1724 NE 2 nd St | Gainesville, FL 32609 | 855.325.8284 www. altavian.com



# Nova F6500

Operator Manual

EXPORT CONTROL WARNING This document contains technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C. Sec 2751 et seq.), through the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. 120

- 130. It may not be transferred by any means to a foreign person, whether in the United States or abroad, either in its original form or afte r being incorporated into other documents, without prior written approval from the US Department of State.
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION This document contains proprietary and confidential information. Disclosure to third parties or r eproduction in part or in whole, is strictly prohibited.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. This Page Intentionally Left BlankAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 

# Table of Contents

1. General Information

................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 1

- 1
Revision History

................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 1

- 1 Safety Signal Words

................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 1

- 1

Roles & Responsibilities

................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 1

- 2



### 2. Nova System Description

................................ ................................ ................................ 2

- 3
Specifications & Limitations

................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 2

- 3 Aircraft Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 2

- 3

Aircraft Limitations

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 2

- 3

Weather

- specific Limitations

................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 2

- 4 Propulsion

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2

- 4 Battery Charging, Storage & Safety

................................ ................................ ................................ ... 2

- 4 Lithium Polymer Performance

................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 2

- 5 Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) Technology

................................ ................................ ................... 2

- 5 Motor Safety

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 2

- 5 Propeller Choice

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2

- 6 Nova Airframe, Avionics & Payloads

................................ ................................ ............................ 2

- 6

Ground Control Stations

................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 2

- 10

Nova GC25

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 2

- 10 Mechanical Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 2

- 10 Electrical Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 2

- 10 Datalink Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 2

- 10

GC S Power Specifications

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 2

- 13

Nova GC20

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 2

- 13 Description & Components

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 2

- 13 Safety

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 2

- 14 Flight Control Softw are

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 2

- 15 Virtual Cockpit

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2

- 15 NOVA control Interface (NCI)

................................ ................................ ................................ ........... 2

- 16



### 3. Pre

- deployment Process

................................ ................................ ................................ . 3

- 1
Site Analysis

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 3

- 1

Weather Condit ions

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 3

- 1

Terrain

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 3

- 2 Map Cacheing

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3

- 3

Aviation Sectional Review

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 3

- 3 COA Boundary

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 3

- 3 Flight Operations Form

................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 3

- 4

First Aid

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3

- 4



### 4. Pre

- Flight

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 4

- 1
Nova Assembly

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 4

- 1 Center of Gravity

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 4

- 5 NCI Mission Manager

................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 4

- 5

DDL Comms

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 4

- 9 Establishing Conne ctions

................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 4

- 9 Troubleshooting & Extra Information

................................ ................................ ................................ 4

- 9Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. Low Comm Strength

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 4

- 11 Avionics Preflight

................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 4

- 12 Controls Preflight

................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 4

- 14



### 5. Norma l Operations

................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 5

- 1
Launch procedures

................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 5

- 1 Flight Monitoring

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 5

- 4
Recovery

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 5

- 5 Autonomous Landing

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 5

- 5 Manual Landing

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 5

- 8 Using the Gamepad: Manual and Altitude Mode

................................ ................................ .......... 5

- 8

Manual Mode

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 5

- 8 Gamepad Manual Landing

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 5

- 9

Altitude M ode

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5

- 9



### 6. Post

- Flight Process

................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 6

- 1

Post

- Flight Checks

................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 6

- 1

Mechanic al check

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 6

- 1

Bench check

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 6

- 1



### 7. GCS Software

................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 7

- 1
Virtual Cockpit

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 7

- 1 Mode Support

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 7

- 2 Moving Map Interface

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 7

- 4 Heads Up Display (HUD)

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 7

- 5

DDL Communication

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7

- 8 Low Comm Strength

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 7

- 9

Static IP Addresses

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7

- 10 Switching Payloads

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 7

- 11



### 8. Planning Considerations

................................ ................................ ................................ . 8

- 1

Terrain

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 8

- 1 Other Operations

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................... 8

- 1 Contingency Plans:

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 8

- 2 Basic Mission Planning:

................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 8

- 2

Mission:

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 8

- 2
Mission Types:

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 8

- 2

Other Considerations:

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 8

- 4

Site Selection

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 8

- 4



### 9. Emergency Procedures

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 9

- 1

Power Loss

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 9

- 1

Loss of Communic ations

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 9

- 1

Loss of GPS

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 9

- 3

Loss of Video Link

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 9

- 4 Airspace Incursion from another Aircraft

................................ ................................ ......................... 9

- 4 Down Air Vehicle Recovery

................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 9

- 5

Soft ware Crash

................................ ................................ ................................ ............................ 9

- 5



### 10. Troubleshooting & Maintenance

................................ ................................ ................. 10

- 1 Field / Depot level repairs

................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 10

- 1Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. Field Repair Kit (FRK)

................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 10

- 1
Spare Parts

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 10

- 1 Airframe inspection and maintenance

................................ ................................ ....................... 10

- 1 Propeller inspection

-
................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 10

- 1

Aile ron inspection

-
................................ ................................ ................................ ........................... 10

- 1

Anti

- rotation pin

-
................................ ................................ ................................ ............................. 10

- 2 Skegs

-
................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 10

- 2 Payload window

-
................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 10

- 2 Message Wi ndow Key

................................ ................................ ................................ ............... 10

- 2

ESC Error Codes

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 10

- 4 Phoenix Edge ESC error codes:

................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 10

- 4



### 11. Airspace Management

................................ ................................ ................................ 11

- 1
Regulatory Airspace

................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 11

- 1

Class G Weather Limitations:

................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 11

- 2 COA (Certificate of Authorization)

................................ ................................ ................................ ... 11

- 3 MOA (Military Operations Area)

................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 11

- 3Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 1

- 1 

# 1. General Information

Revision History

Change Date Status Author

Initial Version 1/30 /2013 Complete Kevin Choate

Restructure & VC3 3/6/2014 Complete Ryan MacNeille DDL/Class G/Safety 8/22/2014 Complete Ryan MacNeille GCS Networking 10/30/2014 Complete Ryan MacNeille Inoperable Parts 12/11/2014 Complete Ryan MacNeille

Change Index



### Safety Signal Words

These signal words denote levels of hazard seriousness. These signal words are used throughout this document to emphasize critical information. Read and follow these statements to ensure personnel safety and prevent product damage.

Warning A proced ure, practice or condition that may result in injury or death if not carefully observed or followed

Caution A procedu re, practice, or condition that may damage equipment if not carefully observed or followed

Note A procedu re, practice, or condition that is essential to emphasizeAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 1

- 2 

### Acronyms

Acronym Definition

ACP Airspace Control Plan

AGL Above Ground Level

AO Area of Operations

AOI Area of Interest

AV Air Vehicle

COA Certificate of Authorization

DDL Digital Data Link

DEM Digital Elevation M odel

DTED Digital Terrain Elevation Data

EO Electro

- Optical

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FL Flight Level

FRK Field Repair Kit

GCS Ground Control Station

GPS Global Position System

IFR Instrument Flight Rules

IP Internet Protocol

ISRT Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, & Tracking

IR Infrared

Li

- Ion Lithium Ion

LOL Loss of Link

LOS Line of Sight

METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report

MGRS Military Grid Reference Syste m MOA Military Operations Area

MSL Mean Sea Level

NAV Navigation

NCI Nova Control Interface

PIC Pilot In Command

RF Radio Frequency

ROA Restricted Operating Area

RSSI Received Signal Strength Indication

TAF Terminal Aerodrome Forecast

TtT Time to Target

VC Virtual Cockpit

VFR Visual Flight RulesAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 1

- 2 

### Roles & Responsibilities

The Flight Team consists of a GCS Operator/PIC and an Observer. Each member of the flight team is responsible for certain aspects in order for a mission to be successful, starting from Pre Mission Planning

- finishing at Post Flight.

GCS Operator/PIC

Pre Mission Planning

- The GCS Operator is responsible for site analysis, ensuring weather conditions are with in standard operating limitations, ensuring maps have been cached for the AOI, mission will be will be with in FAA regulations, and a flight plan has been created and saved.

Pre Flight

- GCS Operator conducts all GCS related preflight procedures.

In Flight

- It is the GCS Operators responsibility to monitor comms & GPS status, adjusting mission parameters as necessary, and flight characteristics of the AV

, including launch and land.

Observer

Pre Mission P lanning

- The Observer is responsible for completing the Flight Operations Form.

Pre Flight

- Observer conducts all AV related preflight procedures.

In Flight

- Observer maintains “eyes on” the AV whenever possible as well as in air traffic entering the A OI. The Observer also handles all gamepad inputs for in flight operations as well as landing.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 3 

# 2. Nova System Description

The Nova Block III is a Tier II AV capable of 90 minutes endurance while keeping one of

severa l sensor options over a t arget. The system can support high de finition mapping, multispectral and gimbaled IR/EO payloads. Useful operational capabilities of this

aircraft include:

 Aerial Mapping

 Geo

- referenced imagery

 Target acquisition and following

 Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, & Tracking (ISRT)

 Security

 Force Protection

 Damage Assessment



### Specifications & Limitations

Aircraft Specifications

 Length: (1.6 m) 65”

 Wingspan: (2.7 m) 108”

 Empty Weight: 8.4lbs (3.8 kg)

 Max Payload Weight : 2.9 lbs (1.3 kg)

 Max Takeoff Weight: 14.8 lbs (6.7 kg)

 Power: LiPo 22.2V nominal

 Land ing Gear Type: Reinforced Skegs

 Launch Method: Hand Launch

 Navigation: GPS

 Endurance: 90m in.

 C2 Frequency: 902

- 928MHz

 Video Frequency: 2.4GHz

 DDL Frequency (if installed): 2.4 GHz

 Range: 15 Km (9.3 mi les) beyond line of sight

 Cruise Speed: 1 5.4 m/s (30 kts)

Aircraft Limitations

 Operational Temps:

- 20 oC (

- 4oF) to 60oC (140oF)

 Dash Speed: 25m/s (48 kts)

 Stall Speed: 11m/s (21 kts)

 Battery Low: 17.8V (As Indicated)

 Roll: 30 °

 Pitch Up: 30°

 Pitch Down:

- 15°

 Altitude Ceiling: 3048 m( 10,000 FT ) MSL

 GPS: Min 4 SatsAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 4 Weather

- specific Limitations

 Precipitation: Light rain

 Winds: 10m/s

– Gusting 13m/s (19.4 kts Gusting 25.2kts)

 Landing Cross Winds: 5m/s (9.7 kts)

 Landing Tail Winds: 0m/s (0 kts)

 Launching Tail Winds: 0m/s (0 kts)

 Launching Cross Winds: 0m/s (0 kts)

Caution Failure to follow the above specifications can cause loss or damage to

AV.



### Propulsion

Battery Charging, Storage & Safety

 Lithium Polymer battery packs can be volatile if not used properly.

 Always u se a charger that is designed specifically for charging Lithium Polymer

batteries.

 Always ensure proper charger configuration for voltage or cell count and

current.

 Batteries sho uld be charged and stored in a fire

- safe container.

 Never charge near flammable materials.

 An ABC (Monoammonium Phosphate) fire extinguisher should be kept nearby at all

times.

 Never charge or store batteries inside an automobile.

 N ever leave batteries un attended while charging.

 New battery packs will arrive approximately half charged. Ensure all battery packs are fully charged before the ir first use.

 When connecting a battery pack to a charger, take care to observe the correct polarity and always connect the balance connector.

 Make sure to set the charger to the correct settings for voltage or cell count and

current.

 The charger should be set to the correct voltage or cell count, indicated on the battery pack label. For example: Charge a 22.2V (6S) batt ery pack at 22.2V or

6S.

 The charge rate should not exceed 1C (one times the capacity of the battery). For example: Charge an 11,000mAH battery at or below 11Amps.

 Battery packs must be stored at 3.8V/cell to 3.9V/cell (approximately 50% charge).

 Battery packs should be stored at room temperature between 40 and 70 degrees F for best results.

 Battery packs should NEVER exceed 140F temperature.

 Do not discharge battery packs below 3V/cell under load.

