The DOI’s UAS strategy is based on the superior science, improved safety, and increased savings DOI can achieve with UAS data collection that has become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
DOI’s operational implementation of UAS data collection to achieve superior science, improved safety, and increased savings consists of the Office of Aviation Services (OAS), tasked with all institutional activities (operator accreditation, certification of platform airworthiness, fleet management, Blue UAS acquisitions, and safety policy); the USGS NUSO, responsible for the research and sensor integration activities required to support new UAS technology and evolving data acquisition needs; and the growing number of DOI and USGS UAS field offices meeting the increasing demand for operational UAS data collection.
NUSO currently plans to test and evaluate several of the Blue UAS platforms to determine what DOI data collection needs they can safely and efficiently support. Results and information from these efforts will also be made available to other DOI pilots. NUSO has also started to offer A-450 classes with two classes already completed in fiscal year 2022 and is actively working with OAS on DOI pilot recertification.
DOI UAS Pilot Re-Certification
Previously certified DOI pilots need to:
- Verify currency of FAA Remote Pilot Certification and if needed take the online Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent course.
- Verify currency on A-452R Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Remote Pilot Refresher Training and A-100 and A-220.
- Perform 30 minutes of flight time with at least three take-offs and landings.
- Record completed flight time using the OAS 2U entry form.
Before performing any flights, including the 30 minutes required for recertification, you must also confirm currency of the UAS Aircraft Inspection and DOI Aircraft Card for the platform you will be using. And get an approved Project Aviation Safety Plan (PASP) for the area you plan to fly in.
Blue UAS Procurement
DOI Blue UAS procurement is still subject to the existing process in DOI OPM-11 DOI Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), that states only the OAS may purchase UAS, and once purchased the platform is classified as fleet aircraft and remains under OAS’s ownership.
OAS is already working with the various Blue UAS vendors to determine DOI pricing and establish the required indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts.
Once these contracts are in place DOI can procure specific Blue UAS by:
Use OAS-13U DOI Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Acquisition Request Form to specify the number and type of Blue UAS you would like to procure and then submit the completed form to your designated Bureau National Aviation Manager.
AND
For all DOI bureau’s except USGS, use OAS-93U Fleet Information Document to provide your funding information to OAS.
USGS offices should work with their Agreements Officer (or Administration Officer) to complete an Intra-DOI Agreement (IDA) instead of an OAS-93U. This form will be used to establish the funding agreement between a USGS office and OAS for the purchase of Blue UAS.
Effective January 1, 2022, all IDAs will be processed by USGS Agreements Officers, not Contracting Officers, and the Office of Acquisition and Grants will no longer be involved in the IDA process.
As additional platforms are approved by the DIU process they will be added to the Blue UAS Cleared List. However, it may take additional time before a particular Blue UAS is available through OAS.
If you have any questions about platform procurements or Blue UAS please email us at: uas@usgs.gov
DOI UAS Pilot Certification
The FAA has granted the DOI, as a public agency, the ability to self-certify its UAS operators. To be officially certified as a DOI UAS operator, employees must:
- Obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certification
- Then pass a A-450 Small UAS Basic Remote Pilot Course
- Each DOI bureau schedules and host their own independent A-450 courses
- USGS employees may request A-450 training by submitting and email request to uas@usgs.gov
Upon successful completion of an A-450 course, DOI UAS pilots are certified to fly only the specific platforms included in the training course. Certification to fly any additional type of UAS platform requires the completion of platform-specific A-454 Small UAS Operator Add-On courses. Each A-454 course is designed for a specific platform and can be provided by the platform vendor as part of the purchase process or by bureau operators currently certified on the platform.
Once certified on a platform, pilots are required to maintain proficiency by performing at least three take-offs and landings every 90 days. DOI remote pilots must also take an A-452R refresher course every two years to get up-to-date information on the UAS program and learn any new best-practices.
UAS Compatible Sensor Procurement
UAS compatible sensors may be purchased through normal DOI procurement processes and don’t require coordination with OAS. However, pursuant to DOI Operational Procedures Memoranda (OPM)-11, only sensors approved by OAS may be mounted on DOI UAS platforms. Therefore, before purchasing a sensor intended for use on DOI UAS platforms, bureaus should confirm with either OAS or NUSO that it has been or soon will be approved for DOI UAS use.
End-product Contracting
The exponential growth of FAA-approved commercial airborne companies means that many of DOIs airborne data collection missions could be pursued through end-product contracts rather than DOI-owned fleet operations. This process allows DOI scientists to contract end-products (images, maps, survey data, etc.) from commercial companies approved by the FAA to operate in the National Airspace System. No OAS involvement is required for end-product contracts but the scientist must write only data specifications and not direct or exercise any operational control over how the data is acquired. To date, both the NUSO and other DOI groups have successfully contracted with numerous commercial companies that have provided excellent data. This process has been incredibly beneficial when data was needed quickly to support localized emergency response needs.
Operational Field Offices
Operational field offices, distributed locations across the United States that house both trained UAS operators and technology, is crucial for addressing the rapidly increasing demand from USGS and DOI scientists for UAS data collection. Access to these field offices also provides a cost-efficient in-house method for supporting DOI scientists who have only infrequent and/or unique UAS data collection needs.
