UAS Airspace Coordination During Wildfire and Complex Incidents

Temporary Flight Restrictions, NOTAMs, air-traffic activity, incident aircraft, smoke, visibility, winds, and the incident boundary can change during an operational period. The remote pilot reviews current information before flight and remains responsible for continuing compliance.

A request from a ground organization does not automatically provide permission to operate inside a TFR or near incident aircraft. The controlling agency and authorization process identified for that restriction govern access.

Identify the Air Operations Branch, Air Tactical Group Supervisor, controlling agency, or other designated aviation contact for the incident. Establish the UAS operating area, altitude, time block, lost-communications action, launch/recovery location, and the condition that requires immediate landing.

If the incident cannot provide the coordination required for safe integration, the UAS assignment should not proceed. A later mapping or documentation assignment after crewed operations have ended may be a safer alternative.

The FAA publishes active TFR information and identifies how authorized public-safety operations may seek access. Depending on the operation, the organization may use an existing Certificate of Authorization, Part 107 authority with required approvals, or the Special Governmental Interest process described by the FAA.

The operator and requesting authority should document which authority applies. This resource is operational planning information, not an authorization to fly or a substitute for the current TFR text and FAA coordination.

Remote video can help designated incident personnel view a mapped area or exterior condition without crowding the launch site. It should not create a second, uncoordinated tasking channel. Requests to reposition the aircraft move through the assigned aviation or operational contact.

The viewer must make a degraded or lost connection obvious. An urgent aircraft conflict, hazard, or finding is communicated through the primary incident channel rather than waiting for streaming video to recover.

Record the requestor, assignment, authorization or coordination reference, operating window, aviation contact, start/stop times, significant airspace changes, and deliverable transfer. Do not place protected contact details or authorization credentials in a public report.

After the assignment, compare planned and actual operating areas and document any unobserved area, early termination, connectivity limitation, or change requested by air operations.