Many progressive mining operations are now seriously considering—and in some cases already implementing—the use of UAVs, or drones. In the following guest blog post, Sean Jefferys, owner and geospatial consultant at Sean Jefferys Ltd., reports on the effectiveness of UAVs in the mining industry. Drones are being deployed at mine…
With over eight years of fixed-wing UAV experience, spanning over 1,000 commercial flight operations, the founder of 21SUR Aerospace, Pablo Sandoval Mastandrea, knows a thing or two about what makes commercial drone operations work. Here he talks to Waypoint about his team’s many learnings and how crucial BVLOS work will…
It’s an exciting time for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) research, with one of the largest BVLOS trials in the world currently underway in Canada. Waypoint recently sat down with the head of the ambitious project, Chris Healy, owner and operator at IN-FLIGHT Data, to better understand the purpose…
Agricultural data experts, SPACEDAT of Peru, recently reached an enviable drone milestone: 500 successful drone flights completed. Waypoint met the company’s founder, Cesar Urrutia, to discuss what he has learned during this multitude of missions. Hi Cesar. For those who didn’t hear of SPACEDAT before, could you give us an…
At this year’s Intergeo exhibition in September, Waypoint caught up with a true Asian drone pioneer. Joel Ferrer Cruz heads up SRDP Consulting Inc., a leading provider of GIS, survey and mapping services, based in the Philippines, which carries out a myriad of manned and unmanned aircraft imaging projects across…
An experienced agriculture mechanic, Mark Hewitt of Hewitt Precision Insights is no stranger to delving deep into technology. However, when he discovered drones, he saw enough potential to build a business around them, and he now provides detailed aerial insights to crop growers across Minnesota. Waypoint caught up with Mark…
After piloting manned aircraft for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for most of his career, Matt Pickett of Oceans Unmanned gained a new passion for operating UAS upon retirement. Using unmanned systems to protect our oceans inspires him, Matt says, and gives him hope that future generations can…
Gebhard Merk, aka Geby, works for Schällibaum AG, one of Switzerland’s leading civil engineering, architecture and geomatics companies. Geby has used UAVs to supplement the firm’s terrestrial geodata for over five years, so he has lots to say about the value drones can bring. Waypoint caught up with him at…
When it comes to working, and thriving, in hot desert environments, Philip Angell of Dubai-based VPS has more experience than most. We caught up with Philip between projects to learn how he went from being a UK-educated hydrographic surveyor working in the oil and gas industry to a pioneer of…
When it comes to professional drone operators, they don’t come more passionate than Soaring Sky’s Ryan Cowell—a man who moved across the States to pursue his dream of using drones for good. Waypoint caught up with Ryan to discuss thinking big, praying to the UAS gods and, ultimately, trusting your…