DOI UAS News & Media

Department of the Interior Press Releases on UAS

2021

March 12, 2021 - Guidance Memo: UAS Flights for Emergency Operations and Training: Amended Guidance under Secretary’s Order 3379

January 19, 2021 - AS PMB Memo - Restoring OAS Authority to Procure Blue sUAS

2020

October 6, 2020 - Important Update on Secretary's Order 3379 and Blue Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

2019

October 10, 2019 - Changes in DOI Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Acquisition

DOI UAS News

2019

October 8, 2019 - Microsoft takes to the skies with UAS program for DOI

DOI UAS Videos

Video items previously listed in this section have been re-located to our DOI UAS Videos page, additionally some videos may be listed on our external news page if they were part of a news story, please visit DOI UAS in the News.

2019

September 5, 2019 - OAS Flight Testing of UAS Based Water Sampling Capability in Support of Bureau Requirements - Improved Sensing, Safety, Savings, & Service

August 30, 2019 - Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Videos
Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Video 1
Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Video 2
Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Video 3
Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Video 4
Sheridan Fire UAS Aerial Ignition Video 5

July 12, 2019 - Compilation of 2014 and 2015 Optionally Piloted Helicopter Demonstration Flights

March 27, 2019 - USGS Tests New Drone Technology to Measure Floodwaters

2018

Interior Museum Lunchtime Lecture Series: Drones for Good: The DOI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program

USGS Volcano Hazards Program: Videos and Short Movie Clips of Kīlauea
Fissure 8 view from UAS provides critical geologic information

Kīlauea Summit UAS footage shows an ever growing Halema‘uma‘u Crater

May 27, 2018 - Follow the drone to safety, UAS mission in Kīlauea helps guide evacuations and rescued a local resident

DOI UAS PowerPoint Presentations and Podcasts

2019

August 22, 2019 - OAS Director Presentation to DHS CISA UAS Cyber Working Group

August 21, 2019 - OAS Director Presentation - with Speaker's Notes to 2019 AUVSI Defense Protection Security Conference

August 19, 2019 - OAS Director Presentation to District of Columbia Mayor's UAS Working Group

August 1, 2019 - Blog Talk Radio: DOI Drones: Guest Mark Bathrick, Director, Office of Aviation Services

May 13, 2019 - Optionally Piloted Helicopters - A Wildfire Game Changer - OAS Director Briefing to OAS Senior Leadership Team

2018

October 15, 2018 - OAS Richard Thurau's Imagine Nation Presentation at ELC:
DOI’s Drone Program for Incident Response; Volcanoes, Fires, Hurricanes and More!

September 26, 2018 - OAS Director Mark Bathrick's Keynote to 2018 New York State Geospatial Summit, Skaneateles Falls, NY:
Drones and the Democratization of the 3rd Dimension - Opportunities and Challenges for the Geospatial Community

July 12, 2018 - OAS Director Presentation to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction
"Drones for Good," The Game-Changing Promise for Wildland Fire

April 26, 2018 - OAS Director Mark Bathrick's Presentation at NextGov - Technology as a Force for Change:
“Drones for Good” A Government Technology Success Story & A Roadmap for Success
Proven Template for Success - DOI OAS Playbook for UAS Program

April 2018 - OAS Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Testing – Emergency Equipment Delivery

February 8, 2018 - AUVSI Defense Protection Safety Conference Presentation: DOI Drones for Good (with speaker's notes)

2016

Four Must-Have Competencies for Commercial UAV Success

DOI UAS Reports, Information Bulletins, Guides & Policy Document Releases

2023

February 17, 2023 - Department of the Interior / USDA Forest Service Fiscal Year 2022 Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Interactive Program Report

2021

February 1, 2021 - U.S. Department of the Interior Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program 2020 Use Report

January 20, 2021 - DOI UAS Fleet Inventory

2020

December 10, 2020 - Updated - UAS Waiver and Reporting Form Instructions

December 10, 2020 - Updated - UAS Emergency Readiness Waiver Form

December 10, 2020 - Updated - UAS Emergency Ops Reporting Form

October 15, 2020 - Interagency Aviation Safety Alert 21-01​ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) DJI M600 Mishaps

October 6, 2020 - Important Update on Secretary's Order 3379 and Blue Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems

May 21, 2020 - DOI "Designated UAS" Assessment Guide

May 08, 2020 - Memorandum: "Designated UAS" under Secretary's Order 3379

March 24, 2020 -   US Department of the Interior Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program 2019 Use Report

