USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, FSWeb: http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

WWW: http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/rsac/

USFS Citation Aircraft Capabilities

AMS-Workshop

Moffett Field, CA 4/18/13

USDA Forest Service Organization

• National Headquarters in Washington, DC• 9 Regional Offices• National Forest System

– 155 National Forests and 20 National Grasslands– 78 million hectares in CONUS, AK and PR

Research7 stations

50 field offices

State and Private Forestry

Fire & AviationForest Health

Protection

International Programs

• Owns and operates 22 Owns and operates 22 aircraft and helicoptersaircraft and helicopters

• Contracts with over 800 Contracts with over 800 aircraft and helicopters aircraft and helicopters annuallyannually

• Missions Include:Missions Include:– Fire surveillanceFire surveillance– Aerial reconnaissanceAerial reconnaissance– Air AttackAir Attack– Delivery of smoke jumpersDelivery of smoke jumpers– Firefighter and cargo transportFirefighter and cargo transport– Aerial delivery of retardant and Aerial delivery of retardant and

waterwater– Natural resource managementNatural resource management– ResearchResearch

Forest Service AviationForest Service Aviation

Inter-Agency Tech Transfer/Support Inter-Agency Tech Transfer/Support 20132013

N144Z Specifications

Flight Rate - $1960 per hourContact Dan Johnsondejohnson@fs.fed.us

Cessna Citation BravoPrimary Mission – Infrared Fire Mapping (April – October)

AirCell Datalink Average 204 Kbs downlinkContinuous coverage CONUS at 10,000 AGL

Sensor BayPort Side blisterOpening 18 in long 15 wideSensor bay 24 in long 17 wide

Citation Limitations

• Cruse Speed 380 kts

• Max Altitude 45,000 ft

• Min Safe Acquisition 120 kts– This creates issues with using the AMS– Max AMS V/H = 11.1– Minimum 10000 ft. AGL – 7.6 meter pixel– 3.07 nm swath width

• Installation and engineering costs were low.

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

144Z AMS Installation

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

Sensor/Data Integration

Data Products

• Daytime Fire with hotspot detection

• Night time hotspot detection

• Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER)

• Fire Radioactive Power (FRP)

• Color Infrared (CIR)

• Customized Products

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

Data Distribution

• Fire Support– Coordinated through NICC and NIROPS– Ordering through NIROPS– Distribution through NIFC FTP

• Non Fire Support / Testing– Order through RSAC– Real Time Information though website– 16 Channel Data sent to RSAC for

preprocessing.

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

AMS Website

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

http://nirops.fs.fed.us/ams/

Telemetry/Real-time Processing

Command and control via ground station – either remote or onboard. Requires a connection that allows ssh (secure shell ) in.

Image segments are automatically ftp’d to ground station where they are QC’d and mosaiced and sent on to the final image server. Requires locations which allow “ftp” in. Link requiring telemetry varies with configuration.

Completed and Proposed Mission

• USGS – Hot Springs, Utah Lake

• USDA – Vineyards, Northern California

• AMS/WAI/Phoenix Concurrent Fire Imaging

• Daytime Fire Imaging

• BAER Support

• AFUE – Aerial Firefighting Use and Efficiency Study

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

How Long?

• 144Z Primary NIROPS Aircraft– Limited Crew

• Removing AMS/Phoenix Installation ≈ 2 days

• Trigger Points– National PL – 3– Over 5 fires per night– Phase Check ≈ 31 hours

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

Future Possibilities

• Use AMS on 144Z in off season

• Surge Aircraft – AMS would support non-fire, and agency

partners– Cover scheduled and non scheduled

maintenance for NIROPS – Support Incidents in times of very heavy

activity– Non fire imaging missions

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center, http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.us

USDA Forest Service, Remote Sensing Applications Center,

FSWeb: http://fsweb.rsac.fs.fed.usWWW: http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/rsac/

Thanks

Comments/Questions?