In this session, attendees will get an in-depth understanding of what it means to have a safety management system implemented in UAS operations, on both a large and small scale. Presenters will explain how they use these systems to support their operations, defining the roles for flight crews, organizations, and the vehicles themselves and the value they provide in mitigating risks.
Implementing a Safety Management System for Unmanned Aviation. Challenging Task?
This presentation will provide the audience with a general framework of the main areas that must be implemented to implement a safety management system in unmanned aviation. Some aspects that will be discussed are: Regulatory Compliance, risk mitigation, Operational Efficiency, Legal Protection, International Standards, Continuous Improvement, and stakeholder confidence.
Bruno Boucher, Volatus Aerospace
The Value of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in Uncrewed Aviation Operations
Safety Management Systems (SMS) have been active within the manned aviation arena for decades, showing proven value in compliance and risk mitigations. But in the growing UAS market the voluntary adoption of SMS is extremely low, typically being limited to the larger operators. This presentation aims to show how SMS programs aid organizations of all sizes in effectively managing risk, creating safer operations and aiding a culture of safety. Organizations with an established safety management system have a distinct edge over those without, with many larger organizations requiring UAS operators they work with to have an established safety program/SMS (such as utility/infrastructure organizations). An SMS demonstrates voluntary proactive organizational safety to regulators, such as the FAA, EASA, etc. Having a working SMS shows clients, stakeholders and teammates that the organization is actively managing risks. This leads to greater trust, reduced costs, an improved culture and strengthened safety/compliance. The presentation will give an overview of SMS program structure, the four key components of an SMS (safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion) and how the implementation of an effective SMS positively supports an organization’s safe and sustainable growth.
Matthew West, Hawk AeroSafety LLC
December 30, 2023 – The Accident That Will Change Everything
On December 30, 2023 a Helicopter and a drone collided in mid-air near the Daytona Beach International Airport (KDAB). The real story behind the deadline is very different than the assumptions that the reader might take from a quick glance. Both pilots were FAA acredoted aviators, both aircraft were registered with the FAA and both operations were perfectly legal. The helicopter was on a short tourist flight with three souls on board and the drone was performing a recurrent mapping mission over a private construction site. In this presentation we will analyze what happened and how the NTSB is investigating, possibly for the first time a mid-air collision between an aircraft and a drone, both legal and both performing approved missions. The possible errors committed by both pilots as well as the nuances of flying under Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (Waiver/COA) will be explored in detail, offering valuable lessons to every drone pilot that is looking forward to fly in the National Airspace (NAS) safely and profitably. The financial consequences of not following the letter of the law and entering the NAS with a drone, will be examined and detailed.
Juan Plaza, Plaza Aerospace Corp.
