From Forest Patrol to Hotspot Observation: The AT-G18Y and MT11 at Work
Forest-fire teams need a clear view of changing conditions across ridges, tree lines and remote access roads. Aerial patrol helps teams survey broad areas, revisit priority sectors and inspect smoke or heat anomalies from a useful vantage point. It can extend the view beyond what road patrols can reach and provide visual information for operational teams on the ground.
For these missions, Aerosys offers two complementary products to consider: the AT-G18Y hybrid-electric VTOL fixed-wing UAV as the patrol aircraft, and the UniPod MT11 four-sensor optical pod for multi-channel observation.
AT-G18Y: cover forest routes from flexible launch points
Forest patrol routes often begin far from an airport or prepared runway. The AT-G18Y uses a vertical take-off and landing configuration, giving teams more flexibility to deploy from suitable field locations. After take-off, its fixed-wing flight profile supports patrol planning across ridgelines, forest boundaries, fire roads and priority protection zones.
The hybrid-electric AT-G18Y publishes an 18 kg dynamic payload capacity, an 11 L fuel tank, 0.96 L/h listed fuel consumption, and 12 hours of typical VTOL endurance at an 8 kg payload. That endurance gives project teams room to plan longer patrol legs, revisit priority areas and maintain an aerial view during scheduled monitoring windows. The route and sortie plan can be tailored around the forest sector, launch point and mission payload.
Built from aerospace carbon-fibre composites, the airframe supports tool-free quick disassembly. This helps teams prepare the aircraft for transport to a remote staging point and organize field deployment around the day’s patrol plan.
MT11: move from area search to closer observation
During a patrol, operators need both a broad view of the landscape and a closer look at a specific area. The MT11 brings wide-angle, zoom, infrared and laser rangefinder channels together in one stabilised optical pod, so the crew can adapt its view as the mission develops.
| Patrol stage | How the MT11 helps |
|---|---|
| Survey a forest sector | Wide-angle imagery shows the surrounding scene and patrol area. |
| Review a smoke plume or distant object | Zoom helps operators inspect visible detail and the target’s surroundings. |
| Observe temperature variation | Infrared imagery helps reveal thermal patterns that merit closer review. |
| Add distance information | The laser rangefinder provides a distance reading for scene assessment. |
| Record mission imagery | The pod supports up to 8K video and 48 MP still photos. |
With 11x optical zoom, 165x hybrid zoom, three-axis stabilisation and 360° unlimited yaw, the MT11 supports continuous observation as the aircraft moves along a patrol route. Its built-in 10 TOPS AI computing supports onboard recognition and tracking tasks. Operators can establish context with the wide-angle channel, inspect a selected area with zoom, and use infrared imagery to review temperature patterns — all from the same sensor payload.
A forest patrol workflow, from route to review
- Plan the sector. Select suitable launch points and plan routes along forest boundaries, ridgelines, access roads and high-priority zones.
- Survey from the air. Use the AT-G18Y to follow the planned route while the crew monitors the overall landscape through the MT11 wide-angle channel.
- Inspect a priority area. When smoke or a thermal anomaly appears, use zoom and infrared channels to review the scene in greater detail.
- Share useful observations. Save video, still images and distance readings as inputs for the next patrol decision or ground follow-up.
- Return to priority sectors. Schedule repeat passes to observe changes and maintain a consistent aerial view of selected areas.
The AT-G18Y and MT11 bring together long-endurance patrol planning and multi-sensor observation in one mission concept. The platform covers the route; the pod gives operators more ways to inspect the scene and document what they see.
Plan your wildfire patrol configuration with Aerosys
Aerosys can discuss an AT-G18Y and MT11 configuration around your forest area, patrol frequency, route length, launch locations and observation priorities. Share your project requirements with our team to review the aircraft, payload, interfaces and ground-system needs for your operation.
Explore the products: AT-G18Y hybrid-electric VTOL UAV · UniPod MT11 four-sensor optical pod
Planning a forest patrol project? Contact Aerosys to discuss your configuration.