Other Federal Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Interagency Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program (focuses on interagency fire UAS operations)
National Park Service Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
The DOI’s UAS strategy is based on the superior science, improved safety, and increased savings DOI can achieve with UAS data collection that has become one of the best tools for gathering the repeatable, scientifically valid observations needed to support the science that leads to better policy decisions, which benefits all Americans.
DOI’s operational implementation of UAS data collection to achieve superior science, improved safety, and increased savings consists of the Office of Aviation Services (OAS), tasked with all institutional activities (operator accreditation, certification of platform airworthiness, fleet management, Blue UAS acquisitions, and safety policy); the USGS NUSO, responsible for the research and sensor integration activities required to support new UAS technology and evolving data acquisition needs; and the growing number of DOI and USGS UAS field offices meeting the increasing demand for operational UAS data collection.
NUSO currently plans to test and evaluate several of the Blue UAS platforms to determine what DOI data collection needs they can safely and efficiently support. Results and information from these efforts will also be made available to other DOI pilots. NUSO has also started to offer A-450 classes with two classes already completed in fiscal year 2022 and is actively working with OAS on DOI pilot recertification.
DOI UAS Pilot Re-Certification
Previously certified DOI pilots need to:
- Verify currency of FAA Remote Pilot Certification and if needed take the online Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent course.
- Verify currency on A-452R Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) Remote Pilot Refresher Training and A-100 and A-220.
- Perform 30 minutes of flight time with at least three take-offs and landings.
- Record completed flight time using the OAS 2U entry form.
Before performing any flights, including the 30 minutes required for recertification, you must also confirm currency of the UAS Aircraft Inspection and DOI Aircraft Card for the platform you will be using. And get an approved Project Aviation Safety Plan (PASP) for the area you plan to fly in.
Blue UAS Procurement
DOI Blue UAS procurement is still subject to the existing process in DOI OPM-11 DOI Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), that states only the OAS may purchase UAS, and once purchased the platform is classified as fleet aircraft and remains under OAS’s ownership.
OAS is already working with the various Blue UAS vendors to determine DOI pricing and establish the required indefinite-delivery and indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts.
Once these contracts are in place DOI can procure specific Blue UAS by:
Use OAS-13U DOI Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Acquisition Request Form to specify the number and type of Blue UAS you would like to procure and then submit the completed form to your designated Bureau National Aviation Manager.
AND
For all DOI bureau’s except USGS, use OAS-93U Fleet Information Document to provide your funding information to OAS.
USGS offices should work with their Agreements Officer (or Administration Officer) to complete an Intra-DOI Agreement (IDA) instead of an OAS-93U. This form will be used to establish the funding agreement between a USGS office and OAS for the purchase of Blue UAS.
Effective January 1, 2022, all IDAs will be processed by USGS Agreements Officers, not Contracting Officers, and the Office of Acquisition and Grants will no longer be involved in the IDA process.
As additional platforms are approved by the DIU process they will be added to the Blue UAS Cleared List. However, it may take additional time before a particular Blue UAS is available through OAS.
If you have any questions about platform procurements or Blue UAS please email us at: uas@usgs.gov
DOI UAS Pilot Certification
The FAA has granted the DOI, as a public agency, the ability to self-certify its UAS operators. To be officially certified as a DOI UAS operator, employees must:
- Obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certification
- Then pass a A-450 Small UAS Basic Remote Pilot Course
- Each DOI bureau schedules and host their own independent A-450 courses
- USGS employees may request A-450 training by submitting and email request to uas@usgs.gov
Upon successful completion of an A-450 course, DOI UAS pilots are certified to fly only the specific platforms included in the training course. Certification to fly any additional type of UAS platform requires the completion of platform-specific A-454 Small UAS Operator Add-On courses. Each A-454 course is designed for a specific platform and can be provided by the platform vendor as part of the purchase process or by bureau operators currently certified on the platform.
Once certified on a platform, pilots are required to maintain proficiency by performing at least three take-offs and landings every 90 days. DOI remote pilots must also take an A-452R refresher course every two years to get up-to-date information on the UAS program and learn any new best-practices.
UAS Compatible Sensor Procurement
UAS compatible sensors may be purchased through normal DOI procurement processes and don’t require coordination with OAS. However, pursuant to DOI Operational Procedures Memoranda (OPM)-11, only sensors approved by OAS may be mounted on DOI UAS platforms. Therefore, before purchasing a sensor intended for use on DOI UAS platforms, bureaus should confirm with either OAS or NUSO that it has been or soon will be approved for DOI UAS use.
End-product Contracting
The exponential growth of FAA-approved commercial airborne companies means that many of DOIs airborne data collection missions could be pursued through end-product contracts rather than DOI-owned fleet operations. This process allows DOI scientists to contract end-products (images, maps, survey data, etc.) from commercial companies approved by the FAA to operate in the National Airspace System. No OAS involvement is required for end-product contracts but the scientist must write only data specifications and not direct or exercise any operational control over how the data is acquired. To date, both the NUSO and other DOI groups have successfully contracted with numerous commercial companies that have provided excellent data. This process has been incredibly beneficial when data was needed quickly to support localized emergency response needs.
Operational Field Offices
Operational field offices, distributed locations across the United States that house both trained UAS operators and technology, is crucial for addressing the rapidly increasing demand from USGS and DOI scientists for UAS data collection. Access to these field offices also provides a cost-efficient in-house method for supporting DOI scientists who have only infrequent and/or unique UAS data collection needs.
Other Federal Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
Interagency Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program (focuses on interagency fire UAS operations)
National Park Service Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)