Instruction Guide: UAV Equipment

NOTE (Sept 2021): The TPP videos used as the Primary Instructional Material used in the first 5 units of this course are currently unavailable.  We understand the TPP is creating an updated version of this series.  In the meantime, please see Differentiated Instructional Material: ALTERNATIVE for resources you can use for these lessons.

The Primary Instructional Resource for this Lesson is TPP UAV Training Program Part1:  Lessons 2

Note 1:  The Goals for the TPP resource is to lead to a Part 107 pilot license for a student who is at least 16 years old - that is NOT the goal of this first Unit in Aerial Robotics 101: Recreational UAVs.  We will use the TPP resources for several Lessons to provide an overview of key concepts for UAV operations.  While we want students to understand a UAV Pilot License is within their reach in high school, that is not the immediate focus of this Unit.  If fact, quite the opposite - Unit 1 is all about operating outside Part 107 (commercial UAV operations) and within recreational UAV operations (over school property) of the FAA UAV regulations to keep costs and barriers-to-entry for new schools/teachers as low as possible.

Note 2: As currently laid out, the TPP course is structured with a scope and sequence that logically follows the needs for a Part 107 overview course.  However, we will be using their lessons out-of-sequence in some cases for our recreational drone operations over school property based course.  The TPP site does not allow one to advance to a subsequent lesson until the quiz for the current lesson is successfully completed, which make skipping ahead or out-of-sequence awkward.  However, if your browser is set to accept cookies and you run through the course/quizzes once, you may then choose "Resume" and then use the "Menu" tab in the upper-right to resume at any point already completed.

> You may use the TPP resource for direct instruction to a group, or allow students to work through the lessons individually.  The first-time access process requires name, school, grade info - but none of this is verified (so non-identifying info may be used) and there is no email verification.

> Each lessons ends with a quiz that gates advancement to the next lesson - we suggest using this a Formative Assessment tool.

 

TPP UAV Training Program - Part 1, Lesson 2

> sUAS and UAVs are described

> Roles of 3-person are described, however Aerial Robotics 101 roles are slightly different:
   >>> Pilot - safely controls aircraft
   >>> Flight Director (vs Programmer) - directs flight operations and photo/video shoots
   >>> Safety Manager (vs Observer) - ensures safe environment for flight operations

> Components of UAV are defined and described

> Preflight safety procedures are described
   >>> See Differentiated Instructional Material for Parrot Mambo, DJI Tello and DJI Spark checklists

> Battery safety procedures are described

> FAA line of sight requirement and signal transmission limitations are described

> GPS operation is explained

> Compass operation and limitations are described

> NOTE: UAV Autonomous operations are described, but largely not applicable to recreational pilots.  The Aerial Robotics 101 Unit 1, Lesson 6 (Coding) does allow autonomous operations, however there is no ability to switch between pilot control and autonomous in a given flight.  One must choose to pilot the UAV, or run code to fly the UAV autonomously (with Abort/End Program being to only option to manually control the UAV).

Complete the Lesson 2 Quiz to check understanding.

Extension

This Differentiated Instructional Material: Extended has a more detailed TPP lesson on UAV Sensors.

 

Hands-on

Upon completion of the TPP lesson, get students hands-on with the drone they will be using (note, keep battery uninstalled to avoid accidental power-up).  Use the Summative Assessment to have students document the components and safety protocols for their drone.

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Check Differentiated Instructional Material and Additional Assessments for more resources around the topics covered in this TPP lesson.