Predator drone now part of Calif. wildfire battle

[hack89]

Source: AP

GROVELAND, Calif. (AP) — As crews advanced against a giant wildfire around Yosemite National Park, fire commanders said they would maintain use of a Predator drone to give them early views of any new flare-ups across in the remote and rugged landscape.

While unmanned aircraft have mapped past fires, use of the Predator will be the longest sustained mission by a drone in California to broadcast information to firefighters in real time. The plane, the size of a small Cessna, will remain over the burn zone for up to 22 hours at a time, allowing fire commanders to monitor fire activity, determine the fire's direction of movement, the extent of containment and confirm new fires ignited by lightning or flying embers.

The drone is being flown by the 163rd Wing of the California National Guard at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside and is operating from Victorville Airport, both in Southern California. It generally flew over unpopulated areas on its 300-mile flight to the Rim Fire. Outside the fire area, it will be escorted by a manned aircraft.

In 2009 a NASA Predator equipped with an infrared imaging sensor helped the U.S. Forest Service assess damage from a fire in Angeles National Forest. In 2008, a drone capable of detecting hot spots helped firefighters assess movement of a series of wildfires stretching from Southern California's Lake Arrowhead to San Diego.

Read more: http://hosted2.ap.org/RIPRJ/f7ded15e4d4846268a17b79c1c4b7cb8/Article_2013-08-29-US-Western-Wildfires-Yosemite/id-e28c0144c87246b88c846a0197ac4053

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There are many peaceful uses for drones - the key is to put them into the hands of civilian agencies with no ties to the military or police.

[Rebellious Republican]

1. Cool! No pun intended.

First good use of a Drone I have heard about.

[FailureToCommunicate]

2. 1st use of US air force was to get 'eyes in the sky' over remote, rugged landscape...

trying to track down Pancho Villa's band:

http://blogs.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/2009/03/mexico-march-1916-the-first-us-air-force-mission/

[marble falls]

3. I heard one showed up with a gallon of milk. Aren't preditors wonderful when there's a target ....

sparse environment in Pakistan or Yemen?

[hack89]

4. Hence my comment about non-military and police control of drones in America.

there are many peaceful uses of drones.

[marble falls]

5. The difference being you support civilian 'preditor' use and I think dual-use is a terrible idea.

[hack89]

6. There are many types of drones besides Predators

my comment is that there are peaceful uses for drones. They can be non-Predator drones that have no military capabilities.

My comment is a general one about the civilian use of drones, not a specific endorsement of the dual-use of military drones.

[marble falls]

12. Unfortunately they used a Predator. A device designed for military use. They get no points for .....

delivering a gallon of milk in a public relations white washing of a weapons system currently being used to murder women and children as well as unarmed men in civilian areas. Sorry, Predators don't warm the cockles of my heart.

[hack89]

13. Ok. Now do you care to address my larger point? nt

[OnyxCollie]

7. Mission creep will become much easier now that hearts and minds have been won.

[hack89]

9. Take them out of the hands of the police and military for domestic use

there are hundreds of valid uses for the civil uses of drones.

[niyad]

10. could you give us an idea of what those hundreds of valid uses are? a list would be helpful.

[hack89]

11. Here are ten general areas

Agriculture - The Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) reports that the agricultural use of drones could comprise 80% of the market. The reasons include the need to closely monitor crops to improve management and yield, the need to do this more regularly and cheaply, and the environment of private land with little threat to others. Near-infrared sensors can be tuned to detect crop health, letting farmers react and improve conditions locally with inputs of fertilizer or insecticide.

Mines - Mining companies are already deploying drones worldwide with great efficiency and safety gains to accurately measure site conditions, inspect pit walls, calculate quantities, and measure and map in 3D. Photogrammetric techniques are used for 3D modeling to date, however more precise laser LiDAR sensors for UAV platforms will be developed in time.

Construction Sites - The monitoring from above of construction project sites provides a new input during all phases of a project lifecycle. Aerial photography is done now for only the largest projects, however the input would be used more widely and more frequently if more readily accessible. The ability to quickly model from above in 3D with increasing precision will provide a check on projects with as-builts compared to plans, as well as the better coordination of materials on the job site.

Infrastructure Inspection - From pipelines to powerlines, to towers, to processing plants, the inspection of complex infrastructure will benefit from regular aerial monitoring. The ability to sense in three dimensions, take thermal readings, and to detect metal strain will greatly improve infrastructure inspection. Small and unmanned platforms that can hover and get close and surround infrastructure, such as a bridge or plant, will provide a new level of detail to improve performance.

Wildlife Research - Drones are being used internationally to monitor and track wildlife, providing new insight into animal behavior, as well as protection from poachers. With the ability to operate at night, and with thermal camera sensors, drones provide unprecedented protection.

Prospecting - Mineral and oil and gas exploration is a natural fit for drones, with field prospectors extending their toolset with aerial sensors to confirm and expand their insight. Magnetometers on aerial platforms can be used to detect ferrous metals and gravitational fields, with less of a disturbance due to their size.

Storm Tracking/Forecasting - Sending drones into hurricanes and tornadoes provides new insight into their behavior and trajectory. Unmanned systems are the best approach to these dangerous situations, and with specialized sensors to detail weather parameters, new insight becomes possible.

Emergency Response - After a natural or manmade disaster, a drone provides a quick means to gather information, navigate debris with a portable and useful technology that doesn’t drown out cries for help, and that can be deployed by teams that are working a specific area.

Environmental Monitoring - Drones fill a gap between manned aerial inspections and traditional fieldwork, monitoring hard to reach areas, or taking reading in contaminated areas where human health would be at risk. The ability to quickly deploy and capture an area of interest in concert with in-situ measurements, provides an advantage to contamination and reclamation work. Near-infrared sensors provide details of plant health to determine environmental health. The site-specific insight will greatly improve habitat restoration, environmental assessments, monitoring, and remediation.

Search and Rescue - With thermal sensors, drones can quickly discover the location of lost persons, and are particularly useful at night or in challenging terrain. The search and rescue mission is a battle against time, particularly in harsh conditions, and drones become a powerful tool because of the ease of deployment.

- See more at: http://www.sensorsandsystems.com/dialog/perspectives/30861-what-are-the-top-ten-civilian-uses-of-drones-that-don%E2%80%99t-impinge-privacy.html#sthash.1d691R74.dpuf

[niyad]

14. an interesting list, though far from the stated "hundreds".

[hack89]

15. Within each general area there are many more specific applications

my point merely being that there are valid civilian uses for drones. Now is the time to discuss how they will be regulated because they are not going away.

[niyad]

16. do you seriously think there will be any sort of regulation? in this atmosphere?

[hack89]

17. I have no idea. I just think it is needed. nt

[KansDem]

8. Just the same, better not schedule any weddings there

Gotta play it safe...



Look up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! IT'S...!!!

[Xithras]

18. OMG! LOL!