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Civil Air Patrol Collects Photo Data for School of Mines Researchers

October 26, 2024

South Dakota Wing, Civil Air Patrol, has completed a major drone photography data collection project for researchers at the Center for Sustainable Solutions at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City funded by the US Bureau of Land Management.

CAP’s effort collected and processed over 786,000 multispectral images mapped across 8,125 acres (13 square miles) along Middle Creek, a tributary of the Belle Fourche River. The Center’s scientists aim to understand the consequences of historical bentonite mining that has left much of the region with reduced vegetation and to explore the feasibility of restoration of the area.

“CAP’s drone capabilities are better than what we have readily available for research,” said Lisa Kunza, director of the School of Mines Center for Sustainable Solutions. “The multispectral imagery is crucial to our understanding of the study area. The CAP personnel were knowledgeable and professional helping aid in the project completion, prompt, and fun to work with.”

(The comparison images show the value of the CAP drone photography for the Center for Sustainable Solutions. The top image, from a CAP drone this year, has a resolution of 13 cm per pixel.  The bottom image, from previous USDA photography, has a resolution of 50 cm per pixel. Both use infrared false color to show healthy vegetation as red, dead vegetation as darker tan, and bare ground as blue.)

For the data collection photography, South Dakota Wing used a WingtraOne Gen II fixed-wing drone with a multispectral camera. The Swiss-made uncrewed aerial system (UAS) takes off vertically and maps pre-programmed routes. The effort required 100 individual drone flights flying 64.5 hours over 20 days spanning 4 months, with two or more CAP flight crew members each day. Six UAS mission pilots were used on the project, including one from the Wisconsin Wing. Wind, rain, and clouds hampered the project, delaying its completion on many occasions.

For the data collection photography, South Dakota Wing used a WingtraOne Gen II fixed-wing drone with a multispectral camera. The Swiss-made uncrewed aerial system (UAS) takes off vertically and maps pre-programmed routes. The effort required 100 individual drone flights flying 64.5 hours over 20 days spanning 4 months, with two or more CAP flight crew members each day. Six UAS mission pilots were used on the project, including one from the Wisconsin Wing. Wind, rain, and clouds hampered the project, delaying its completion on many occasions.

“The other strength of working with CAP is the shared opportunity for education and outreach in the Black Hills,” said Patrick Kozak, research scientist for the Center for Sustainable Solutions, overseeing the bentonite reclamation project, including drone data collection. “The Center for Sustainable Solutions gets to show the positive work that CAP brings to the stakeholders on the science of our current projects. In addition, it allows for joint outreach between CAP and the Center for Sustainable Solutions, demonstrating the benefits of CAP and STEM to K-12 education regionally and nationally.”

CAP is the civilian auxiliary of the Air Force. In addition to directly supporting non-combatant Air Force missions, CAP has responsibilities that are part of the USAF’s support to civil authorities. The School of Mines mission was conducted in accordance with CAP’s Memorandum of Understanding with the State of South Dakota. The research is funded under the US Bureau of Land Management grant.

“South Dakota Wing has always been in the forefront of the small uncrewed aerial system program in Civil Air Patrol,” said Col. Mike Beason, CAP’s project officer for the School of Mines mission and a UAS instructor at CAP’s National Emergency Services Academy (NESA). “We usually think of our drone program as supporting damage assessment or search and rescue missions, but we are pleased to demonstrate the flexibility of our technology in this environmental research.”

CAP and the Center for Sustainable Solutions at the School of Mines plan another round of drone-based multispectral photo data collection in 2025 to continue documenting the Middle Creek area over time, Beason said.

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