UAS 105

Pitch

When the front of the drone moves up and down.

Roll

When the sides of the drone go up and down.

ATC

(Air Traffic Control) A service provided by personnel trained and certified by the FAA responsible for monitoring and controlling all air traffic within a specific area.

METAR

(Aviation Routine Weather Report) Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report or Meteorological Aerodrome Report. METAR is a specific format for reporting weather information.

BVLOS

(Beyond Visual Line of Sight) The ability to operate an unmanned aircraft beyond the pilot's line of sight. Flying UAS beyond visual line of sight requires a special permit from the FAA.

COA

(Certificate of Authorization) A permit/waiver issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing a public operator to perform specific UAS operations.

FPV

(First Person View) Drone A system in which a drone operator pilots a drone through the camera located on board. The operator wears goggles with screens inside that streams the UAS camera footage it in real-time.

MSL

(Mean Sea Level) Refers to the altitude above the average height of the ocean/sea. A UAV flying at 120 feet with a 30-foot hill below would still be at 120 Feet MSL.

mAh

(Milliampere Hours) The unit of measurement used to describe the energy capacity of a battery.

NOTAM

(Notice to Airmen) A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) is a notice given to warn aircraft or UAS pilots of any possible hazards or flight restrictions along a flight route or specific location.

PIC

(Pilot in Command) The person directly responsible for the complete drone flight operation and safety of UAS flight.

Return to Home

(RTH) When the drone operator triggers the function on the remote control or when a drone is automatically set to return to home if battery power is low or signal from the transmitter is lost.

sUAS

(Small Unmanned Aircraft System) Unmanned aircraft systems, such as UAS or quadcopters that weigh less than 55lbs.

TFR

(Temporary Flight Restriction) A temporary notice of restriction on a specific area of airspace because of the presence of government VIPs, special events, natural disasters, and other unusual occurrences.

UAS

(Unmanned Aircraft System) Unmanned aircraft, such as UAS, controlled by an operator on the ground.

UAS

(Unmanned Aircraft System) Unmanned aircraft, such as UAS, controlled by an operator on the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) uses the term UAS to reflect the fact that these systems are unique from other air vehicles.

VLOS

(Visual Line of Sight) The operation of an unmanned aircraft within the pilot's line of sight always and without the aid of any device (binoculars) other than corrective lenses (glasses).

VO

(Visual Observer) An optional crew member trained to monitor and maintain visual contact with a UAV to ensure safety.

A Mode

A Mode or Atti Mode is short for Attitude Mode, where the drone will maintain a certain altitude but not position. This allows the drone to remain at the same height but drift around.

Elios

A collision-tolerant, full HD, and infrared imagery UAV designed for inspection in complex indoor spaces.

Accelerometer

A device that measures acceleration or fast changes in movement. The flight controller (the drone's central processing unit) uses an accelerometer for the UAVs for flight stabilization.

Flight Controller

A device that receives the inputs from the sensors (gyroscope, accelerometer, GPS, vision sensors, ultrasonic sensors) and remote controller of the drone which then sends inputs to the electronic speed controls and motors about how the drone should move.

Gyroscope

A device used to measure and maintain level orientation this sensor is connected to the flight controller to maintain stability.

Electromagnetic interference

A disruption in the operation of an electronic device caused by proximity to metal, magnets, power lines, or cell towers.

Photogrammetry

A method of surveying and mapping through stitching photographs together to make one large image.

IP Rating

A rating system that classifies the degree of protection that an electrical enclosure has against water and dust.

Dronie

A self-portrait photograph (selfie) or video captured using a camera drone.

Waypoints

A set of coordinates that define a point in space. Waypoints are used to create flight path for UAS.

Selfie Drone

A small portable drone that is used to take photos or videos from an aerial perspective.

Telemetry

A two-way digital data stream between the UAV and a ground station that is used to communicate flight data and instructions to control the UAV.

Collision/obstacle Avoidance

A vision system that allows UAVs to detect obstacles in its path and avoid collisions.

FLIR

Acronym for forwarding Looking InfraRed, a company located in The United States. FLIR specializes in infrared technology to detect distant objects in low and zero visibility situations.

