The WWVi Model UAV Lab

Music: Zep!
Pilot notes:
Timecode is mission time.
~5:30 into the mission: a strong downdraft turns my low battery decent into a powerful quadcopter trampoline jump. Thank godness for the landing gear/ pontoon rig. my first indicator of the chaotic nature of the winds near a wildfire, even in its infancy.

~15:20 into the mission: Downdrafting, updrafting, and winds in all directions impede shooting, the quad is thrown around like a plastic bag in the wind.

~16:30 into the mission: A flare up, begins intensifying the fire on the east (Right) side of the area.

~20:48 into the mission: The left side nears full intensity.
~21:20 into the mission: Last battery change before things go full tilt.
~22:00 into the mission: Both sides of the fire, begin to come together and the blaze intensifies into a wall of fire.
~22:25 into the mission: I fly ARDi into the smoke column of the fire, and a wild ride into flying debris begins
~23:00 into the mission: wind shifts, and smoke column and firey debris rains down on the crew and ARDi - hot debris, sticks to the lens
~23:20 into the mission: both fires join, and ARDi is pummeled with debirs, I bring it down to about 10 feet and fly under the smoke and get a peek at the main fire.
~25:30 into the mission: A small rabbit, escapes the blaze to safety, I follow its path with ARDi

For more on Project FireEye or Wildfire information for the Northwest Territories in Canada, visit http://www.nwtfire.com