 Allow battery packs to cool to ambient temperature before re

- charging.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 5 Warning Battery packs may be damaged if they are involved in a crash,

b ecome punctured, start to swell or become puffy. If this occurs, the pack should be set aside i n a safe area , clear from any personnel or

flammable material

.

Warning Failure to comply with these safety instructions may result in fire, personal injury and or damage to property.

Damaged batteries should be placed in a non

- metallic container to soak in salt water. Once safety has been confirmed, dispose of through local hazardous waste facility.

Lithium Polymer Performance

The Nova battery pack should:

 Show 25.2V fully charged.

 N ever be discharged below 18V.

 B e stored at 22.8V to 23.4V (approximately 50% charge).

Cold Weather performance Low temperatures can affect bat tery pack performance and duration. It is recommended that battery packs be stored at room temperature between 40 to 70 ° F for maximum performance.

Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) Technology When the AV is first powered on, operators should hear initiali zation tones, followed by a number of beeps that represent the battery cell count. After the final i nitialization
tones, the servos and autopilot should power o n after approximately 5 seconds. I f not, immediately disconnect the battery and inspect for pot ential problems.

 Phoenix Edge ESC error codes.

•

- Low voltage cutoff

•

- • Over temperature

•

- - Excessive load

• • Start fail

• •

- Radio glitch

••• Motor anomaly

- • Over

- current

- • • Auxiliary Wire Radio Glitch

Motor Safety

 Operators should always vocalize mode changes and ensure that the prop is clear before throttling up.

 When testing the throttle, all objects and personnel should remain clear of the front and sides of the prop.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 6 Warning All personell must maintain a safe distance f rom the propeller when any electrical power is supplied.

Propeller Choice

 A 15x13 ” prop i s the standard design and sho uld be used in normal operations.

 A 17x13 ” prop p rovides more thrust for takeoff but will decrease efficiency.

o C an be useful for low wind conditions during launch.

o C an be useful when training an inexperienced operator how to throw the

AV.



### Nova Airframe, Avionics & Payloads

F uselage 65’’ in length. Main structural piece. Contains propulsion

system, payload bay and avionics.

Wing C enter

S ection Center section mounts to the Fuselage with three bolts.

Actuator Arms installed on both sides of the section

, attach to servos mounted in the wing section. These arms engage the ailerons when Wing Tips are fitted. P itot tube installed on right

hand side.

Right and

Left W ing

T ips Mount to the Wing Center Section via Joiner Tubes. Hinged

ailerons for roll control engage the actuator arms protruding
from each end of the Center Section.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 7 Avionics Autopilot:

– Lockheed Martin /Procerus Kestrel system

– 12 Channel, 5hz GPS

– 6

- DOF Inertial Measurement Unit

– Barometric Altitude Sensor

– Dynamic, Differential Airspeed Sensor

Datalink:

– 902

- 928 MHz FHSS (License

- Free ISM Band)

or

– 2.4GHz Digital Data Link (DDL)

– 100mW

- 1W (20

- 30dBm) Output Power

– FCC Part 15.247

Left and

R ight V

- tail Mount to the Fuselage tail section via electrical quick

disconnects and retaining bolts. Each side contains one servo

to actuate “Rudder v ators” which act as combined rudders and elevators for pitch and yaw control.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 8 Electric Propulsion System 1000 Watt electric motor , a 100A ESC and a 15X13 or 17X13”

folding propeller.

Battery One 22.2V (nominal), 11Ah Lithium/Polymer rechargeable

battery pack :Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 9 MP32

Metric Mapping Payload A high

- resolution, directly geo

- referenced imaging system

designed to provide data for the generation of orthorectified mosaics and Digit al Elevation Models (DEMs).

MP21

Standard Mapping Payload 

### Mapping payload which integrates a professional

- grade

CanonTM camera with high

- quality optics and an advanced direct georeferencing system.

VP23 Perceptor Payload • Gimbal Mounted EO/ IR

– The small, lightweight, dual sensor

gimbal provides high precision pointing accuracies using onboard EO and IR imagers with an optional laser

illuminator.

• 360 degree, continuous rot ation

• Gyro

- stabilized

• HD 720p digital video, 10 MP high

- resolution stills

• 640x480 long wave infrared (IR) imager

• 300 mW laser illuminator (LI), available at 400

- 2000 nmAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 10 

### Ground Control Station s

Nova GC25

Mechanical Specifications

 Dimensions: 1000x420x170mm (39 x 16.5 x 6.9) in

 Weight: 18kg ( 40lbs. )

 Ops temperature:

- 20 to +70°C

 IP66 When Closed

 Integral Wiring, Cables, and Antennas

Electrical Specifications

 DC input: 10

- 32 VDC

 Battery type: Lithium

- Ion Rechargable

 Battery Capacity: 108 Watt/hrs

 Battery Operation Time: 2 Hours

 Connections: 2 serial (RS

- 232), 2 USB, 2 Ethernet, 1 Composite Video in, 1 Microphone in, 1 Audio out, PCMCIA slot, HDMI

 Two 12 V, 5A DC outputs

Datalink Specifications

 902

- 928 MHz FHSS (License

- Free ISM Band)

or

 2.4 GHz DDL

 100mW

- 1W (20

- 30dBm) Output Power

 FCC Part 15.247

 DD1494 AvailableAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 11 Ground control station uses two COTS Lithium

- Ion MAKITA BL1830 batteries. Use only original 18V BL1830 MAKITA batteries. To remove the battery p ush the release button as shown below and pull the battery cartridge away from the mount. The battery cartridges and external power supply can be removed or connected any time during normal operation

- the power system automatically controls power source s election. The external power is a priority source.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 12  The GCS includes a standard MAKITA charger
for the BL1830 batteries.

 Charging time for one battery is approximately 30 minutes.

 Both 240 VAC and 110 V AC charger versions

are available.

Before installing the Toughbook, ensure that protection lid on the back side is opened. Install the Toughbook into the docking station as shown. Once the Toughbook is located in the docking station, the docking lever needs to be engaged by pushing the leve r to the left, toward the “dock” position. To remove the Toughbook from the GCS, first disengage the docking lever and then remove the Toughbook.

The optional foldable stand is available for the GCS. Place the

GCS on the top of the stand as shown above.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 13 GCS Power Specifications



### Nova GC20

Description & Components

The Nova GC20 is a streamlined, easy

- to

- operate system with all necessary features needed for any mission.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 14 T he GC20 includes a GCS computer, as well as a DDL receiver and Gamepad for

communications and control. The GCS is p owered off of the same 6S LiPo bat tery used
in the Nova F6500, through a power distribution box

The GC20 stands on a survey tripod, mounted to the bottom

- center of the GCS. When attaching the GCS, first retract the tripod legs and tighten the locks. Seat the tripod legs firmly onto a flat surface to avoid disruptions from wind or other obstructions.

Center the GCS over the tripod and align the tripod bolt with the nut on t he GCS. Use the bolt grip to firmly tighten the GCS until there is no wobble or excess movement.

Caution Failure to properly assemble the GCS can cause numerous hazards to

a mission and/or equipment. Always ensure the GCS is stable before

each mission.

Safety

Pay attention to battery discharge when charging the GCS battery

- be careful not to over discharge.

The DDL Receiver (Commbox) is connected to the GCS computer with an RJ

- 45 Ethernet cable and is powered from the same power distribution box. The cables that

run to

- and

- from these devices should always be kept clear of the edges of the case when closing. Always inspect these cables for pinches or tears before each mission.

Caution Damage to these GCS cables c an cause a loss of communications

– pot entially causing loss or damage to the AV.

The DDL receiver uses a swivel dipole antenna which should be tightly fitted and raised vertically before use.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 15 

### Flight Control Software
The operator can work intuitively with the aircraft and its payload while airborne using Virtual Cockpit and (NCI) Nova C ontrol Interface.

Virtual Cockpit Virtual cockpit is the software control interface for the Kestrel Autopilot System.

Note A complete user guide for Virtual Cockpit can be accessed on the USB

drive provided with the NOVA system.

Virtual Cockpit 3.0 is a Windows

- based ground control software system for the Kestrel autopilot system. Virtual Cockpit allows the operator to configure, monitor, and issue commands to the autopilot a nd Commbox, upload flight plans and change waypoints,

all while the AV is i n the air.

The Ground Control System is capable of self

- position reporting through an integrated Garmin 18xLVC GPS receiver which communicates through the Commbox. This information is then relayed to the GSL to be reported on VC.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 2

- 16 NOVA control Interfac e (NCI)
NCI serves three main functions ; preflight process manager , payload manager and flight system monitor. When the preflight process is correctly followed

, the flight team is ensuring they’ve covered all necessary steps to prevent a failed launch.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 3

- 1 

# 3. Pre

- deployment Process

A very important part of successful planning involves identifying any and all threats to the operation’s safe, successful outcome. While some threats are not always expected, many can be avoided or planned for.



### Site Analysis
Once the mission location has been established, use Google Earth to survey the Area of Interest ( AOI ) to plan for obstructions, high terrain and to select the best possible takeoff and landing locations in relation to the nearest airport. Ensure to plan your mission beyond five miles of an airport, this includes actual flight as well as takeoff and landi ng.

Weather Conditions Weather should be constantly monitored by the AV flight team before and during each

mission . In order to have up to date weather conditions, the flight team should have a general knowledge and decoding capability of local TAFs & MET ARs. For a real time local TAF & METAR, refer to the following website:

http://aviationweather.gov/adds/tafs/

TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)

- A concise statement of the expected meteorological

con ditions at an airport during a specified period (usually 24 hours). Each ICAO state may modify the code as needed.

METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report)

- An aviation routine weather report issued at hourly

or half

- hourly intervals. It is a description o f the meteorological elements observed at an airport at a specific time.

Caution Operating outside of weather condition parameters ca n cause damage

to the Nova AV.

Wind

– Operation in high winds that may exceed the performance of the AV could result in failed launches, departure from controlled flight, and even aircraft loss. Cross wind landing operations need to be avoided if possible. Always obtain a wind forecast for

the AOI prior to planning a mission.

Temperature Extremes

– Electric powered aircraft such as the Nova are typically powered by Lithium

- Polymer batteri es, which when operated below 40 ° F experience drastic voltage drops . Operators should always keep batteri es stored between 40 and 70 degrees F . Once airborne, the battery will keep itself warm as it’s discharged.

When operating in very high temperatures, AV performance may be limited by the reduced density of the ambient air, especially at higher altitude r egions . In hot temperatures, electronics can also be affected, such as radio transmitters and rate

gyros.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 3

- 2 Humidity

– Operations in areas of high humid ity can affect sensors, imagers and

electronics. When taking system components out of cool, dry environme nts, allow the components to warm up naturally to ambient temperature and the condensation to evaporate from all surfaces and from within electronics prior to powering up the system. Exterior surfaces of the AV can be wiped down with a cloth in case of hea vy condensation accumulation.

Precipitation

– Rain, snow, sleet, and mist have an adverse effect on AV performance.

T he Nova is rated to fly in light rain; it is advised to land the system when precipitation is occurring. Precipitation can also ruin the i mage on most sensors lenses, rendering the video or other imagery useless . M ist and fog can obstruct a clear view of the target

area from the mission altitude and render the mission useless.

Sleet and freezing rain can be catastrophic to AV operations. Th e rapid accumulation of ice on the wing and stabilizer edges, antennas and propeller blades is a real threat. The weight of ice accumulation can adversely affect the center of gravity and even

over

- load the AV in flight. Disruption of laminar airflow over the wings and across the stabilizers can be severely affected, resulting in loss of lift, departure from controlled flight and crash. It is not recommended to fly the Nova in rain, snow, sleet or freezing

rain for extended amounts of time.

Cloud Ceiling

– Low altitude clouds can obstruct the AVs view of the AOI and the operator’s view of the AV. TAF & METAR can give an accurate prediction of the cloud ceiling before the mission.

Terrain

Mountains

– Rough, mountainous terrain operations require careful pla nning and attention to detail. In many cases, the AV will be operating at various altitudes in relation to the ground and the GCS. Loss

- of

- Link (LOL) is a real threat to operations as the AV can be inadvertently flown behind hills or mountain ridges that b lock Line of Sight of AV. Wind patterns in and around peaks and valleys can cause severe turbulence that often exceeds the performance capabilities of the craft and cause loss of the AV or terrain impact. Operators should monitor AV performance during thes e conditions.

