Page 19 - September October 2020 TPA Journal

The test methods for Basic Maneuvering and Payload The rigor that today’s Standard Test Methods show is
Functionality are being replicated across the country a direct result of their years of work into the project.
and internationally to focus training with quantitative The applicability of the method supports acquisition
measures of remote pilot proficiency. They are low decisions as well as employment considerations. The
cost and easy to fabricate so everyone can measure NIST sUAS Standard Test Methods produce data that
their own progress over time and compare their can be used to answer the questions of what system do
proficiency to regional or national averages on similar I buy and what system do I use for which mission?”
systems. The results are comparable no matter when Ben is convinced that the NIST sUAS Standard Test
or where the tests are conducted. Methods have great applicability to public safety
sUAS operations. He has backed up that opinion by
Adam Jacoff goes on to say “suites of standard test
being an early adopter of the NIST sUAS Standard
methods provide common measures with quantitative Test Methods: “The Colorado Department of Public
scores. They can be conducted individually, in Safety has adopted the NIST sUAS Standard Test
sequences, or embedded into operational training Methods within our UAS certification process.
scenarios to provide reproducible scores that augment Managed by The Center of Excellence for Advanced
typically qualitative assessments. Organizations using Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE) within the
these tests set their own thresholds of acceptable Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC), the
system and pilot performance to align with their CoE provides this certification process to stakeholder
airspace, environment, and mission complexities. But public safety agencies within the State of Colorado.
those decisions are easier to make and trust when they To date, 16 agencies and 42 UAS operators have gone
are based on quantitative performance data.”
through the process.”
Participants in NIST’s test method validation
exercises learn how to fabricate apparatuses, conduct
trials, and embed them into their own training and The NIST sUAS Test Methods include four different
credentialing programs. While participating in one of “test lanes”: Basic Proficiency Evaluation for Remote
NIST’s exercises I first realized the potential of these Pilots (Part 107 qualification); Open Test Lane;
test methods. I was greatly impressed by the potential Obstructed Test Lane; and Confined Test Lane. These
for agencies that wish to internally credential sUAS test methods can all be used to evaluate sUAS
pilots or serve as a credentialing resource for others. capabilities and sensor systems, or remote pilot
The NIST test methods are already being used as the proficiency for credentialing. The tests are easy to
basis for state-wide credentialing of emergency conduct alone or in groups, and inexpensive enough
responders in Colorado and Texas. Many other state to set up multiple concurrent lanes. They are quick to
and local emergency response organizations are also perform, typically less than 30 minutes to conduct all
adopting the test methods. Canada is moving quickly the tests in a given lane, so they can support flying
to implement these tests as the basis for credentialing practice for remote pilots at the beginning of every
their emergency responders nationwide. Others will training session. This is a good way to track
certainly follow. The Airborne Public Safety improvement in pilot proficiency. NIST has done an
Accreditation Commission (APSAC) is strongly excellent job of creating a comprehensive user guide,
considering their adoption, as is the Civil Air Patrol, scoring forms, and apparatus targets you can be
an auxiliary of the U.S. Force, as they seek to printed and placed in the buckets. It’s that simple.
standardize their pilot credentialing across 52 wings But the results are more than the sum of their parts.
consisting of over 1200 sUAS pilots. Fly the lane once and you immediately see how easy
it is to evaluate precise station keeping (with or
Ben Miller, Director of the Colorado Center of without GPS, downward image flow, windy
Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial conditions, etc.). There are various repeatable
Firefighting, has followed NIST’s sUAS Standard
maneuvering flight paths, and tests for zoom lenses
Test Methods project from the inception. “NIST was
and any additional sensors. The flight paths get
one of the very first evaluation groups to show
incrementally harder but all use the same essential
interest during the early days of UAS in public safety.

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