A Knowledge & Skills Investment

Posted on 27/04/2016

Al’s thoughts for the day on investing time in continuous training

Understandably, as commercial drone operators we are focused on the initial capital cost and wanting to rapidly see the return on that investment. This investment includes the equipment, insurance, professional memberships, the training and of course, the approval outlay. The temptation is to select the cheapest route to training to get us through the quickest assessment. Our experience at A J S Support Limited (AJSSL) is that this is not always the most cost effective long term approach. We were advised early on to invest in training to gain skills and experience. We always plan regular “skills & drills” flights; these are a run through of our ops procedures from planning to system recovery. Being ex military this is familiar territory.

It is encouraging to see the growing numbers of training establishments for supporting commercial drone operators in UK.

We see and read a lot about operators rushing to see how far and how fast their new piece of tech will go and how far it will allow them and their customers to see. This instant thrill has become really simple with the advent of aircraft auto stabilisation and GPS hold modes; but what happens when things go wrong and if these modes fail?

Commercial drone training courses comprising theory and practical assessments structured against the criteria in CAP 722. These are becoming shorter and more cost effective for a commercial operator and is the cornerstone to train and demonstrate an operator is are safe to operate within a set of constraints. From our experience operators build valuable knowledge and experience from practical flying.

Knowledge and experience of what will the system do in the event of a failure throughout the range of control modes; what does the operator need to do in a split second in order to save the aircraft or prevent damage to people or property? What is the impact of the failure at range and/or height? I am now clearly talking about the more complex and heavier aircraft some with 2 x 800 mm carbon fibre blades rotating at 2,200 rpm and are still in the 7 kg bracket.

An operator can gain a Permission for Aerial Work (PfAW) on a small 500g fully autonomous aircraft, they are then able to fly a more complex 7 kg machine under the same permission. An operator can fly a range of systems with various mass, speeds and control complexities.

My Training

I was always trained in a structured manner in the military and I have continued this in my introduction to the commercial operation of drones. I feel the key is planning for training, this means scheduling in training flights and having aims for each flight and most importantly to be self critical and constantly learning from those flights. I use head and body cameras to playback flight to assist with my review of flights. I was recently prompted to write this small post after reading about a very early pioneer aviators experience. I feel that some of this is timeless and relevant today.

Some early wisdom

A well-known aviator Wilbur Wright pointed out ‘It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.’

When he describes gaining his experience he said: ‘..we have not felt that our few hours of practice is sufficient to justify ambitious attempts too hastily. Before trying to rise to any dangerous height a man ought to know that in an emergency his mind and muscles will work by instinct rather than by conscious effort. There is no time to think.’

‘While the high flights were more spectacular, the low ones were fully as valuable for training purposes. Skill comes by the constant repetition of familiar feats rather than by a few overbold attempts at feats for which the performer is yet poorly prepared.’

– Wilbur Wright (1867-1912)

Our approach is structured

At AJSSL we have flown, and are flying, a wide range of unmanned aircraft systems.  As consultants keen to maintain currency in operation of a representative range of commercial unmanned aircraft systems, this range changes each year. We always implement a structured introductory approach for new unmanned systems before we would consider operating them in anger in front of the public. This introduction is to develop a level of knowledge and experience for both the flight operation and the maintenance of the system. We are learning about the system in various situations and also the reliability of the system including common failures.

Some 7 years ago now, I was lucky to be referred to professional support in the early introduction to unmanned operation. I invested in professional training in basic unmanned flying skills and later I was professionally trained on large aircraft with complex control systems. I feel that this has been a priceless foundation for my development.

At AJSSL, we also use a simulator to complement practical flights. It is used for both the introduction of new systems and continuance “skills & drills” training. The simulator model used for each aircraft type is as close to the real aircraft “look and feel” as we can achieve without paying a ridiculous amount for bespoke software and models. Our simulator is also programmed for a range of weather conditions and for standard aircraft system failures to gain experience of recovery / damage limitation.

During any new unmanned system introduction, we try to fly regularly in order to maintain the learning momentum and retain skills, this includes in less than ideal weather to not only improve skills but also confidence.

I am now able to introduce new systems myself but I still know when it is time and cost effective to call in experienced support myself.

With each new system I always start from the beginning again. It all starts with gaining knowledge and familiarity with the system theory. Yes, I read the user manual. I then carry out a high level Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). This gives me an initial insight as to what could go wrong and informs the Draft Flight Reference Cards. Then it is on to the start-up and shut down – the meaning of combinations status lights, on screen status messages and associated emergency drills. Finally I get the kit in the air! introducing basic slow and deliberate close in manoeuvres in all control modes of the system.

After approx 5 hours (dependent on complexity of the system) over 30 flights in an appropriately controlled environment; I begin to push the boundaries of height, range and environment. This include emergency drills at range and height. I don’t want the first time I fly in a challenging environment to be in front of my paying customer.

Failures will happen….. be prepared

I was always told ‘failure to plan is a plan to failure’. I still feel this is very relevant to drone operation, to the point that even on a training refresher flight, we plan the flight. Every flight has an aim, either to refresh, gain experience or check the system setup. We follow the full planning and follow up process for each flight, including learning from each one. This includes on simulator sessions.

An operator needs to practice the emergencies at the limits of their operating boundary. If it can go wrong …. it will and it will be when you least want it to.

We are always happy to share our experience

AJSSL is a family company of aeronautical engineers. I have 30 years experience in aviation and we have been operating a range of drones for over 6 years. We have held a CAA Permission for Aerial Work (PfAW) since the first year they were introduced (2010). We have a wide range of system experience from fixed wing mapping systems to professional multi rotors and on to standard rotary winged with a 2m rotor disc.

Introduction to drones – If you are thinking about starting out in the fantastic rapidly developing market then why not come and see our range of systems, and even have a go. We are not re-sellers, we are completely independent aviation equipment support providers. So, no sales pitch from us.

Training Support Session – We can help you plan structured training to gain practical experience. This does not have to be paying for hours and hours of our time. We advise a structured approach to continuous training involving an operator flying their system to achievable goals over time. You could engage AJSSL to observe a check flight and provide feedback and aims for your improvement over a period.

Training Programme – If you feel you require a little more consistent support we can assist with providing a step by step, goal driven practical flight training programme. This allows you to go at your pace with only as much instruction time as is necessary to pay for.

Check Flight – Once you have been flying for a while you can always book to come back for a quick check flight to make sure you are not picking up bad habits. A second pair of eyes to see if you are still flying safely.

Welcome to any potential operators. We are always happy to encourage safe professional drone operation, our contact details are on this site.

To the current operators reading this – thank you for taking the time, and I wish you all safe and prosperous flying,

Al Stevens [Als Profile]