Careful map study and planning of waypoints is crucial to successful rough terrain operations. Operators must account for ground elevation at every waypoint, as well as along flight paths between waypoints. Also, if LOL could occur, conservative fail safe settings should be made to avoid the AV turning into rising terrain as it follows the LOL failsafe procedures. Care should always be taken to avoid putting terrain between the

AV and GCS.

Dense Foliage

– Operating ove r densely

- foliated areas such as jungle or woodlands presents a number of various threats to AV operations. First, LOL is more likely to occur due to the fact that foliage tends to absorb RF signals from radios. Communication range of the AV over open dese rt can be several miles, whereas the range of the same AV over dense jungle or swamp can be much less. Fewer choices for appropriateAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 3

- 3 launch and recovery sites are also a problem. Often, the launch must be made in the

direction of a line of trees and carefu l attention must be given to setup recovery points

to avoid obstacles.

Densely foliate areas of operation can also present fewer recovery options, should an

in

- flight issue develop with the AV. There are generally fewer acceptable emergency landing locations in these areas. Sometimes a small road or trail could be used to

suc cessfully land an AV in distress but the possibility of LOL during the emergency descent will likely resu lt in limited success.

Map Cacheing Maps collected through Virtual Cockpit on an internet connection are automatically cached into the program to be ac cessible off

- line. This capability limits the operator’s dependency on internet connections at the field.

- In Virtual Cockpit, use the Google Earth plugin to zoom into the Area of Interest. Each zoom level will be saved in the program once it is focused.

A viation Sectional Review It is important to have a general knowledge of the airspace (Ie. Class D, class C) in a nd

around the area of interest. Sectional reviews can also provide information on potential

obstructions such as towers or terrain.

COA Boundary Operators should b e familiar with the bo undaries of the Certificate of Authorization (COA) in which they are operating. These boundaries should include altitude and linear

limits for the area of interest.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 3

- 4 Flight Operations Form

Use this form as a pre

- deployment checklist to ensure that all necessary information is gathered and organized.

First Aid

A First Aid Kit is an essential requirement to any mission with a UAV. Unforeseen incidents

can always occur, regardle ss of operational preparation. T he PIC, Observer and any

other operational personnel onsite should always be diligent regarding personal and situational safety. As such, necessary first aid equipment should always be considered

for ea ch mission. As specific flight operations are considered, the PIC and Observer should always discuss the necessary equipment for any possible incident.

It is recommended that each member of the flight team be familiar with Cardiopulmonary Re suscitation and general First Aid as many operations are performed in remote locations, outside of easy access to emergency response teams.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 1 

# 4. Pre

- Flight

The NOVA system is designed to be operated by two people; the GCS operator /PIC (Pilot in Command) and Ob server

. The preflight process is executed within NCI.

Note During the preflight process

, the operator will control the actions of the GCS

interface while the observer will handle the AV and follow checklist instructions from the GCS operator



### Nova Assembly

P ayload Typically the payload is installed and stored in the fuselage. The

payload will connect to the avionics via a 25

- pin d

- sub connector as seen below.

Once fitted down flush to the fuselage the payload is fastened down

with six 6

- 32 thumb screws. E nsure that the fit is flush with the fuselage side gasket. Also make certain that every thumb screw is tightened down completely.

Caution In the event that the AV is landed on water this seal

will be very important in keeping electronics from

being damagedAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 2 V

- tail Left/ Right The male connector built into the v

- tail plugs into the fuselage female

connector. Be sure not to twist or turn the tail sect ion while installing. The
anti

- rotation pin fits into the fuselage where it is bolted from the opposite

side as shown below:

Battery The battery is plac ed into the battery compartment:

1. Set the battery into place on the Velcro where the fuselage is marked for a battery.

2. Verify that the prop is clear of any objects or personnel.

3. Power on the AV at this time by plugging in the battery. The AV

handler should remain clear of t he Propeller while doing this.

W arning Failure to stay clear of the prop at moment of ‘power on’ could result in injury.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 3 Main wing

section Attach main wings’ circular connector, pitot, and static lines to their

fuselage counterparts

Main Wing Connector Pitot / Static Connectors

Lay the wing down to the fuselage while ensuring the pitot and static lines are not pinched. Now bolt the wing to the fuselage

.

Note The most common scenario for a pinched pitot and static

line is during battery installation.

Caution Pinched lines will cause an error in airspeed, altitude or

possibly both. This can result in a downed AV.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 4 Wing tips Both wing tips a re installed in the same manner; slide the wing tip’s tube

in to the main wing section ’ s joiner tube hole. Before the wing tip is brought flush with the main wing section

, be sure t o align the anti

rotation pin on the wing tip to the anti

- rotation pin hole on the main wing section. At this same time

, the RDS pocket on the wing tip should be lined up to fit the RDS arm, on the main wing section.

Once fitted properly, tape the two sections of the wing to en sure their connection during flight operations.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 5 Center of Gravity The Nova’s center of gravity (CG) is located 3.625” back from the leading edge of the wing whi ch is marked on its underside near the sides of the fuselage. When the Nova is supported at its CG, it should rest with the top of the fuselage s traight and level (0 degrees). Any balance condition other than this (nose heavy or tail heavy) is unsuitable for stable flight and compone nts within the fuselage need to be shifted accordingly. The center of gravity can be set by either using a stand or by supporting the aircraft with your hands.

Note All Nov a AVs have a marker designating the craft’s center of gravity on the underside of the wing



### NCI Mission Manager

Opening

NCI /
Indicators The NCI icon is located on the desktop of the GCS

. NCI will

automatically connect to the payload and Virtual Cockpit. Once the payload has been turned on and Virtual Cockpit is open

, both Virtual Cockpit and Payload indicators sho uld turn blue as shown below.

Virtual Cockpit Indicator
Indicator representing the status of NCI’s co nnection with Virtual Cockpit.

Indicator Colors:

Grey : Connection not initialized

Brown : Not Connected

Blue: Connected

Payload Indicator
Indicator representing the status of NCI’s connection with the payload

Indicator Colors:

Grey : Disabled (Payload is not connected to Autopilot)

Brown : Not Connected

Yellow: Attempting to connect

Blue: ConnectedAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 6 Load ing a mission Open NCI and select the ‘New Mission’ button, create a name for the

mission and select Save

. Now select ‘Load Mission’ to open the new

mission file.

New Mission Button: Selecting this option will cause NCI to begin a new mission. If a mission has been loaded already when a new mission is created, the currently loaded mission will finalize its current flight and

then save itself.

Load Mission Button: Selecting this option will cause NCI to prompt for a

mission file.

New Flight Button: Selecting this option will begin a new flight with the

user

- entered flight name, operator and observ er. NCI then saves the

ent ered values . This button also starts the commbox checks and th e ground stat ion power check.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 7

Once this process is complete, NCI will enter the Mechanical Preflight

page:

On this page, select the AV’s corresponding parts from the drop

- down

lists , then select ‘Power On’. This will open the Avionics Preflight page.

- These drop down menus save the trim settings for each component.

Express Setup Button: Use this option to have NCI attempt to read the values from the components. If NCI cannot receive these values, it will generate generic, neutral values for each component for qu ick checks.

Abort Button: Clears any user settings and deletes the current flight.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 8 Open Serial

Port Virtual Cockpit will automatically open the last serial port used by

default. If not correct, select the right port from the Se tt ings tab under

“ Serial and XML Settings ”

VC agent

select The GCS operator may need to select the correct agent address. In

Virtual Cockpit

, select the Agents tab and select ‘ping agents’. This will give you the agent ID being broadcasted. Select the checkbox for the agent in ‘edit agent list’.

New agents can be added simply by typing the current agent number

under the Address column.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 9 

### DDL Comms

Establishing Connections

If using DDL communication between the GCS and AV, follow this procedure to

establish comms.

1. Apply power to the GCS to power on the DDL receiver. While establishing comms, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indi cation) lights on the DDL receiver will flash. (DDL modems generally take 40

- 45 seconds to boot).

2. Launch Virtual Cockpit on the GCS computer.

3. Apply power to the AV.

a. At this point, the AV will automatically begin establishing a connection

with the DDL receiver. Once the connection is established, all three RSSI lights will be solid.

4. In Virtual Cockpit, check the comm strength in the status window on the left of

the screen.

Troubleshooting & Extra Information

Network Connections

All GCS computers ar e preconfigured to automatically establish connections to the DDL receiver. There are two network connections on the GCS computer; the LAN (Ethernet) connection and a wireless connection. The LAN connection is configured
with a STATIC IP address that must be maintained to establish a connection with the

DDL receiver.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 10 Operators will need to use the wireless connection to cache maps (see the “Map Caching” section under Pre

- Deployment Process for more information). It is not recommended to change the LAN conn ection’s IP address.

Warning Changing IP addresses and establishing internet connections on the

GCS computer are not recommended as they yield the opportunity to gather malware and other unwanted software on the computer.

If a connection is not automatically established, refer to the following troubleshooting

checklist to determine the cause.

1. Ensure that the RJ45 Ethernet cable is connected between the computer and

receiver.

2. Check the GCS computer’s IP address.

a. The GCS computer should have a STA TIC IP address of 192.168.168.4

3. With the DDL receiver on, open a web browser and connect to http://192.168.168.2 (username: admin, password: admin). This will determine if the DDL receiver is running.

At the bottom of the receiver’s web page is a graphical signal indicator, showing the signal strength to the AV. If this indicator is not present, restart the DDL receiver and the AV to try again.

4. On the DDL re ceiver’s webpage, under the “Co mport” tab, verify the active

c onnection status and ensure that there are values for Transferred & Received Bytes. If there are no values, restart the AV.

Virtual Cockpit Comm & XML Settings

While in Virtual Cockpit, hit the F7 key on the keyboard to open the Global Settings window. Under the “Comm and XML Settings” option on the left menu are the preconfigured settings for DDL connection s to the AV. Ensure that the co mport under “Serial Connection Settings” is set to “Close”

– the “Close” option should be greyed out.

These s ettings should NOT be changed unless they do not match the preconfigured values. Refer to this screenshot to ensure that no settings have changed:Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 11 Low Comm Strength

If the comm strength is too low and the AV is close to the receiver, the Tx power and Wireless Distance values can be reconfigured; On the DDL receiver’s webpage, under the “Wireless” tab, select the “Radio” option:

Adjust the Tx Power to a higher value to increase the transmission. The Wireless Distance should be adjusted for the limi ts of the mission but should not surpass the physical limits

of the AV.

These adjustments must be made on both the GCS DDL receiver and the AV receiver.
Once a connection has been made to the GCS DDL receiver, the AV receiver can also

be accessed in the s ame way using the following address: http://192.168.168.1

Once these values have been adjusted and saved, the receivers will lose connection briefly while they restart. If the comm strength does not increase after they have restarted, power off t he AV and the GCS DDL receiver.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 12 Warning For any other issues with connections using a DDL, contact Altavian for

assistance. It is not recommended to troubleshoot without guid ance from an approved engineer.



### Avionics Preflight

Check
Mechanical NCI will prompt the following list of mechanical checks. These are

physical checks done by the observer on the AV.

1. Propeller leading edge and flat head screws

2. Payload hatch screws tightened

3. Wing bolts tightened

4. Avionics bolts tightened

5. T ail bolts tightened

6. Aileron load test

7. Tail load test

Once these checks have been verified by the observer, select ‘Yes’ to continue the Avionics Preflight list.

Check Zero

Pressure The observer will shield the pitot tube with their cupped hands without

coming in contact with the tube itself.

At this point, the GCS operator will select the ‘Check Zero Pressure’ button. The GCS operator will check Virtual Cockpit to ensure that airspeed reads 0m/s and altitude reads 0m/s.

Fail ures and solutions

 Pitot blocked

- Check for obstructions in the pitot tube

 Pitot pinched

- The pitot tubing can get pinched when the wing is placed onto the fuselage and fastened.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 13

 Zero pressure error

- There is a chance that the pitot was not

shielded properly by the AV handler. Shield the pitot per the

instruction and re

- zero the pressure.

