ESCI497Z:
Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Environmental Research and Monitoring
Fall
2022
Readings:
Note that I will continue to add things to this page as we move through the
quarter.
FAA
Publications
FAA Advisory Circular 107-2a. February 2021. Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
FAA 2016. Remote
Pilot sUAS Study Guide. (good reference that is specifically intended to
cover content of the Remote Pilot Knowledge exam that is required to operate
UAS under 14 CFR Part 107)
FAA 2016 Pilot’s Handbook of
Aeronautical Knowledge (exhaustive
reference text; standard reference to prepare for Private Pilot’s Knowledge
exam but lots of material that is relevant to UAS)
FAA 2016. Airman
Knowledge Testing Supplement for Sport Pilot, Recreational Pilot and Private
Pilot (figures and tables used in all of the FAA knowledge exams, including
the Remote Pilot exam. For some of the
questions in your online quizzes, you will need to refer to this document)
FAA 2016 FAA
Aeronautical Chart Users Guide 12th Ed (details on all the symbols and
abbreviations used on the FAA Sectional Charts)
Reports
Jenkins, D. and B. Vasigh.
2013. Economic
Impact of UAS integration in the US Assoc for Unmanned Vehicle Systems
International
Peer-reviewed
articles
Anderson, K and KJ Gaston. 2013.Lightweight
unmanned aerial vehicles will revolutionize spatial ecology Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles will
revolutionize spatial ecology. Frontiers
in Ecology and the Environment 11(3):138-146.
On-line
Stuff:
Thinking
of using sUA to study birds in the U.S.? Read this
first! Article describing proposed “fix” to the Airborne Hunting Act. This is an old law intended to prevent
hunting from manned aircraft. Some argue that, as written, it could be
interpreted to prevent the use of sUA for research.
Drone
Laws in Washington State; 2020 Links to existing federal, state and local
laws related to use of drones in Washington State.
Orcas and drones:
•
WA state law (RCW77.15.740) prohibits “a
vessel or other object to approach, in any manner, within three hundred yards
of a southern resident orca whale”
•
https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=77.15.740
•
WA state Attorney General has ruled that a
sUAS counts as an “object” https://www.islandssounder.com/news/drones-are-added-to-orca-protection-zone/
•
Not clear how this would hold up in court.
One case dismissed prior to this ruling because lawyer for a drone operator
argued that a drone is not an “object”
•
Canadian regulations specify 200 m buffer
around Orcas. Not clear if this applies to sUAS; https://www.bewhalewise.org/federal-regulations/
NOAA
Fisheries Guidelines on Viewing Marine Life The only specific mention they
have on the topic of drones is:
A note on drone/UAS
guidance:
NOAA Fisheries is currently developing national guidance for drone (or UAS) operations
targeting marine mammals and sea turtles. Until then, NOAA Fisheries
reminds the public that dolphins, whales, seals, and sea lions are
protected species and harming or disturbing them can be a violation of federal
law.
It is important to remember that the Federal Aviation Administration provides rules for drone operation. In addition, the U.S.
National Park Service
has prohibited the use of drones in many National Parks, some of
which provide habitat to marine mammals.
Researchers
may use drones/UAS to conduct scientific research on protected species only
if the proper permits and authorizations are secured. Learn
more about research permitting.
On-line
How-to Documents and Manuals
Mission
Planner Overview
(software that we will be using
to program autonomous flights)
Agisoft
Photoscan Tutorial: Creating an Orthophoto and DE0M
(without GCPs)
Agisoft Photoscan Tutorial: Creating an Orthophoto and DEM (with GCPs)
Agisoft
Photoscan Tutorial: Classification and DTM creation
3D Robotics Solo
Users Manual_v4_07_07_15
3D Robotics Solo
Operations Manual
News
article regarding UAVs and privacy: