing new for the FAA. It is our day to day
  business. The FAA, working closely with the
  aviaiton industry, will develop safety standards
  and operating procedures to ensure their safe
  integration into the NAS.
• Nick Sabatina, Associate Administrator for
  Aviation Safety

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In Other words

• Its about public trust and ensuring the public
  safety
• Government agencies have tripled their requests
• More than 100 UAS flown in the Western Service
  Area last year

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How is the FAA Moving Forward

• Agreement with two Universities
• New Mexico State University creates the first
  UAS Flight Test Center
• Sparsely located less density air traffic
• Strong UAS background
• Built On Line COA Process
• Issuing Experimental Certificates
• Rewriting Advisory Circulars
• Special Committee RC-203 (RCTA) defining
  standards
• Has formed an ARC (Aviation Regulation Committee)
  to define Civil Air Worthiness Standards for
  Small UAS

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FAA Leaning Forward Continued

• Agreement with two Law Enforcement Agencies
  (Miami/Houston)
• Identify challenges related to operating small
  UAS in and around major population center.
• Testing at remote locations.
• Landmark agreement with DOD (Class D Airspace)
• On DOD land
• Surface to 1200 AGL
• Less than 20 lbs
• 5 NM from civil airports or heliports
• Most of California is excluded because of the
  Mode C Veil

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Who in the FAA is involved?

• Unmanned Aircraft Program Office
• Air Traffic Airspace Management
• Aviation Safety
• FSDO
• FSS

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Additional Info

• No UAS flight is allowed over populated areas
• No hazardous material may be carried
• No objects may be dropped (outside of Restricted
  Airspace)

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What is a UAS?

• A UAS involved an unmanned aircraft flown by a
  pilot via a ground control system or autonomously
  through an on-board computer.
• It is a three part system
• It is the Aircraft
• The Pilot
• The Linkage Equipment

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Do Unmanned Aircraft have Experimental
Certificates?

• Experimental certificates are issued to operate
  an aircraft that does not have a type
  certificate/doesnt conform to type certificate
  and is in condition for a safe operation.
• The Cyberbug is the 9th experimental certificate
  issued in 2007

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Special Air Worthiness Certificate

• UAS may be issued a Special Air Worthiness
  Certificate in the Experimental Category for the
  following procedures
• Research and Development
• Showing compliance with regulations
• Crew Training
• Exhibition
• Air Racing
• Market Surveys
• Operated only within line of sight, during
  daylight hours and when other aircraft are not in
  the vicinity

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Additional Aircraft with Special Airworthiness
Certificate, Experimental Category

• Shadow 200B US Army Civil Version
• Operates at General Aviation facility in SE AZ
• Raytheon Three Cobra UAS (in addition to their
  5 certificated Cobra UAS

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What about RC Aircraft?

• Remote Controlled aircraft are flown in
  accordance with AC 91-57, Model Aircraft
  Standards which encourages voluntary complicance
• Less than 400 AGL
• Advise ATC within 3 mi of airport
• Full Scale a/c have right of way
• Doesnt limit speed or weight..
• The AC is currently being revised (originally
  from 1988)
• (We have all seen the Giant RC aircraft via the
  internet!)

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If you intend to fly your aircraft as a Public
aircraft for the purpose of government
functions

• Then you must request a Certificate of
  Authorization from the FAA
• Also known as a COA
• The FAA has developed an On Line COA process
• Plan on months ahead

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Civil Operations

• Companies may obtain a Special Air Worthiness
  Certificate, Experimental Category
• Must demonstrate that their aircraft can operate
  safety within an assigned flight area and cause
  no harm.
• Must be able to describe how and where they
  intend to fly
• Local FAA Manufacturing Inspection District
  Office will issue certificate

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What is a COA?

• It is an authorization issued by Air Traffic to
  Government or Research Entities for a specific
  Unmanned Aircraft activity.
• After the COA application is submitted, the FAA
  conducts a comprehensive operational and
  technical review.
• Provisions or limitations may be imposed as part
  of the approval.
• Usually a 60 day process
• Issued for One Year only

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Public Operations US Government Organizations

• You must have a COA that permits public agencies
  and organizations to operate a specific Unmanned
  Aircraft for a particular purpose in a particular
  area.
• Conditions and limitations will be imposed by the
  FAA.
• Equivalent level of safety as a manned aircraft
• Usually no flight in a populated area
• Aircraft is observed from the ground or a chase
  aircraft.

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I keep hearing about an Emergency COA

• Three things to know
• There must be a condition of distress where you
  MUST use UAS instead of manned aircraft
• You MUST have a current COA
• There is no BLANKET COA

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What is DOD doing?

• Manned/Unmanned Teaming and Integration
• Training Syllabus
• Defining Airspace
• Created UAS Task Force

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Winds of Change
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NOAA has an active UAS program

• Recently completed research cruise 900 miles
  north of Oahu testing small UAS to find marine
  debris

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USFS Law Enforcement

• Purchased two SkySeer UAS
• Less than 5 pounds
• LE personnel are completing Pilots Training and
  awaiting their pilots physicals
• 2 mile range, 30 MPH, 2 person crew

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CALFIRE Proposal
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Skyhook Recovery System

• Trailer Mounted
• Wind Independent
• Autonomous Recovery
• GPS Guided
• Quick Set-up

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COA Info Must Include

• Lights
• Radio Communication
• Spectrum Analysis Approval
• Instantaneous Two Way Voice ATC
• On Board Surveillance Detection Capability
• Visual Surveillance Detection Capability
• Aircraft Performance Recording
• NAS Operational Compliance
• Flight Operations area/Flight plan
• Period of Operations
• UAS Air Crew Qualifications
• Identify primary emergency landing sites

• ALL the info route of flights, corridors
• Lost link points
• Graphics of Flight
• Emergency Procedure Plans
• Footprint of frequency of Operations
• Pilot qualifications
• Points of contact
• Performance characteristics
• Statement of Airworthiness
• Aircraft System description
• Lost Link Procedures
• Lost communication Procedures Emergency
  Procedures
• Avionics
• Mode C/Transponder

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For Example

• The NASA Ikhana COA identified 280 Secondary
  Emergency Landing Sites within a 50 NM glide
• Selected populated areas
• Abandoned runways
• Dry lakebeds
• Flat Ground
• Ditch Areas

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Common COA Problems

• Insufficient Lead time to process COA
• Lost link procedure incomplete
• Emergency procedures are incomplete
• Description of Operations are vague

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The Final Word

• The FAA is facing a new industry that is
  growing
• The Philosophy is Do No Harm for a safe
  airspace
• Many MANY changes are coming.

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If a pig can learn tricks.......
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Mahalo!!!!

• Any questions give me a call at 503-780-0097
• julie_stewart_at_blm.gov