Uncontrolled Airspace

Airspace where there are no air traffic control (ATC) services necessary or available because of practical reasons. ICAO set airspace F and G as uncontrolled.

S Mode

Also known as Sports Mode, the S Mode allows the DJI drone to fly and maneuver twice as fast (about 40 mph to 65 mph)

LiDAR

An acronym for Light Detection and Ranging. LiDAR is a method of detecting, measuring and mapping using a laser. LiDAR is typically used in situations where standard survey techniques are difficult.

FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)

An agency under the US Department of Transportation that regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation. Its primary objective is to ensure civil aviation safety.

Propeller

An angled bladed used to create an area of high and low pressure to provide lift or thrust.

ESC (Electronic Speed Control)

An electronic device connected to the UAV power supply and flight controller to vary the speed and direction of the UAS motors.

Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

An electronic device that uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers to measure and report specific force, angular rate, and magnetic field of the drone in flight.

Commercial UAS

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for heavy use. These flying platforms have a specific purpose in mind such as for infrared inspection, package delivery, or for search and rescue

Infrared Drone/UAV

An unmanned remote-controlled aerial vehicle with an infrared imaging camera onboard. An infrared camera sees a region of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum where thermal energy is emitted. Infrared imaging sensors detect incoming infrared energy and software interprets the signals into a digital infrared image or video.

Trim

Buttons on the remote control that control roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle.

Field of View (FOV)

Describes the viewing angle from the camera of the drone.

UAS (2.4 GHz / 5.8 GHz Drone Frequency)

Drone remote controllers typically switch between these frequencies to provide the strongest signal with the drone and camera system. The primary differences between the two frequencies are the distance and speed. The 2.4 GHz band provides a longer transmission range but at slower speeds. The 5 GHz band provides less range but transmits data at faster speeds. The combination of these two frequencies give UAS and remote controllers the power to transmit information quickly even at far distances.

GPS

Global positioning system is a space-based navigation system owned by the US government and operated by the US Air Force that consists of satellites, receivers and other technologies that provide accurate location and time information for civil and military use.

GLONASS

Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema, or Global Navigation Satellite System is another satellite network UAS use to understand where they are in space.

Professional Drone

High-end UAVs that are equipped with the latest technologies and imaging sensors.

LAANC

Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability system. A collaboration between the FAA and private companies in support of UAS integration into national airspace. LAANC allows UAS access to controlled airspace in near real-time.

Yaw

Orbiting the drone from right to left.

AGL

(Above Ground Level) Refers to the altitude above the ground immediately under the UAV. For example, a UAV flying 100 feet above a 45-foot hill would have an AGL of 55 feet.

AMA

(Academy of Model Aeronautics) A nonprofit organization that advocates the safe operation of model aircraft, including UAS. The AMA is a proponent of the National Model Aircraft Safety Code, a set of guidelines on the safe operation of sUAS that FAA encourages pilots to follow.

Geofencing

Technology that uses global positioning system (GPS & GLONASS) to establish a virtual geographic boundary to prevent UAS from flying into specific areas.

Firmware

The software embedded in the UAV flight controller, batteries, or remote controller. Updates to the firmware are often made available by manufacturers to fix bugs, introduce new features, improve existing features, and protect from security vulnerabilities.

Part 107

These are commercial drone operator regulations created by the Federal Aviation Administration to define restrictions and safety standards for commercial drone flights.

Ultrasonic sensors

These sensors work in pairs. One sensor sends out the sound pulse while the other receives the pulse. The difference between the sending and receiving is used to calculate height and is used for drone stability.

P Mode

This is the standard flight mode for most pilots. In the P Mode, all sensors on the drone are active including GPS and infrared sensors. This allows precise hovering of the drone, even if the user stops controlling it with the remote controller.

Gimbal

Two or three axes stabilized with fine-tuned motors that allow the camera or other equipment to remain level even when moved about.

Fixed wing UAS

UAVs that consist of a rigid wing that generates lift via aero foil and typically a small push propeller. Fixed wing UAS can travel greater distances with less power due to the wing.