If there is no blockage and no pinched tubes, check avionics for potential failure. Depot

- level maintenance will be required.

Check

Sensors The GCS operator will announce “sensor check” to instruct the observer

to stay clear of the AV for the check.

Check Trims Select ‘Check Trims’ to open the Trimming window

. At this point, the

observer will physically inspect neutral positions for all control surfaces. The GCS operator will move the slider s left or right accordingly until

neutral control surfaces are achieved.

Once all control surfaces have been set, select ‘Save to Current Wing/Tail’ to finish, then close the trimming window.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 14 Check

Attitude The GCS operator will request for the AV to be straight and level. The

observer will place the AV on a flat surface to simulate a straight and level flight position.

The GCS operator will verify in VC that the HUD is indicating straight and level flight, then select the ‘Check Attitude’ button.

Once the ‘Check Attitude’ button turns blue, select ‘continue’ to open the Controls Preflight page.



### Controls Preflight

Check Flight

Plan At this time, the GCS operator will either load a pre

- planned mission or

create a new mission in Virtual Cockpit.

Once the ‘Check Flight Plan’ option is selected, NCI will upload the

current mission in VC to the AV.

Typically, the AV team will have a pre

- arranged flight plan tailored for a specific site. The one variable w ill be the setup of the approach path for landing. Upon observing the landing site for obstacles, wind direction and sufficient landing area, the AV handler will be asked to “walk the

bread crumbs”.

Walking the bread crumbs

1. The GCS operator will make sure that the AV Trail is selected in map settings.

2. The AV handler will then walk out to the desired landing point. From there, walk 100 meters on the line you desire the AV to fly on final approach. Then walk that line back to the desired landing spot.

3. The GCS operator will use this line to setup the rally to land on the

map. The map created for the site won’t be as accurate as the bread crumbs.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 15

The flight plan selected must be within certain parameters. The final

land ing path should be no less than 400 meters and the break out altitude no less than 100 feet. The ‘Check Flight Plan’ tab will not pass if they are below these parametersAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 16

Recovery.fpf (Flight Plan)

In addition to the mission flight plan, a separate recovery flight plan is necessary so that the GCS operator has a simple, uncluttered view of the recovery.

An upwind abort point is needed in addition to Rally and Land. This .fpf file is loaded after the mapping mission.

Check

Failsafes The GCS operator will select the ‘Check Failsafes’ button to trigger NCI

to upload preloaded failsafes to the AV.

The GCS operator will then select the ‘FS’ button in VC’s PreFlight menu to open the Failsafe Window.

The failsafe window allo ws for reconfiguration of the autopilot failsafes. The autopilot has several failsafe behaviors. The behaviors are designed to prevent damage or loss of an aircraft due to in

- flight emergencies.

The GCS operator will use this window to verify that the included failsafes are configured properly. Use the following table for an understanding of

each failsafe:Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 17 F ailsafe Description

Loss of Comms during RC mode If the autopilot does not receive RC controller packets for the specified amount of time, the autopilot switches to Manual Mode (holding aircraft level, cruise throttle). If communications

are not re

- established, stage 2 kicks in and the aircraft flies to Home or Rally.

Loss of comms Fl ies the aircraft Home or to Rally if communications are lost in any mode.

No GPS lock Puts the aircraft in a shallow bank if GPS lock is lost in Nav Mode, Home Mode, Rally Mode, or Loiter Mode. All of these modes rely on GPS lock to navigate the aircraft. As such, if GPS lock is lost, the aircraft will “wander” and could potentially become lost. By putting the aircraft

in a shallow bank the distance the aircraft can wander is limited and the GPS is given the opportunity to re

- acquire lock. If GPS lock is n ot

re

- acquired the operator can program the autopilot to auto

- land. Low AV battery Flies the aircraft Home or to Rally when the aircraft battery reaches a certain threshold of time as configured by the operator. Critically low AV battery Shuts the propul sion motor off and lands the

aircraft at the current location. This failsafe is triggered if the battery drops below the critical battery voltage as configured by the operator.

Check Wiggle This test confirms that the control surfaces are defle cting in the correct

direction. Three deflections will be checked by the observer ; pitch up or

down

, yaw left or right and roll left or right

.

At this time, the GCS operator will select the ‘Check Wiggle’ button. A checklist window will appear for the following steps:

Pitch up or down While holding the wing’s leading edge in one hand and the fuselage in the other, the observer will p itch the nose up by pushing the tail down

and the ruddervators should compensate by deflecting down. The opposite o ccurs when you push the nose up as seen below.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 18

Yaw left or right Pushing the tail toward any direction will cause the ruddervator to compensate by moving in the same direction.

R oll left or right Rolling the AV to the left will cause the right aileron to compensate by moving up while the left aileron moves down. The opposite occurs when rolling the AV to the right.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 19

Once these checks have been verified, the GCS operator will select
‘Yes’ in the che cklist window to continue.

Check Spoilers The GCS operator will select the ‘Check Spoilers’ button once for each

spoilers setting; Low, Med and High. After selecting the button, the observer will verify that the ailerons are deflecting to the correct rates for each setting.

Check

Manual The manual check ensures that the control surfaces are moving

correctly with the g ame pad and that the game pad is functioning properly.

The GCS operator will select the ‘Check Manual’ button and Select

manual mode in the Virtual Cockpit window under ‘AV Modes’ as seen

below:Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 20

Gamepad The GCS operator will mani pulate the aileron control on the game pad

to ensure that the ailerons are moving in the correct direction. If the ‘stick’ is pushed left

, the control su rfaces should react in a roll left

manner. The opposite occurs when pushing the ‘stick’ right. Pushing Up and Down will not cause any movement in control surfaces but is required for the check to pass.

Check

Throttle The GCS operator will ask the obser ver: “is prop clear?”. T he observer will

inspect the surrounding area to ensure that there are no objects or personnel within range of the hazard area (see below)

.

Upon confirming that the prop is clear, the AV launcher will announce, “prop clear”. The GCS operator will select the ‘check throttle’ button and initiate takeoff in Virtual Cockpit. A 10 second countdown will be shown in VC, the GCS operator will verball y count down with this
indication. The throttle will rise to 100% at the end of this countdown. This should pass the check throttle test. The button will turn blue.

W arning Failure to stay clear of the prop during the entire

“Throttle Check” process could result in injury or death.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 4

- 21 Check Air

Data The GCS operator will ask the observer to shield the pitot tube. This is

done by creating a cup with your hand around the pitot tube without touching any part of it.

The GCS operator will select the ‘Check Air Data’ button while the tube

is shielded. The GCS operator will then verify in VC that the airspeed reads 0m/s. NCI will then display a “Detecting Airspeed” notification in the top left corner of the program. When this is displayed, t he GCS operator will announce “Ram Air”. At this time, the observer will blow into the pitot tube without coming into contact with the tube itself.

After the Ram Air check is complete, NCI will indicate in the top left corner: “Ready for Lift”. The observ er will then lift the AV above the head with an extended arm. The GCS operator will verify that VC reads an

altitude of 2m.

The GCS Operator will now select continue.

The AV is now ready for launch.

Failures and solutions

 Pitot blocked

- Check for obstructions in the pitot tube

 Pitot p inched

- The pitot tubing can get pinched when the wing is placed onto the fuselage and fastened.

 Zero pressure error

- There is a chance that the pitot was not shielded properly by the AV handler. Shield the pitot per the

instruction and re

- zero the pressure.

If there is no blockage and no pinched tubes, check avionics for potential failure. Depot

- level maintenance will be required.



### Inoperable Parts If at any time during the Pre

- Flight procedure, a component is deemed to be damaged, the PIC will mark the component and contact Altavian for repair scheduling.

If a damaged part is structural or integral to the flight of the AV, document al l information and abort the mission until a replacement component has been properly installed and completed a full flight test.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 1 

# 5. Normal Operations

Launch procedures

Launch procedures Following the preflight

, the GCS operator will communicate to the

thrower that they are ready for the hand launch. The thrower will acknowledge when they are ready for the hand launch. The GCS operator will have three take

- off options in V irtual C ockpit; take

- off waypoint, take

- off spiral and take

- off joystick. All of these m odes have the option of having a countdown of 10 seconds with a warning throttle at the 7 second mark. The warning throttle is usually 15

- 20 percent and is meant to alert the AV handler that they will be throwing shortly.

Takeoff waypoint

1. The first stage of takeoff (Takeoff Mode 0) causes the AV to fly a fixed throttle percentage and fixed pitch. Once the AV reaches a predefined speed or the rotate altitude it continues to the second stage.

2. During the second stage of takeoff (Takeoff Mode 1) the AV continues to fly wings level until reaching the takeoff transition altitude. During this stage, the operator can control the aircraft’s roll angle using the right s tick on the gamepad. The operator may also adjust the airspeed by pushing forward or pulling

backwards o n the right stick. When the operator lets go of the gamepad, the AV will continue back at the trim airspeed and wings level until reaching the transition altitude. Once the AV

reaches within the orbit radius of the takeoff waypoint, the operator will no longer be able to manually control the aircraft.

3. During the third stage of takeoff (Takeoff Mode 2) the A V flies to the uploaded takeoff

- loiter location. Operators may adjust the airspeed by pushing forward or pulling backwards on the right stick. When the operator lets go of the gamepad, the AV will revert back to the trim airspeed. The AV will continue to circle at the takeoff loiter indefinitely and maintain the desired altitude

until commanded otherwise.

Mode Altitude Triggers

Takeoff Mode Altitude Trigger

0 5 m

1 15 m

2 30 mAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 2

Takeoff spiral

1. The first stage of takeoff causes the AV to fly a fixed throttle percentage and fixed pitch. During this stage, the operator can temporarily change the pitch by using the gamepad. Once the AV reaches a predefined speed or the rotate altitude it transitions to the second stage.

2. During the second stage of takeoff, the AV loiters around the
GPS location that it recorded when it reached the second stage

and continues climbing to the desired altitude.

3. Once it reaches the desired altitude specified in the takeoff loiter, it automatically transitions to navigation mode.

Takeoff Joystick

1. The first stage of takeoff causes the AV to fly a fixed throttle percentage and fixed pitch. During this stage, the operator can temporarily change the pitch by using the gamepad. Once the AV reaches a predefined speed or altitude

, it continues to the second stage.

2. During the second stage of take off, the autopilot maintains a zero roll angle while climbing to the desired altitude in the takeoff waypoint. The operator can override the roll angle and airspeed using the right stick on the gamepad.

3. Once the AV reaches the takeoff altitude, the autop ilot

transitions to Altitude Mode.

Once the takeoff mode is selected by the GCS operator

, they will announce to the AV handler that they are selecting takeoff in Virtual Cockpit.

Hand Launch

Grip the AV on the narrowing section behind the payload portion of the fuselage. Hold as close to the CG as possible. All throws should be done into the wind. Throwing directly into the wind may not always be an option because of obstacles such as trees or buildings. The aircraft

can be launched into a cross wind but the GCS operator should be prepared to command a bank angle in order to keep the aircraft from being turned onto a downwind The AV should be thrown wings level and 0

- 5 degrees pitch. The motor has plenty of power to climb the AV.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 3

Takeoff Point The AV climbs to the designated takeoff waypoint altitude and loiters. Once the AV is in loiter, the GCS operator will check on the health of the AV. This includes altitude, airsp eed, strength of communications and GPS signal strength.

Proceed to Data Collect Once the health of the AV is verified, the GCS operator will select Nav Mode in VC to begin the mission. At this point, the AV proceeds to waypoint 1. In route to waypoint 1, the GCS operator will start the payload in the payload m anager within NCI

.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 4 Flight Monitoring

Flight Monitoring

Ground Distance : total ground distance travelled by the AV this flight.

Air Distance : total air distance travelled by the AV this flight. Polling Duration : duration of the flight Air Speed : current, average and peak airspeed. Ground Speed : current, average and peak ground speed. Payload Status Button : This button will be blue if the payload is in perfec t working order, Red otherwise.

Abort Button : Clears any user settings and deletes the current flight.

