NIROPS Update:

Phoenix System and IR Operations in 2012

Topics

Phoenix System Review

AirCell Telecommunications System

IR Operations

Phoenix IR System Review and2012 Status

PHOENIX System SpecificationsTwo channel thermal IR line scanner

3-5 μm band for intense heat8-12 μm band for background terrain

1.25 milliradian IFOV – 3.5 meter pixel at NADIR, 10,000 feet AGL1200 FOV – 6 mile swath at 10,000 feet AGL256 gray scale (256th pixel is colored red)1680 pixels per scan line200 scan lines per second

WHY IR LINE SCANNERS?Cover extremely large areas in a very short period of time

Line scanners are extremely accurate (depending on processing system)

Can detect very small fires

(While simultaneously)

Mapping very large areas

Timely delivery

USFS Phoenix Type 1 System FOV 6.5 miles (Yellow Box)

StarSafire III Type 3 System FOV .65 miles

Private Sector Type 2 System FOV 1.25 miles

Gold 1 Fire PerimeterSeptember 1, 2003

8317 Acres

Direction of Flight(Flight Time 2 Minutes)

KA-B Detection Concept

Mid

IR

LWIR

KA

-B

MO

DV

OL

12.5 ft Pixel 0 Deg. C Terrain

10 Inch Square 600 Deg. C Fire 100 Deg. C Asphalt

Courtesy John Green, Argon ST

A = Mid IR (3-5 µm)

B = LWIR (8-12 µm)

KA – B Detection Output From Phoenix SystemKA – B Detection Output From Phoenix System

Phoenix System SummarySoftware and hardware upgrades to the Phoenix IR system have increased its utility for wildland fire incident support

Output data product is GIS-ready

Planned software upgrades will add to current utility

File size reduction through compression and/or breaking files into logical blocks

AirCell Telecommunications System

AIRCELL WINS FCC AUCTION

AirCell awarded exclusive air-to-ground broadband license in June 2006 by FCC.

AIRCELL to use ground based “EV-DO” cell phone technology

Debuting in early 2008, coverage will be seamless coast to coast

►►““Go-Go” In Flight Internet service offered by Delta, American, and Virgin AmericaGo-Go” In Flight Internet service offered by Delta, American, and Virgin America

ADVANTAGES

1. Fewer takeoffs and landings resulting in less spent fuel per mission and less maintenance.

2. Safer flights due to fewer landings late at night into uncontrolled dark airports.

3. Late night drives to pick up data by IRINs eliminated.4. Less time lost doing ftp downloads since data

transfer is almost in real time from aircraft.5. Data arriving at NIROPS folder at ftp.nifc.gov earlier

in the mission day allowing faster processing.6. Less expensive than satellite based telecomm

systems, with higher data transfer rates.

SECURITYSecurity levels will be provided equivalent to that found at Wi-Fi hotspots at hotels and coffee houses. AirCell’s air-to-ground wireless link is highly secure using encryption and other techniques to ensure privacy of user data.

AACU

ACPU CWAP

Corded SIP Handset(for maintenance ONLY)

GPS/PCSAntenna

ABSAntennas

WiFiAntennas

9

Wired Ethernet(optional)

AIRCELL Equipment

ftp.nifc.gov /ftp.nifc.gov /NIROPSNIROPS

Coverage - 2008 (3 sector)

PEAK DATA RATES3.1 Mega bits per second (Mbps) from the ground to the aircraft

uninterrupted coast to coast and border to border.

1.8 Mega bits per second (Mbps) from the aircraft to the ground

giving an experience similar to a DSL connection at home or small office.

AirCell demonstration June 2008, AirCell demonstration June 2008, 29.1 Mb file downloaded to the NIFC 29.1 Mb file downloaded to the NIFC FTP site in 17 minutes with 6 other FTP site in 17 minutes with 6 other users over aircraft’s WI-FI networkusers over aircraft’s WI-FI network

How Does This Impact The IRIN (and the incidents)?

You will get your data sooner, but

You may not get as much dataOrtho-rectified grayscale imagery

GeoTiff format

Raw Heat shapefile

Phoenix metadata

Ortho-rectified color imagery**

** Dependant on fire size and number of fires to be flown

}WinZipWinZiparchivearchive

AirCell Internet Connectivity

•Twitter feeds from both IR Aircraft•Near real time status updates

•Fires flown•Imagery upload status•UTFs

Questions?