The Changing Face of Airmanship and Safety Culture Operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Abstract

The notion of using drones for commercial purposes has evolved in the past 5 years from the initial “boom” of excitement around this, somewhat of a novelty and curiosity, to more calculated and sophisticated use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones. In the hands of true professionals, drones can offer highly efficient and profitable solutions for industrial, and commercial inspections and other data capturing tasks. The appetite for safe and efficient collection of data is a changing face of safety cultures and how teams and individuals apply airmanship principles, and how inspection crew and UAS crew interact. UAS are no longer viewed as novelty or useful addition to the inspectors' “toolbox,” but as an integrated part of safety critical system. While there is much to be learned from tradition manned aviation, UAS pilots are confronted with different task priorities in order to effectively “aviate,” and therefore, like the changing face of airmanship and safety culture, to “aviate” emerges has having different attributes when compared to manned aviation.