The main window of the Virtual Cockpit is designed to provide easy access to the most frequently used buttons and status information. Lower level aircraft specific information

is accessible thro ugh drop

- down menus and dialogs

.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 5 Pre

- recovery Considerations Once the payload has stopped, the GCS operator will send the AV to the rally point. The GCS operator will then load the recovery FPF file (flight plan) in Virtual Cockpit and upload it to the AV.

Info If the reco very flight plan is not uploaded to the AV, the AV will continue to fly the previous mission.

Recovery

Autonomous Landing To recover the AV using the autonomous landing mode, the operator will need to s et up a flight plan in Virtual C ockpit. The following table will walk you through this process:

Autonomous Recovery

Landing

Area It is imperative that the GCS operator confirms with the pilot that the

landing path is clear of obstacles. With an autonomous landing, the AV will need an unobstructed path that is at least 400 meters in length. In addition to analyzing the landing path while on site, use the base map to confirm the landing path is free of obstructions.

Note Any situation that does not allow for 400 meters of

unobstructed landing path should be reconsidered

for a manual landing.

Set up in

Virtual Cockpit The AV must land either into the wind, or with a crosswind.

Caution Landing with a tailwind will cause the AV to fly

considerably far past your inten ded landing spot.

Select the point where you want the AV to land. Next, place the Rally orbit such that the landing path is 300

- 400 meters in length as measured from the landing path’s tangent point on the Rally orbit, to the landing point.

Rally & Flare Speed

– Adjusted for Head Wind The Rally and Flare speeds should be adjusted for head winds as follows:

Head Wind Rally Speed Flare Speed

0

- 3 m/s 14 m/s 12 m/s

3

- 5 m/s 14.5 m/s 12.5 m/s

5

- 7 m/s 15 m/s 13 m/s

7

- 10 m/s 15.5 m/s 13.5 m/s

10

- 12 m/s 16 m/s 14 m/sAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 6

Once the landing setup and the flight plan are completed, press the “Upload” button in the upper right hand corner of Virtual Cockpit. In NCI, the “Check Flight Plan” step will upload the flight plan, as well as verify the landing path meets the minimum length requirements.

“Land”

Mode The “Land” button will command t he AV to fly to the Rally orbit. The

speed of the AV will decrease to the set Rally speed. The standard Rally speed is 1 4 m/s in calm conditions.

Note If land mode is entered at a distance far from the

Rally orbit, the GCS operator may want to

overrid e the airspeed to get into the Rally orbit sooner. In general, a better practice is to send the AV into the Rally orbit, and then proceed into

“Land” mode.

Once established in the Rally orbit, the AV will start descending to the preset Rally “Break

- Out” point. The AV will not break

- out until it has

reached the set break

- out altitude.

Final Landing Approach During the final landing approach the AV’s desired airspeed will walk

down incrementally, starting from the set rally speed down to the set

flare s peed as it approaches the landing point. This reduction of airspeed begins at the backside of the rally orbit.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 7 Operator

controls during

autonomou s landing After the AV crosses the rally break

- out point it will start tracking the

landing path. While o n the landing path

, the operator will have limited airspeed, roll, and th rottle control on the gamepad. T he operator can also command a landing flare from the gamepad.

Airspeed and roll is controlled with the right analog stick on the gamepad. Forward and backward stick inputs command the airspeed to increase and decrease respectively, while left and right stick inputs command the AV to roll left and right respectively.

Airspeed control is achieved by pitching the AV up and down. When commanding a dec rease in airspeed, the AV will pitch UP. When commanding an increase in airspeed, the AV will pitch DOWN. In practice, the right analog stick will exhibit control behavior similar to that

of an RC controller.

Note Since the airspeed during final landing approach

decreases incrementally, it may not be possible for the operator to command a decrease in airspeed (pitch up) depending whether or not the AV’s desired airspeed is already at the lower

threshold (stall speed).

Throttle is controlled with the top left trigger buttons on the gamepad (LB/LT or 5/7 depending on model). LB/5 commands throttle up, and
LT/7 commands throttle down. Throttle can be used to decrease or

increase the rate of descent.

Landing Flare is triggered by depressing the right analog stick straight down into the body of the gamepad. Just prior to touch down, triggering the landing flare will command the AV to cut throttle and hold a pitch up attitude of 11 degrees.

Caution It is possible to stall the aircraft if the la nding flare is

triggered too early. It is suggested to trigger the landing flare only 1

- 2 seconds prior to touching

down.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 8 Manual Landing Manual landings can be done with the Gamepad . The following table explain s the usefulness in landing situations that prevent the operator from using the autonomous landing feature.

Gamepad (Manual mode) Recovery

Gamepad

controller functionality in

Manual mode Manual Mode allows the operator to control the AV in a semi

autonomous fashion. In this mode the autopilot maintains a constant airspee d by pitching up and down. The operator has full control over the AV’s roll and throttle using the gamepad.



### Using the Gamepad: Manual and Altitude Mode

Manual Mode Par ameters

Roll Limit 40 degrees

Altitude Mode Parameters

Max Altitude 380 meters
Min Altitude 40 meters

Button controls Altitude Up Button 4
Altitude Down Button 6 Throttle Up Button 4

Throttle Down Button 6

Manual Mode Buttton 8

Altitude Mode Button 9 Navigation Mode Button 7

Home Mode Button 1
Loiter Mode Button 0

Flare Button 11

Manual Mode

Manual mode is a semi

- autonomous mode in which the aircraft’s roll, airspeed, and throttle is given to the GCS observer via the gamepad. The autopilot maintains the commanded airspeed at all times to prevent the aircraft from stalling. The user is given complete control of throttle in this mode. As a general rule the AV will maintain an altitude at a throttle setting between 20

- 30%. In the case of the NOVA system manual mode is used by highly trained operators as an option for landing the AV without using the typical rally/landAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 5

- 9 Gamepad Manual Landing A skilled operator can use the throttle to adjust the altitude in the flight pattern. Id eally the operator can use a typical rectangle pattern flown for VFR aviation landing. The altitudes for each leg will always vary, but starting on the upwind leg the Observer will begin to walk down the altitude via throttle control. The observer can al ways input a throttle increase if they feel they’ve dropped too much altitude. It is suggested that on final approach the AV is at its typical 40 meters altitude with 400 meters lateral distance remaining on the approach. The suggested airspeed is 13

- 14 m/s on final. Before touchdown the operator can apply back

- stick to lower the airspeed and create a flare. This is very much a skill that requires practice and currency training.

Warning Manual mode gives the user the most ‘human in

the loop’ input of any of the modes. The operator

can fly the AV into the ground in this mode

Altitude Mode

Altitude Mode is another semi

- autonomous mode in which the operator is in control of the desired altitude and roll angles, while the AV manages the throttle to maintain airspeed. Altitude mode is useful in search missions and as a tool for returning home if the AV experiences GPS failures. Ideally the AV is within line of sight if this occurs, and the Observer can fly the AV home. If the AV is not within line of sight the AV should be able to proceed with its loss of GPS failsafe.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 6

- 1 

# 6. Post

- Flight Process

Post

- Flight Checks

M echanical check Inspect the entire aircraft for damage including the following

 C racks in fuselage, wing and v

- tail

 Damage to control surface hinges

 Strain on the (4) servos

 Nicks or cracks on prop blades

 Loose or improperly seated prop hub screw

Instructions to repair damages listed above can be found under Airframe Inspection & Maintenance

Bench check Run the AV through a comp lete pre

- flight check. This will allow the flight team to evaluate the AV’s propulsion and avionics systems for proper functiona lity.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 1 

# 7. GCS Software

Virtual Cockpit
The main window of the Virtual Cockpit is designed to provide easy access to the most frequently used buttons and status information. Lower level aircraft specific information is accessible through drop

- down menus and dialogs

Instrument Display

HUD (Heads Up Display)Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 2 

### Mode Support

The Kestrel autopilot supports 8 a utonomous modes. These modes are accessed via the

Mode buttons in Virtual Cockpit, displayed on the top left of the main window. The Mode buttons allow the operator to change between different levels of autonomy and navigation modes with a single press of a button. The figure below shows the Mode Buttons. The modes may be switched at any time. Any other user

- assisted flight should be operated through the gamepad, connected to Virtual Cockpit. To fully utilize the available AV modes, a gamepad/joystick is required. This section will discuss each of the individual AV modes, giving them thorough explanation along with detailed controller mapping.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 3 Manual M

ode Air vehicle holds airspeed using pitch (roll, airspeed, and throttle c ommands on Gamepad Controller)

.

Altitude Mode
AV holds altitude. Operator can change altitude with the left shoulder buttons

.

Navigation M

ode Navigation (NAV) mode is a fully autonomous mode with many built in flexibilities that

allow the operator to make adjustments when needed. NAV Mode can be set by clicking on the NAV button in Virtual Cockpit or pressing the NAV button on the gamepad. NAV mode can be initiated after a flight plan has been uploaded.

Info If an operator attempts to place the AV in NAV mode before

uploading a flight plan, the autopilot will return a Negative Acknowledgement and will remain in the previous mode.

When the AV is in NAV mode, it processes one waypoint command at a time. Operators can change the current command bein g executed by right

- clicking on the desired waypoint and choosing the “Set as New ” command menu option. The operator may also enter in the command manually

. A new flight plan may be uploaded to the autopilot at any time.

Home mode Sends the AV directly to the location designated as “home”. The home location can be designated by the AV ’s GPS when first acquiring GPS lock and commbox GPS

.

Take off M

ode

Take off Spiral

AV flies level to a commanded altitude and spirals to desired alt itude

automatically transitioning to Navigation mode at pre

- set altitude

Take off Waypoint

AV flies to desired waypoint location and spirals to desired altitude

- stays in spiral indefinitely until commanded otherwise

Take off Joystick

AV flies level until commanded differently by joystick

- useful for clearing obstacles in takeoff path

- transitions to Altitude mode at pre

- set altitude

Loiter now mode
AV creates a loiter around the coordinate in which the AV is located when Loiter Now is

se lected. Operator can click

- and

- drag Loiter Now to change this coordinate. No upload is required.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 4 Land mode

AV flies to rally and descends to predetermined breakout altitude, then follows tangent glide slope to landing point on map

.

Rally mode

Commands the AV to fly to the rally point and loiter. The operator can adjust the location of the loiter by moving the Rally point on the map and then uploading the flight plan. The autopilot uses its current altitude and current desired airspeed for the

duration of the rally mode. This can be overridden using the Altitude and Airspeed

Override controls

.



### Moving Map Interface

Inserting Waypoints

 Direct

– An unlimited number of waypoints can be added by holding the ‘control’ button on the keyboard and left

- clinking on the map. Individual waypoint parameters can be adjusted by double

- clicking on the waypoint.

 List

– Waypoints can be added or altered ind ividually in the waypoint list.

Mapping & Landing flight plans

Pre

- created missions can be loaded by selecting the open folder icon in the Flight Plan Control section (Located from the popup menu at the bottom of the map. Changes that are uploaded are not active until they’re uploaded to the aircraft.

TtT (Time to Target) In the right

- side popout menu, checking the Na v Debug option will show the target details including TtT.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 5 Wind Vector

Indicates winds aloft measuring wind direction and wind speed. Located in top left of

map.



### Heads Up Display (HUD)
Utilize the readouts in the HUD to quickly and accurately notice information related to the flight.

Communications Indicator

- Indicates strength of signal and bandwidth for communication with AV. Number of bars represents signal strength. Color of the bars represents the bandwidth (Green, Yellow, Red).

o The operator should monitor the ‘co m m s’ to keep track of where the line of sight communications are weak. This can become an issue if an area that is being mapped cannot be covered from the current locat ion of the GCS.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 6 Battery Indicator

- Indicates current remaining battery power measured in volts. Located above the HUD. Operator should have a consistent awareness of the real

- time battery voltage during a flight. Battery voltage failsafes are as follows:

o Low battery failsafe is 20.4V

 (AV will fly to rally if the battery remains at 20.4V or lower for 5 seconds)

o Critically Low battery failsafe 19.4V

 AV will land regardless of location

Range & Bearing

- Indicates distance in meters and compass direction of the AV from home position. Located at bottom of HUD.

Altitude
Desired Altitude

- Indicates the commanded altitude. Located at the top right
corner of HUD as well as above the HUD. Measured in meters (m).

