• Table of Contents

1. Overview

Route searches are often the first flight pattern chosen when a missing aircraft or person(s) have vanished without a trace, but their likely route or course is known. Route searches are potentially the fastest way to find targets and wrap up the mission.

The following scenarios might prompt a route search:

• A missing aircraft has crashed or made a forced landing on or near its intended track (route).
• Missing persons may be traveling along a known highway, trail, river, ridgeline, etc.

Unsuccessful route searches may transition into Creeping Line Searches for additional lateral coverage on either side of the route.

2. Search Method

The sUAS is flown directly overhead of the route with the camera focused on the route’s centerline. The pilot will concentrate their Central Vision on the route, shown in orange circles below. Movement and bright colors may still be visible in the Peripheral Vision areas shown in red, but the Probability of Detection (POD) will be reduced.

If your team can provide a second live feed and someone to serve as a feed scanner, that scanner can raise POD by applying a standard live feed scanning pattern, as discussed in: 3.5.3 - General Scanning of Live Video Feeds.