BIA Acquires Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and Hosts Training for Federal and Tribal Staff

Article

Dates: June 26, 2024 9:00am to 9:30am

UAS piloting students take part in a four-person training module near Placitas, NM on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. Three trainees and one instructor conduct flight maneuvers required for completion of the remote pilot approval. Photo taken by BIA Aviation Manager Dave Underwood on November 14, 2023.

In October 2023, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Wildland Fire Management (BIA DWFM) finalized the acquisition of several DOI approved uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS): (6) Parrot Anafi USA Edition, (8) Skydio X10, and (4) Alta X with the amplified enhanced package for aerial ignition. Delivery of the Anafi aircraft to BIA took place mid-December after the Office of Aviation Services entered them in the national fleet system. The Skydios and Alta X UAS soon followed. The aircraft were immediately entered into service in various regions for training, projects, and pilot currency.

In November 2023, 12 interagency and Tribal students graduated from the BIA-hosted A450 DOI Remote Pilot training course held at the Southwest Indian Polytechnic School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two additional BIA students attended another A450 Remote Pilot and a S373 Uncrewed Remote Pilot Incident Operations course in Mesa, Arizona, in early December. According to the interagency agreement on UAS training, for every one to two agency sponsored students, one to two agency provided instructors or coaches are required to guide the students. This requirement is to ensure trainers and coaches are developed along with UAS pilots. The division’s UAS acquisitions and pilot training courses were provided through $1.3 million in FY2023 preparedness funding.

The A450 Remote Pilot course is the fundamental small UAS course for individuals wanting to become qualified to operate small UAS for the DOI and USDA Forest Service. The A450 course utilizes small UAS aircraft (less than 55 lbs.) to provide the basic academic and flight training necessary to conduct missions as a remote pilot-in-command.

A trainee conducts a UAS pre-flight checklist and systems checks per agency standard operating procedure. Photo taken by BIA Aviation Manager Dave Underwood on November 14, 2023.

The S373 Incident Operations course is designed to meet the training needs of the uncrewed aerial systems pilot, uncrewed aerial systems manager, uncrewed aerial systems module leader, and the uncrewed aerial systems data specialist to manage the aerial information needs of incidents managed within the wildland fire incident command system. The course is a combination of lectures, facilitated discussions, individual and group exercises and simulations. These UAS positions are used to collect, process, and distribute tactical and strategic information to meet the needs of wildland fire incident operations and planning personnel.

Since the program started, there have been several courses held including: A450 (Basic Remote Pilot) course and a combined A450 (Basic Remote Pilot) and S373 (UAS Incident Operations) training session for a total of 17 student participants.

In preparation for an increase in interest and need, the BIA has committed multiple seats to future interagency courses into FY 2024.