Actual Altitude

- Indicates actual altitude relative to height above launch (HAL), located in the center of the right side of the HUD. Climb Rate(CLB)

- Indicates the current rate of climb, located in the center of the right side of the screen just bel ow actual altitude.

o Operators should be aware of the minimum and maximum altitude
limits of 40m to 380m.

Airspeed

 Desired Airspeed

- Indicates the commanded airspeed. Located at the top left corner of HUD (IAS m/s) as well as above the HUD. Measured in me ters per second (m/s)

 Actual Airspeed

- Indicates the actual airspeed relative to wind, located in the
center of the left side of the HUD.

o Operators should be aware of the minimum and maximum airspeed limits of 14m/s to 30m/s.

 Ground Speed

- Indicates the cu rrent speed, relative to the ground, located at

the bottom

- left corner of the HUD.

 Heading

- Indicates magnetic heading of AV. Located at the bottom of HUD. Operators should always be aware of the AV’s heading relative to magnetic

North.

Roll & Pitch Roll and Pitch can be interpreted through the HUD. Limitations for Roll is 30° left and right. This is indicated at the top of the HUD with an arrow and numerically. Limitations for Pitch are 30° pitch up and 15° pitch down. This is indicated by hash marks in 5°
increments in the center of the HUD as well as a numerical indication.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 7 Roll and Pitch Limits :

 Roll

– 30 degrees left and right

 Pitch Up

– 30 degreed

 Pitch Down

– 15 degrees

GPS Status Indicates current number of satellites acquired for the AV o nly. Located above the

HUD.

Message Window The message window is designed to provide the AV operator with brief status updates of the AV, Virtual Cockpit, and the commbox. The messages are designed to augment the information displayed elsewhere in the Vi r tual Cockpit and alert the operator with potential mission critical information. These messages are known as System Messages. System Messages are listed in the message window by order of priority, from high to low, and are displayed in red, orange, yello w, and green. The amount of time the message stays in the window is based on the priority and persistence of the state which caused the information to appear.

Altitude Override This gives the operator the option to set any desired altitude, which overrides all other

commanded altitudes . It is located in the side window pop out. Altitude Override cannot be set higher than 380m or lower than 40m. Airspeed Override This gives the operator the option to set any desired airspeed, which overrides all other commanded airspeeds. It is located in the side window pop out. This can be used to avoid undesired altitude decrease in turns as well as protecting the AV from a stall in a turn due to unexpected gusting winds. Minimum allowable commanded airspe ed is 14m/s. Maximum allowable commanded airspeed is 30m/s.

Caution Setting an airspeed that is too low can cause a stall.

Setting an airspeed that it too high can cause an excessive pitchdownAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 8 

### DDL Communication

All GCS computers are preconfigured to automatically establish connections to the DDL receiver. There are two network connections on the GCS computer; the LAN (Ethernet) connection and a wireless connection. The LAN connection is configured
with a STATIC IP address that must be maintained to establish a connection with the

DDL receiver.

Operators will need to use the wireless connection to cache maps (see the “Map Caching” section under Pre

- Deployment Process for more information). It is not recommended to change the LAN connec tion’s IP address.

Warning Changing IP addresses and establishing internet connections on the

GCS computer are not recommended as they yield the opportunity to gather malware and other unwanted software on the computer.

If a connection is not automatically established, refer to the following troubleshooting

checklist to determine the cause:

5. Ensure that the RJ45 Ethernet cable is connected between the computer and

receiver.

6. Check the GCS computer’s IP address.

a. The GCS com puter should have a STATIC IP address of 192.168.168.4

7. With the DDL receiver on, open a web browser and connect to http://192.168.168.2 (username: admin, password: admin). This will determine if

the DDL receiver is runn ing.

At the bottom of the receiver’s web page is a graphical signal indicator, showing the signal strength to the AV. If this indicator is not present, restart the DDL receiver and the AV to try again.

8. On the DDL re ceiver’s webpage, under the “Co mport” tab, verify the active
connection status and ensure that there are values for Transferred & Received Bytes. If there are no values, restart the AV.

Virtual Cockpit Comm & XML Settings

While in Virtual Cockpit, hit the F7 key on the keyboard to open the Global Settings window. Under the “Comm and XML Settings” option on the left menu are the preconfigured settings for DDL connection s to the AV. Ensure that the co mport under “Serial Connection Settings” is set to “Close”

– the “Close” option should be greyed out.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 9 These settings should NOT be changed unless they do not match the preconfigured values. Refer to this screenshot to ensure that no settings have changed:

Low Comm Strength

If the comm strength is too low and the AV is close to the receiver , the Tx power and Wireless Distance values can be reconfigured; On the DDL receiver’s webpage, under the “Wireless” tab, select the “Radio” option:

Adjust the Tx Power to a higher value to increase the transmission. The Wireless Distance should be adj usted for the limits of the mission but should not surpass the physical limits

of the AV.

These adjustments must be made on both the GCS DDL receiver and the AV receiver.
Once a connection has been made to the GCS DDL receiver, the AV receiver can also

be accessed in the same way using the following address: http://192.168.168.1

Once these values have been adjusted and saved, the receivers will lose connection briefly while they restart. If the comm strength does not i ncrease after they have restarted, power off the AV and the GCS DDL receiver.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 10 

### Static IP Addresses

It is not recommended to change the preconfigured LAN IP address on the ground station computer. If this is required, follow these steps to ensure a proper configuration:

Right

- click on the Network icon in the system tray and select “Open Network and Sharing Center”

On the left side of the Network and Sharing Center window, select “Change Adapter Settings”. A list of network connections will appear in a new window. Right

- click “Local Area Connection” and select properties.

In the properties window, double

- click “Internet Protocol Version 4” as shown above to open the IP settings windowAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 11 The compute r should be pre

- configured with the following information:

To change the IP address, simply adjust the address in this window and select OK to save the settings.

Note: To configure the IP address for connecting directly to a mapping payload, the IP

ad dress should be changed to 192.168.4.4.

Caution Changing the preconfigured IP address will cause DDL

communications to no longer function. The address must be reconfigured back to 192.168.168.4 to work again.



### Switching Payloads

When switching between Altavian payloads, the operator will need to adjust the payload configuration within VC:

In VC, select the F5 key to open the “Global Settings” window. Under the “Payload Config” option is a drop

- down menu labeled “Port E”. Mapping payloads function under the “Pins,3,4 for Asynch Serial E Pass Through” option:Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 7

- 12 For the Nova VP23 Preceptor Payload, select the “Pins 3,4 for Procerus VPU, Servo Expansion on GPX Tx” option as seen here:

Once the proper configuration has been selected, click the “Upload Config” button

– Once the configuration has been uploaded, the button will turn gray. Then click the “Update Flash” button. This button will also turn gray once complete.

After the configu rations have been uploaded, power

- cycle the AV.

Note: When power

- cycling an AV with a DDL, the receiver must remain off for at least 30 seconds before returning power. This will ensure that the receiver has completely

restarted.

Caution Setting an incor rect payload selection can result in payload or AV functionality failure.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 8

- 1 

# 8. Planning Considerations

A number of factors will influence the mission and need to be con sidered in the planning process.

Mission Overall/Supported mission objective



### • How to best configure the AV to support the mission



### o EO vs. IR payload for day/night operations

- Mapping Payload configured for appro priate type of data

c ollection desired

Type of mission/task



### • Aerial Survey/Mapping



### • Remote route and area reconnaissance/surveill ance



### • Force protection



### • Convoy security



### • Target identification



### • Personnel recovery/search and rescue



### • Battle damage assessment



### • Remote Sensing/Inspection



### •

- Other missions

Threats to Operation Weather Effects Including:



### • Wind Eff e cts for Launch, downwind legs, upwind legs,
loiter, thermals, an d landing.



### • Temperature extremes and effect on aircraft,
cameras, and batteries.



### • Humidity effects on imagers



### • Precipitation impacts on electronics, imagers, and

motors

Terrain



### o Obstructions caused by mountains, hills, or man

- made

structures



### o Localized wind patterns caused by terrain, such as vortices and rotors that can upset the AV



### o Foliage that can obscure line

- of

- site and affect communications performance



### o Over

- water operations with limited recovery options



### o Confined areas for launch and landing

Other Operations



### o Unmanned Aircraft, cooperative or non



### o Manned Aircraft, cooperative or non



### o Surface activity of vehicles or personnel around the

GCSAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 8

- 2 Other
Considerations 

### • Launch and Recovery Site Selection



### • Noise



### • Battery/Power requirements



### • Data Recording and Export



### o Use of advanced operations/skills:

Contingency Plans:



### o Failed Launch



### o Loss of Comms



### o Loss of GPS



### o Low Battery/Loss of Site Power



### o Off

- Site Landing/Crash



### o Airspace Incursion



### Basic Mission Planning :

Mission:

First

, the AV operator must obtain a clear definition of the overall or supported mission objective. Without knowing what the objective is, the operator will have a difficult time planning the flight(s) in accordance with the intent of the mission

and what data collection is required. Always identify and understand the overall objective prior to beginning flight planning.

The proper configuration of the AV is important for the proper form of data collection. This includes top ics such as sensor type Photogrammetr ic or

Video (EO, IR ), and power requirements. If night

- time operations are required, identify how the landing environment will be marked. If multiple payloads and air vehicle configurations will be necessary, it may be beneficial to use dedicated

vehicles f or different configurations. This reduces the chance for configu ration errors between flights.

Mission Types:

Aerial Survey/Mapping

– Mapping missions require careful pre

- planning in order to ensure proper data collection and consistency. It is best to generate pre

planned flight areas ahead of the mission time so that careful review of the flight plan can be performed. Once on site, the mission may require tuning to account

for various wind conditions or terrain. Wind should be taken into account when

p lanning turn

- around points and which direction those points should be flown. Ideally, all turns should be made into the wind to reduce blow

- out effect and get the AV back on line the quickest.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 8

- 3 Altitudes need to be planned according to the capabilities o f the survey payload as well as the data collected. Some missions may require data taken from different altitudes, so plan accordingly.

Linear Search or Route Recon

– Such missions are generally operated along a linear flight path, such as a road, trail, or waterway. In many cases, the GCS will be
mounted in/on a vehicle and travel with the AV.

When planning for a route recon mission, it’s important to account for wind effects along the route. Aircraft performance will dictate how fast the following

groun d vehicles will be able to travel. If the flight is travelling into the prevailing wind, aircraft ground speed and flight range will be diminished, and conversely, travelling with the wind will increase the AV ground speed and flight range. Cross winds gen erally have a negative impact on speed and range as well, as some of the air vehicle’s energy is being used to counter the crosswind effect on flight path.

Designate emergency land points along the route. Should you experience a sudden battery, payload, or motor issue, you need to have a safe location to land the AV. In some cases, it might be the road itself. In such an event, care should be taken to avoid collisions with ground vehicles and personnel. Off

- route emergency landing points, if available, of fer a safer alternative to road or waterway landings.

Route search or recon missions don’t generally involve waypoints except for key turns in the route. This type of mission is largely operated with the AV in “Pilot

- in

the

- Loop” mode such as Manual or Al titude Mode. The pilot navigates the route primarily by video reference from the AV. This allows the pilot to best modulate speed and altitude to stay in sync with the convoy or target vehicle.

Area Search or Point Recon

– These missions generally use a lot of waypoints to designate a grid pattern of various forms, and are generally flown in autonomous mode while the area is scanned by imagery payloads. Issues with such mission plans can range from aircraft endurance to terrain and Line of Sight coverage. This mission type is often operated from a fixed location, either inside or outside the search area. Depending on the size of the search area, the total linear distance of the search flight plan could exceed the linear range of the AV. Therefore, larger a reas will need to be broken down into sectors and flown separately.

The altitude of the flight plan will dictate the spacing between flight paths, and vice versa. Flying an area at higher altitudes will allow a greater distance between flight paths, resul ting in a shorter linear distance required. Likewise, flying lower will require closer spacing of the flight paths, and increase the total distance the AV must travel to accomplish the mission. This trade

- off must be

taken into consideration to account for the data collected. If the data must include high level detail, the mission may have to be flown lower, and the areaAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 8

- 4 broken down into sectors. If low

- level detail is tolerated, flying at higher altitudes may allow the same area to be covered in one flight

.

