Operations

Please refer to the following video for help regarding the operation of MissionGuidance and AGL Oracle.

If you'd like to follow along, please download the sample data from https://storage.phoenixlidar.com/software/20210506-002539_MissionGuidanceSampleData.zip

Operational Best Practices

During the acquisition, it is the responsibility of the sensor operator to work with the aircraft pilot to maintain the appropriate altitude, airspeed, and horizontal boundaries of the flightplan.

• Proper 2-way communication is paramount in manned aircraft operations. If the sensor operator cannot communicate with the pilot, acquisition could result in improper side-lap, missing data, etc. Prior to takeoff, the pilot and sensor operator should ensure the in aircraft communication system is functioning properly.

• If the pilot has not performed PLS LiDAR acquisition prior, a thorough crew briefing should take place that teaches the pilot how to read the mission guidance screen and what aspects of the screen can be adjusted based on their preference.

• The sensor operator should ensure the aircraft is performing the following before entering the acquisition corridor:

  • The aircraft is mostly leveled out and centered with the acquisition corridor final approach line.

  • The aircraft is at the appropriate altitude in ft AGL

  • The aircraft is at the appropriate airspeed in knots(kts).

If during acquisition the pilot exceeds the lateral or vertical boundaries of the acquisition corridor and/ or cannot maintain the appropriate airspeed for the acquisition the sensor operator should:

• Inform the pilot that we need to abort the acquisition of this line and attempt to re-acquire.

• Instruct the pilot to turn 180-degrees and set themselves up to re-enter the same line they just aborted

• The sensor operator will select the flightline that was just aborted in the window under “projects” and select the yellow circle to schedule that line to be acquired next.

• The pilot will then attempt reacquisition of the flightline.

Mission Guidance Pilot Screen Interface

The pilot will have access to a screen that is connected and operated by the sensor operator that projects the mission guidance interface. The mission guidance interface will direct the pilot to the closest scheduled flight line. The Mission guidance window looks like this:

Mission Guidance Window

Mission guidance provides near real time position data to the pilot. When the pilot is near the approach end of the flightline, the system will automatically zoom in and give them a clear picture of their horizontal and vertical corridor. All aspects of the mission guidance window can be adjusted through the mission guidance settings. These settings can be accessed from the "Local Settings". Those setting look like this:

Local Settings

Mission Guidance settings

The mission Guidance settings most frequently used are:

• Units: ensure the units displayed are in a format the pilot is used to. Typically pilots use feet for altitude and knots for airspeed.

• Depending on the monitor used the colors and brightness may be hard to adjust. A feature that helps the pilot to see the features more clearly is the Terrain Color slider. This slider increases or decreases the intensity of the colors for the street map view.

• Zoom on flightline is the setting with the greatest emphasis on personal preference. Some pilots like a zoomed out overview, others like a tight view of the corridor. Work with and talk to the pilot during the acquisition to fine tune their preference.

• Corridor Tolerance Horizontal/ Vertical sets the vertical and horizontal boundaries of the acquisition corridor. This setting should be determined by the sensor operator prior to the flight depending on acceptable tolerances for acquisition. Typically PLS uses a 100 ft by 100 ft box.