Coronavirus: Grounded pilots take to the air in drones

Airline pilots are in increasing demand as operators of unmanned aircraft.

Former Qantas pilot and ‘Uber for drones’ service boss Tom Caska in Africa.

Airline pilots whose careers are in limbo because of COVID are in increasing demand as drone operators through their knowledge of aviation safety regulations.

Stood-down A380 pilot Will Stamatopoulos and former Qantas pilot Tom Caska are among those who have established drone businesses, building on their skills.

Mr Stamatopoulos said although he missed flying, operating unmanned aircraft made good use of his technical and piloting skills. “(Airline pilots) come from a highly disciplined, highly trained and structured background and what that does is make you an effective communicator who can make decisions commensurate of risk very quickly,” he said.

“I was met initially with a lot of resistance especially by (fellow airline pilots) but the prevalence of drones and the regulations we have, means they are more widely accepted.”

Since establishing In Motion Aero, Mr Stamatopoulos had seen demand for drones skyrocket, with their potential still to be fully realised. He said every day he saw new ways in which drones could be used, as Australia moved closer to a fully integrated airspace.

“In the short amount of time that unmanned aircraft has existed, the commercial advantages of using drones for dull, dirty and dangerous jobs have gone through the roof,” he said.

“We’ve created significant efficiency gains.”

Will Stamatopoulos, a stood-down Qantas A380 pilot whose drone business is flourishing during the COVID crisis. Picture: Supplied

Rob Sutton of Mirragin Unmanned Systems said ex-airline pilots were in demand in the industry, which was no longer simply a hobbyist’s playground. With his company seeking to provide drone solutions for defence and emergency services, he said the complexity of the platforms involved, was significant.

“There’s a lot more that goes on behind them to make sure they’re safe and reliable and remain fit for purpose,” he said.

“There’s a huge role for aircrew and pilots who have that understanding to implement programs successfully and work collaboratively with manned aircraft.”

Mr Sutton credited his MBA studies at the University of Queensland Business School for giving him the tools to set up the company after a career as an engineer with the Australian Army.

Aerologix co-founder Mr Caska also saw great opportunity for former pilots in the burgeoning drone industry, and began to explore the potential of unmanned aircraft after breaking his neck in a kitesurfing accident that halted his career as an airline pilot.

He and business partner Rakesh Routhu established Aero­logix, which matches drone pilots with projects from the small to very large.

“Once you’re an airline pilot you’re very much trained in the one task so it was very difficult to find something else to go and do,” Mr Caska.

“Drone technology, obviously being aviation, being up in the sky, gave me the ability to develop a passion for drones and feel like I was out flying again and I could really use my skills.”

With the company rapidly expanding, he now spends more time working with software engineers, finding new ways to deliver results for clients.

“We recently won a very large corporate contract, with one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, and we’re going to be surveying up to 10,000 assets in the next couple of years,” he said.

“Essentially we’re outsourcing the work through our platform which is free to join.”