Wind effects on the typical Parallel Track pattern are highest when the flight paths are aligned with the wind. Orienting the flight paths cross wind will average out the ground speed, and provide more consistent times from path to path. As the AV approaches the end of a downwind flight line the operator should increase the desired airspeed before making the turn. The AV will then have the higher airspeed required for the upwind flight line. When approaching the end of the downwind flig h t line the increased airspeed should remain through the turn and decreased only o n ce the AV is starting the next upwind flight line.
When oriented with the wind, the down

- wind path will be faster over the ground, offering the pilot/observer less time to analyze the imagery compared to the up

wind path. Optimal groundspeed for mapping is 16 m/s +

- 3m/s. Like Mapping Mission plans, turn

- around points at either end of the parallel track pattern should be flown into the wind, reducing the blow

- out affect whe n the AV attempts to regain position on the next flight path.



### Other Considerations :

Site Selection

– Using a variety of resources, a proper operating site survey is important for safe operations. Google Earth is a useful tool for evaluating potential s ites prior to

arrival in the area. It can be used to measure out distances from structures and terrain, as well as obtain ground elevation data. Google Earth also happens to be the source for obtaining map imagery of the operational area for use in

Virtual Cockpit. Because of this, using the drawing editor in Google Earth allows you to place borders, corridors, and points of interest prior to importing into Virtual Cockpit.

Use of other mapping resources is also advised, as some areas on GE are not up

to d ate. Comparing and cross

- referencing multiple sources ensures you have the most up to date data. In your map study, look for potential sites that have at least a 300 meter long area of flat ground, clear of obstructions, and that is at
least 50 meters wide . This will serve as the takeoff and landing “runway”. Looking up weather almanac information online can help you determine if your chosen site is aligned with prevailing winds for the area. It is important to minimize cross

wind operations

.

If you have t he opportunity to survey a potential site prior to operations, do so. Walk the entire area you intend to use for landing and look for potential hazards to the AV such as stumps, holes, large roots, or man

- made protrusions from the ground. If you find somet hing hazardous, mark it with surveyor’s tape so that it can be avoided during operations. If the ground is furrowed as in a plowed field, landings must be flown parallel to the furrows. Make sure that this will allowAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 8

- 5 orientation into the prevailing winds. Operating on furrowed fields is discouraged, as wing damage on landing is a greater risk.

Consider the location of the GCS, if you intend to operate from a fixed location. The most important consideration is Line of Sight to the AV anywhere in the Area

of Operations. While this may not be practical in rough terrain, try to avoid LOS obstacles such as buildings, tree lines and large vehicles. Ensure a clear view of the intended approach path. It’s important to be able to maintain visual

contact with the AV during the entire approach

.

Noise

– While the Nova AV is electric powered and therefore has a very low noise signature to begin with, consider any noise during ground operations that may compromise the operation. This generally applies only to environmental monitoring missions where noise will disturb the wildlife being studied and is

critical to the mission.

Power/Battery Requirements

– The GCS will require a constant source of power, be it from batteries, a generator, or a combination thereof . If noise is an issue, or operations are to be conducted from a mobile platform, batteries will be the primary source of power. Ensure that a sufficient number of batteries for the GCS and AV are packed in order to complete the mission. Make double sure t hat all batteries are fully charged and take care not to mix partially discharged packs. Utilize some method to identify discharged packs, such as taping the connector with gaffer’s tape.

If a generator can be used, this is the preferred power solution f or continuous daily operations. AV flight packs can be easily recharged and made ready while the AV is airborne. It’s a good practice to have at least three flight packs on hand with a charger in order to keep up with continuous operations. The GCS

can be operated on AC from a generator indefinitely, and should the generator fail, the GCS batteries will have sufficient charge to continue operations for up to two hours longer. When charging two flight packs at max amperage, and operating the GCS, a generator with at least a 2,000 Watt capacity is

recommended.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 9

- 1 

# 9. Emergency Procedures

Power Loss Loss of power to the propulsion system will result in a controlled landing at an emergency decision site. The AV will continue to operate with the communications link and flight controls. The operator will immediately turn the AV toward the home position.

The AV is designed as a glider, and thus has a glide slope of approximately 11/1. Under typical o perating scenar ios, the AV will be able to glide unpow ered back to the designated home position where a suitable landing site can be selected. Loss of the main bus power can occur either at the battery junction, disabling m otor and flight controls, or at the m otor bulk head, disabling the motor . In the event of total power loss ( Motor and flight controls), the vehicle follows a ballistic trajectory to the ground. The mitigation technique for this scenario is to minimize energy at impact. Maximum allowable speed while pow ered will not exceed 23 m/s, and maximum altitude to 300 meters, restricting the ballistic envelope. This is the only emergency situation where the airplane has no further recovery method.



### Loss of Communications
A complete loss of l ink is unlikely, however it is a situation that is rehearsed and well planned for. The lost

- link procedure is a benign event, as the NOVA is designed for complete autonomy fro m launch to landing with an operator

- in

- the

- loop monitoring the airframe. The Lost Link landing site is the same landing site that is planned for in normal operations and is the optimal landing location within line

- of

- sight of the operator

. The Nova uses a two

- stage failsafe approach for all avionic s failure conditions including

l ost Link. The first, (stage 1) is triggered when the AV has not received communicat ion with the ground station for 5

- 10 seconds (programmable) . A communications strength indicator on the ground station should alert the operator to this, but if it is not noticed

after 10 seconds

, aud ible and visual warnings will appear. The operator then
announces a “l ost Link” case to alert the ground crew.

After the Stage 1, 10 second interval, the AV enters stage 2. The AV maintains current

altitude and navigat es to the home Way Point

. This point is the same as

the GCS l ocation and the physical location of

the operator and ground observer. This waypoint has been uploaded before
takeoff, is within line

- of

sight of operator and is

used in stan dard operations to bring the

AV back for land ing.

Once at the h ome waypoint, the AV willAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 9

- 2 while it attempts to regain link with the ground station. After 300 seconds , if a link is not

re

- established

, the AV will enter Stage 2 . 300 seconds was determined based on the boot time of the laptop used in the ground station. In the event that the laptop locks up
or shuts down, there is sufficient time to re

- boot and attempt to reacquire link.

In Stage 2

, the AV will continue to attempt to re

- acquire link while it navigates through the landing procedure. The landing procedure for loss link is identical to a normal landing procedure. The AV will descend from “minimum safe altitude” to a

breakout alti tude (site specific) while continuing to loiter around the rally point . Once at
the breakout altitude, the AV wil l depart the loiter along a tangential path toward the touchdown spot. The AV will descend on glide slope from the tangent point to the touchdown spo t, slowing down to flair speed (12m/s) in the final moments before touchdown and automatically flare 3m abo ve the ground. Perform the following checklist items to verify settings and attempt return of

communications with the air vehicle:

Warning Ensure that Landing Point Area and Approach path are clear of

personell, vehicles, and equipment in order for the Air Vehicle to

conduct a safe auto

- landing. Assign at least one individual to continuously monitor the AV as soon as it becomes visible from the

GCS location.

 HAND CONTROLLER

- HOME Mode Button, Press.

 COMMBOX POWER

– Check voltage in Virtual Cockpit Message Window

o If “No Comm” message displayed, cycle Commbox power switch (inside GCS equipment bay).

o DC Out 1 Switch

– Check ON.

o If available, connect external power source to GCS.

 ANTENNAS

– Check Orientation and connection

 LAPTOP

– Check docking station engaged and locked

 COM PORT

– In V.C, Press F7 “Comm and XML Settings”, ensure Com Port 1 is Open.

 AIR VEHICLE

– Verify failsafe behavior via video telemetry or visual reference (if able). Monitor Air Vehicle until Comms restored or failsafe procedures te rminate flight. If Air Vehicle does not begin execution of Failsafe Procedures, press ALT Mode button on hand controller and attempt manual control of Air Vehicle through gamepad. In some cases, telemetry from the Air Vehicle is lost, but AV will respond t o control inputs from Hand Controller. If able, execute Manual or Alt Mode landing recovery with Hand Controller.

Note Once communications are regained, the AV will maintain its failsafe procedure until the operator selects a flight mode.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 9

- 3 

### L oss of GPS

Loss of GPS will result in th e loss of a navigation solution

and autonomous function will

be inhibited. The GPS

- LOSS
scenario is a two tiered recovery approach. Upon

GPS

- LOSS timeout, the AV will immediately enter a loiter orbit in an attempt to reacquire signal. If after 15

seconds

, GPS is not reacquired, the AV will enter tier two. At any time in tier one or two, the operator can take over with augmented control and utilize its onboard magnetometer to navigate

back to the home w aypoint through dead

- recko ning. During this failure mode, t he

observer will call out AV position and movement back to the operator. Once the AV is close enough to resolve orientation or if operating with a live video payload , the operator can engage manual control and perform a man ual landing at the pre

decided landing site.

If a cascade of failures has occurred and lost

- link has also occurred, during tier two the

AV will enter into a loiter

- land procedure; descending in a loiter while reducing speed until contact with the ground at flair speed. During this decent

, the AV is still in controlled flight and at touchdown the forward speed should not exceeded 11 m/s with the propeller off, minimizing damage to anything the AV may come in contact

with.

Perform the following checklist items to capture the last known location and facilitate recovery of the air vehicle. Use of video telemetry with data overlay is highly encouraged in order to assist in AV recovery:

Caution Recording the last known Return Home Heading and Lat/Long in a

ti mely manner is crucial to successful orientation and recovery of the

Air Vehicle.

 HAND CONTROLLER

– Alt Mode Button PRESS, Right turn Command and Hold.

 VIDEO OVERLAY

– Note Return Home Heading and Lat/Long position.

 V.C. HUD

– Using hand controller in ALT MODE, turn to last recorded Return Home heading and hold MAG heading course in ALT MODE. Ignore AV location on map display.

 VIDEO

– Recorder ON

 REFERENCE VIDEO

– Using video telemetry, locate familiar landmarks to assist in returning home, such as road s, rivers, lakes, or structures. Continue to monitor MAG Heading to ensure situational awareness.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 9

- 4 Note If GPS signal returns, enter HOME Mode and Recover Air Vehicle for

troubleshooting. If Loss of GPS was momentary and full signal was regained shortly a fterwards, continue operation and monitor Satellite Status in VC HUD for signal health. Occasional environmental issues can cause momentary loss of signal, and is normal in mountainous or urban terrain, or during periods of extreme solar flare activity.



### Loss of Video Link
Perform the following checklist items to verify settings and attempt return of video telemetry from the air vehicle:

 ANTENNAS

– Check Orientation

 MODE SELECT

– HOME or LOITER NOW (Hand Controller or VC Window)

 VIDEO RECEIVER

– Check Powe r LED (Inside GCS equipment bay)

 DC

- OUT 2 SWITCH

– Check ON

 VIRTUAL COCKPIT

– Monitor AV telemetry.

Note If video telemetry is not required for mission accomplishment, continue

mission using VC and closely monitor AV location and MAG Heading
in case of G PS failure.

Airspace Incursion from a nother Aircraft

Warning Proper coordination of airspace is critical to safe operations of

unmanned aircraft systems. If operating co

- operatively with other AVs

, always employ at least two of the three means of deconfliction: Time,
Altitude, and Distance.

Warning Operation among manned aircraft should be carefully planned and

executed only after proper pre

- flight briefings with all parties involved

in the mission.

Warning Incursion from a manned aircraft could result in collision with the AV,

resulting in loss of life. Proper response to such an incursion must be timely and not necessarily in the best interest of the AV. Ditching the AV could mean the diference in life or death of those operating

manned ai rcraft.

It is the ultimate responsibility of the PIC for the safety of the AV and other manned vehicles in the area. In general

, the PIC is “heads down” during data collection, and it is the responsibility of the observer to maintain visual contact with the AV and simultaneously other air traffic. The o bserver should alert the PIC of any traffic in the

a rea as soon as it is spotted and direct the PIC to safe altitudes / locations to maintain safe separation.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 9

- 5  MODE SELECT

– Loiter Now

 INCURRING AIRCRAFT

– M onitor Speed, Direction, Altitude.

