Fixed-wing UAS training at Denver Federal Center, January 2024

In January 2024, Joe Adams of the USGS National Uncrewed Systems Office led an A-454 aviation training course at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. This advanced Add-On training is essential for federal remote pilots to learn the intricacies of specific uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) platforms after obtaining foundational policy knowledge and flight skills the A-450 Basic Remote Pilot course. A new cohort of federal remote pilots pictured here were trained to fly the WingtraOne vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing UAS, an orange drone with four foot long wingspan that can efficiently cover long distances. In this photo, the WingtraOne UAS hovers in the air, flown by one of four recently certified USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center remote pilots pictured from left to right: Nadine Reitman, Nikita Avdievitch, Charlie Miles, and Olivia Hoch. These remote pilots will be utilizing their UAS skills to conduct mapping and monitoring missions for their work in the USGS Earthquakes and Landslides Hazards Programs.