February 14, 2020 - Implementation Guidance on Secretary's Order 3379

January 10, 2020 - DOI Fleet Aircraft FY19 Flight Hours by Mission Code

2019

November 27, 2019 - DOI UAS Payload Requirements

November 19, 2019 - BLM UAS 2019 - Unmanned Aircraft System Operations by the Bureau of Land Management for Training, Natural Resources, and Wildland Fire, in Fiscal Year 2019

November 18, 2019 - FY2019 DOI UAS Flight Use Charts

November 8, 2019 - DOI Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Layered Data Management Assurance / Security Approach

November 8, 2019 - UAS Flight Use Report FY19 - Dept of the Interior - for FAA - Operator Names and locations removed

November 8, 2019 - UAS Flight Use Report FY18 - Dept of the Interior - for FAA - Operator Names and locations removed

November 6, 2019 - Comparison of Draft Army Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) UAS Specification with Representative Master UAS Requirements for the DOI

September 6, 2019 - Department of the Interior Unmanned Aircraft System Historical and Future Projected Flight Totals - 2010 - 2025

August 13, 2019 - DOI Drone vs Services Procurement Decision Guide

August 2, 2019 - Skid Fire UAS Flight and Data Collection Summary

August 2, 2019 - Roberts Fire UAS Flight and Data Collection Summary

July 25, 2019 - U.S. Department of the Interior Small UAS Selection and Acquisition Process

July 19, 2019 - Key Messages and FAQ's - OAS UAS Data Management Assurance Flight Test and Technical Evaluation Report

March 29, 2019 - DOI Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program - 2018 Use Report

March 21, 2019 - Interagency Strategic Framework for Drone Incursion on Wildfires Including 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 Results

March 19, 2019 - OAS Information Paper - Previous UAS Work and Accomplishments Related to Section 1114 - Wildfire Technology Modernization of the John D Dingell Jr, Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act

March 18, 2019 - DOI Supported UAS Use on Wildland Fire (2019 Projected) (Updated 03/27/2019)

March 15, 2019 - Master UAS Requirements for the DOI

February 19, 2019 - DOI UAS Best Practices for Responsible Operations

2018

November 19, 2018 - BLM: UAS Cultural Resource Summary 2014-2017

November 09, 2018 - DOI UAS Field Report - Henry Smith Site, Montana

October 14, 2018 - DOI OAS UAS Briefing Paper - Positive Impacts of DOI's Expanded VLOS - EVLOS - BVLOS Authorities

September 19, 2018 - DOI OAS UAS Briefing Paper - Call-When-Needed UAS Contract Usage Update

August 31, 2018 - DOI OAS UAS Briefing Paper - August 2018 Update on Current OAS UAS Support for Wildland Fire

August 6, 2018 - DOI UAS Background Information Paper - Optionally Piloted Helicopters - A Primer On A Potentially Game-Changing Technology That Promises To Save Lives, Property, And Money In Wildland Fire

August 6, 2018 - DOI OAS UAS Briefing Paper - Aerial Ignition UAS and Payload Development

August 6, 2018 - DOI OAS UAS Briefing Paper - Aerial Ignition OT&E Field Report

August 3, 2018 - OAS Briefing Paper - Drone Incursions on Wildfires - Key Messages - July 2018 Update

July 31, 2018 - DOI UAS Concept Paper - In Your Hand and On Demand – A concept for enhanced awareness, effectiveness, & safety

April 29, 2018 - OAS Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Testing - Emergency Equipment Delivery

April 10, 2018 - DAS PRE OAS Information Paper - The Problems with Predators for DOI

April 5, 2018 - Searchable DOI UAS Imagery Data Note: (Select "UAS" under the "dataset" tab for UAS imagery results)

April 5, 2018 - DOI UAS Data Research

April 5, 2018 - USGS UAS Publications

April 5, 2018 - USGS UAS Poster Gallery

2017

August 8, 2017 - Information Bulletin 17-01 Unstable flight and loss of GPS caused by having 3DR Solo App running while also having Tower and/or Mission Planner running during flight.

July 12, 2017 - DOI UAS Report - Relationship of Fire Discovery Times on the Timeliness of Aerial Firefighting Support

July 2017 - Interagency Fire Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Guide

May 25, 2017 - Irwin GeoPlatform Service User Guide V1.0

2016

March 19, 2016 - Homestead National Monument Aerial Ignition UAS Test Results

FAA News & Updates

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