 ALTITUDE OVERRIDE

– Set 200 feet (if incurring aircraft is above 500ft AGL)

 SPOILERS

– Command FULL

 LOITER WAYPOINT

– Move away from incurring aircraft flight path

Continue to monitor incurring aircraft for direction, speed, and altitude until threat is no longer a factor. If collision appears imminent:

 MODE SELECT

– MANUAL Button PRESS, PRESS

 THROTTLE

– Verify Set to ZERO

 HAND CONTROLLER

– Command Full Nose DOWN



### Down Air Vehicle Recovery

 VIDEO RECORDER

– STOP and rew ind to moment of downing.

 VIRTUAL COCKPIT

– F5 PRESS, Click “Data Logs”, Under Telemetry Logger, Click “STOP”, then Click “Finish Flight Summary”

 WINDOWS FILE MANAGER

– Open Flight Summaries folder and locate most recent Flight Summary and open in NOTEPAD

In the Flight Summary, locate the heading “Last

- Known Information” and record the last known Lat/Long, Altitude, Heading, and Winds. Using the map window on VC, attempt to identify the location of the aircraft in relation to the GCS, noting any roads, tra ils, or other means of passage closest to the aircraft. Using a hand

- held GPS receiver, program the AV’s last known location along with another waypoint at least 500 meters away on the AV’s last known heading. Use the GPS to guide the search team to the la st known location, and then along the last known heading. Be aware that the AV could be hung up in trees above you, so look up during your search often. The motor speed controller may also still be powered, in which

case a power

- on “chirp” will be heard on ce every 30 seconds. If the last known heading is perpendicular to the prevailing winds, conduct search paths downwind of the last known heading path when expanding the search area.



### Software Crash

In the event o f a malfunction in Virtual Coc kpit or a complete software crash

, the AV operator will immediately turn off the comm box. This ensures the AV loses command and control and will begin to perform its loss of comm procedure. During this time the operator will close and reopen Virtual Cockp it . Once VC has been reopened, and the operator has determined to be working properly, the operator will tu rn on the comm

box and ensure communi cations have been re established. While the operator is restarting VC

, it is important that the observer has “eye s on” the AV to ensure that it is indeed performing its loss of comm procedure. If the software is not opened in time, or cannot be reopened, then the AV will land according to its current loss of comm procedure

.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 10

- 1 

# 10. Troubleshooting & Maintenance

Field / Depo t level repairs

The support level for the Nova is offered in two levels; field level repair and depot level repair. All repairs not able to be completed at the field level will be raised to the depot level

.

Field Repair Kit (FRK)

Qty Part

1 Loctite .47 Oz. 5

- minute Epoxy

5 Mixing Cup

5 Acid Brush 3/8”

1 Locktight

1 Zap

- O Foam Safe Kicker 2Oz.

20 Popsicle Sticks

1 Multi Screw Driver

1 60 yd gaffers tape roll

Spare Parts

Qty Part

4 Knurled Thumb Screw 2.5’’

2 Knurled Thumb Screw 1.5’’

6 Washers, Neoprene

- Bonded

12 Knurled Thumb Screw 4

- 40 1⁄2’’length

12 Washers, Neoprene

- Bonded 4

- 40

2 15x13 Folding Propeller and Spinner Assembly

1 Folding Propeller

1 Aluminum Spinner



### Airframe inspection and maintenance

Propeller inspection

Propellers are precisely built and calibrated. Even small nicks and gouges on both the leading and trailing edges will eventually diminish the efficiency of the

prope ller. The propeller on the Nova is made of carbon impregnated nylon and folds upon landing which helps to prevent these types of wear. Nevertheless, this wear on the propeller will accumulate over time. The preflight mechanical inspection includes inspection of the propeller as a firs t line of defense against flying with a compromised propeller.

Aileron inspection

Both ailerons are actuated by servos mounted in the wing. The servo is set into an RDS mount that is epoxied to the wing. Over time this box may come loose

and this ca n be determined by trying to move the RDS arm while the AV isAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 10

- 2 powered down with the wingtips off. You should be able to determine if anything is loose under the vinyl by turning the RDS arm in both directions. If the
arm is loose of the servo, or servo l oose of the RDS pocket, the arm will have unnatural movement. The AV will need to go to the depot for this level of repair. Another natural wear on the ailerons will be at the hinge that attaches it to the wingtip. Preflight ‘mechanical check’ will alway s require this be inspected for any breaks in this hinge. Gaffers tape can be used on breaks that are three inches or less. The tape is applied on the bottom of the wing with half on the wingtip and half on the aileron. Any break larger than three inche s should be ref erred to the depot for repairs.

Anti

- rotation pin

- This pin, located on the wing tip, fits into the center wing section. Over time the space where the pin fits into the center wing section may become bored out. This means the wing tip may have rotational movement when fitted to the center wing section. This movement can be detected by applying rotational pressure on the wingtip when it is installed onto the wing center section. Detection of this rotation wi ll demand a depot level repair.

Skegs

The NOVA is designed to land on its skegs. This will cause wear on the skegs over time. Typically a layer of gaffers tape is always on the skegs as a layer of protection. It is good practice to check that this layer has not been ripped on

landi ngs. Also, landing on rough

, rocky surfaces will often penetrate the tape and extra layers may be required.

Payload window

Applies to the mapping payload configuration. The skegs give the window some clearance from the ground but rocks can still hit the window directly. The clarity of this window is important to the final imagery and this window should be

checked for scratches in pre and post flight checks



### Message Window Key

This table lists the messages that may be displaye d in the message window.

Commbox Messages Description Commbox is not communicating with virtual cockpit Commbox voltage at 10.8V Commbox voltage at 10.1V and charging Commbox voltage at 9.6V and charging Commbox voltage at 8.4V and charging Failsafe Messages Description

No GPS lock failsafe

- circle phase. AV will circle at 20 degree roll angle in an attempt to re

acquire GPS lock. No GPS lock failsafe triggered

- landing phase. Circle time has expired and AV will continue to

hold 20 degree roll angle while landing.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 10

- 3 Low AV battery failsafe triggered. AV is flying to Home or Rally waypoint.

Critically low AV battery failsafe triggered. AV is landing at current location.

Low AV battery failsafe triggered without GPS

lock. AV is attempting to fly Home or to Rally without lock (GPS lock failsafe will trigger if enabled).

Lo ss of Comm failsafe triggered. AV is flying to

Home or Rally waypoint

. Loss of Comm failsa fe triggered without GPS

lock. AV is attempting to fly Home or to Rally without lock (GPS lock failsafe will trigger if enabled). Loss of Comm in RC Mode failsafe triggered

– stage

one. AV is holding level flight attitude at cruise

throttle (Manual mode). Loss of Comm in RC Mode failsafe triggered

– stage

two. AV is flying to Home or Rally waypoint. Loss of Comm in RC Mode failsafe triggered

without

GPS lock

– stage two. AV is flying to Home or Rally waypoint without lock (GPS lock failsafe will trigger if enabled). Warning Messages Description

AV has low altitude

AV has low airspeed

AV does not have GPS lock

AV is not communicating

General Messages Description The map was not loaded. (invalid path or file type). COM1 port is not open and is unavailable.

The Virtual Cockpit flight plan the does not

match the autopilot flight plan and must be uploaded.Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 10

- 4 GPS communication not detected. The autopilot must
be rebooted to reset GPS receiver.

AV flight time. This message appears after landing. Sensor Check Messages Description

Roll gyro failed sensor check

Pitch gyro failed sensor check

Yaw gyro failed sensor check

X accelerometer failed sensor check

Y accelerometer failed sensor

Z accelerometer failed sensor check

Airspeed sensor failed sensor check

Altitude sensor failed sensor check

Pitch estimate failed sensor check

Roll estimate failed sensor check

Temperature failed sensor check

X axis of magnetometer failed sensor check

Y axis of magnetometer failed sensor check

All sensors passed check



### ESC Error Codes
When the AV is first powered on you should hear initialization tones, followed by a number of beeps that represent the battery cell count. After the final initialization tones, the servos/autopilot should power on after approximately 5 seconds, if not, IMMEDIATELY disconnect the battery.

Phoenix Edge ESC error codes:

•

- Low voltage cutoff

•

- • Over temperature

•

- - Excessive load

• • Start fail

• •

- Radio glitch

••• Motor anomaly

- • Over

- current

- • • Auxiliary Wire Radio GlitchAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 11

- 1 

# 11. Airspace Management

Regulatory Airspace
Within the National Airspace of the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines and controls Regulatory Airspace. AV flights within the National Airspace require coordination with the FAA . The table below gives descriptions for airspace

classes.

Airspace Class Description

A Generally, that airspace from 18,000 feet MSL up to and including

Flight Level (FL) 600 (60,000 ft. MSL), including the airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles of the coast of the 48 contiguous states and Alaska. Unless otherwise authorized, all persons must operate their aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).

B Generally, that airspace from the surface to 10,000 feet MSL

surrounding the nation’s busiest airports in terms of airport operations or passenger enplanements. The configuration of each Class B airspace area is individually tailored and consists of a surface area and two or more layers(some Class B airspace ar eas resemble upside

down wedding cakes), and is designed to contain all published instrument procedures once an air

- craft enters the airspace areas resemble upside

- down wedding cakes), and is designed to contain all published instrument procedures once an aircraft enters the airspace. An ATC clearance is required for all aircraft to operate in the area, and all aircraft that are so cleared receive separation services within the airspace The cloud clearance requirement for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operatio ns is “clear of clouds.”

C Generally, that airspace from the surface to 4,000 feet above the

airport elevation (charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an operational control tower, are serviced by a radar approach
control, and that have a ce rtain number of IFR operations or passenger enplanements. Although the configuration of each Class C area is individually tailored, the airspace usually consists of a
surface area with a 5 nautical mile radius that extends from 1,200 feet
to 4,000 feet ab ove the airport elevation, and an outer area. Each person must establish two

- way radio communications with the ATC facility providing air traffic services prior to entering the airspace and thereafter maintain those communications while within the airspac e. VFR aircraft are only separated from IFR aircraft within the airspace.

D Generally, that airspace from the surface to 2,500 feet above the

airport elevation (charted in MSL) surrounding those airports that have an operational control tower. The confi guration of each Class D airspace area is individually tailored, and when instrument procedures are published, the airspace will normally be designed to contain the procedures. Arrival extensions for instrument approach procedures may be Class D or Class E airspace. Unless otherwiseAltavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 11

- 2

authorized, each person must establish two

- way radio communications with the ATC facility providing air traffic services prior to entering the airspace and thereafter maintain those communications while in the airspace. No se paration services are provided to VFR aircraft.

E Generally, if the airspace is not Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D,

and it is controlled airspace, it is Class E airspace. Class E airspace extends upward from either the surface or a designed altitu de to the overlying or adjacent controlled airspace. When designated as a surface area, the airspace will be configured to contain all instrument procedures. Also in this class are federal airways, airspace beginning
at either 700 or 1,200 feet AGL used to transition to/from the terminal or en route environment, en route domestic, and offshore airspace areas designated below 18,000 feet MSL. Unless designated at a lower altitude, Class E airspace begins at 14,500 MSL over the United States, including tha t airspace overlying the waters within 12 nautical miles off the coast of the 48 contiguous States and Alaska, up to, but not including 18,000 feet MSL, and the airspace above FL 600.

G That airspace not designated as Class A, B, C, D or E.



### Class G Weat her Limitations:Altavian, Inc. | CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Use or disclosure of this information is subject to restrictions contained herein. 11

- 3 COA (Certificat e of Authorization)

- COA is an authorization issued by the Air Traffic Organization to a public operator for a specific AV activity. After a complete application is submitted, FAA conducts a comprehensive operational and technical review. If necessary, provisions or limitations may be imposed as part of the approval to

ensure the AV can operate safely with other airspace users. In most cases, FAA will provide a formal response within 60 days from the time a completed appl ication is

submitted.

MOA (Military Operations Area) A military operations area (MOA) is airspace designated outside of Class A airspace, to separate or segregate certain nonhazardous military activities from IFR traffic and to identify for VFR traffic where these activities are

conducted.