UAS Search Patterns

Air searches are not a new concept - and they certainly are not exclusive to unmanned aircraft. Organizations such as the Civil Air Patrol and the US Coast Guard have spent decades developing and refining techniques for conducting air searches. These methods have been used successfully all over the world, but are intended for manned aircraft operating over large areas and at altitudes above the typical small UAS flight. CDRP has developed modified search patterns and profiles that are based on proven techniques, but are adapted for the small UAS to utilize.

These UAS Search Patterns are appropriate for searches for persons or material/objects (providing it is large enough to be detected). They should be utilized as part of a search strategy - all searches are more effective when all available resources are working together in a coordinated way.

Terminology

Track Spacing (S)

Distance between parallel legs in a search pattern. Typically 1NM in manned search.

Last Known Position (LKP)

Last known location of the subject.

Probability of Detection (POD)

The probability of the subject being detected by a search resource

Datum

Extrapolated position of subject based on LKP and environmental factors and subject behavior.

Live Search

Operators utilize the video downlink to actively search while the sUAS is airborne and in a search pattern.

Post-Flight Search

Analysts examine imagery or video taken by the sUAS after the aircraft lands. This is also referred to as the 'squint'.