The program will cover the fundamental elements of a successful drone program including what you should know about the possibilities, uses of and how to implement a program. Participants will learn mission planning, UAV operations, field data collection procedures, data processing, and data analysis. Legal, ethical considerations, and economic advantages will be reviewed for a utility application as well. Attendees will benefit directly from discussions on the beneficial use of unmanned systems through the course material and be able to directly apply this knowledge at their workplace.

Learning Outcomes

• Review the economic factors to be considered with an UAS program
• List the various sensors used by UAS and applications
• Discuss the requirements definition
• Explore the various aircraft systems available and applications of each
• Recognize the types and benefits of technology available to use with UAS
• Discuss the regulatory environment for UAS and what it means to utility applications
• Explore the process and steps of flight planning
• Review UAS field operations
• Describe the methods of processing and best management of the data collected with UAS
• Recognize some methods for program adoption and tech transformation within your company

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2022

Economic Factors

• Why Should Utilities Consider Change?
• A Look at the Economics
  • The broad range of applications that can be performed with drone-based remote sensing
  • Quantify the economic advantages and disadvantages of change
  • Evaluate who are the key stakeholders and what motivates them to consider doing something different
  • Where the funding comes from for making tech transformation
  • Model for finding out what is needed to make an effective proposal
  • We will evaluate the elements of a Build vs. Buy Analysis

Sensors

• What Information can be collected?
• A Look at Sensors and Data
  • Evaluate the qualities of geospatial data and their utility for various applications
  • Types of sensors that are available for unmanned systems and the factors that impact flight
  • Economic drivers for data acquisition from various platforms and data as a service
  • Sprayers, samplers and other tools that can be integrated on unmanned systems

Requirements Definition

• What Information is Needed?
• A Look at Documenting Requirements
  • The importance of requirements, and what they’re used for
  • Classify the types of requirements that are typical on UAS projects
  • Identify a process for defining and documenting requirements
  • What makes a good requirement and examples of both good and bad requirements

Aircraft Systems

• What’s in the Unmanned System?
• A Look at the Elements of the UAS
  • Levels of automation, the history, and the future of unmanned technologies
  • Elements of unmanned systems and the various configurations
  • Classify the types of unmanned systems by performance characteristics, flight type, fuel type, and size
  • Evaluate the types of command and control
  • Outline the system for determining airworthiness and assess the operator’s responsibility

Technology Selection

• Which Unmanned System is Right?
• A Look at Technology Selection
  • Outline the capabilities that should be evaluated when selecting an unmanned system
  • A process for selecting the most appropriate platform for an application

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2022

Regulatory Environment

• What are the Regulations?
• A Look at the Legal Environment
  • Discuss the FAA’s role as the regulator of a public commons called the airspace
  • How regulations get formed and the structure of the Federal Aviation Regulations
  • Evaluate the policies that govern aircraft and the process for obtaining an airworthiness certificate
  • Evaluate the policies the govern airmen and the process for obtaining a pilot certificate
  • Evaluate the structure of the national airspace system and the rules that apply in each class of airspace

Flight Planning

• How Do We Operate Safely, Effectively and in Compliance?
• A Look at SOPS and EHSMS
  • Job descriptions and how to select the right personnel
  • Evaluate the training of personnel and effective management practices
  • Discuss the processes and procedures that need to be considered in a set of Standard Operating Procedures
  • Consider the elements of a Safety Management System and integrating it into your organizations EHSMS

Field Operations

• What is Needed in the Field?
• A Look at Field Operations
  • Efficient operations including communications, activity logging, and deployment considerations
  • Discuss best practices with data management including data security and audit
  • Evaluate the need for security and how to respond to incidents and accidents
  • Public relations and effective ways to communicate expectations with the public

Program Adoption and Tech Transformation

• What is Needed to Prepare for a Successful Mission?
• A Look at Mission Planning
  • Logistical factors that go into planning a successful mission
  • How to plan a mission technically to achieve deliverable requirements
  • Evaluate flight planning software and flight management systems

Jeffery Cozart, CEO, Juniper Unmanned

Jeff Cozart is the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Founder of Juniper Unmanned, a consultancy to help enterprises and governments generate value from drone-based remote sensing.  Jeff is also a member of the faculty in the College of Engineering at the University of Colorado where he has taught graduate level courses since 2013. He specializes in remote sensing applications and data sciences.  He was also a member of the Aviation and Aerospace Science faculty at Metropolitan State University of Denver from 2015 to 2017.  Jeff worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as it implemented commercial regulations for unmanned aircraft operations.  Jeff is also a board member of UAS Colorado and a founder of the Rocky Mountain UAS Professionals Meetup group. He received a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver in 2003.