News & Information

Are you ready to fly? Are you and your fellow crewmembers fit to fly? Is everyone on the crew current on their training? What is the status of your aircraft and mission systems? How is the weather? Etc.

If you’re a new Airborne Sensor Operator or an ASO as a secondary profession (scientist, photopgrapher, forester, etc.) and have not been exposed to some of the aviation safety tools out there, Part 1, 2 and 3 videos will help you get started, i.e., hopefully get you, your crewmembers and flight organization ready to fly! Also, if you feel like you’re Just-Winging-It when it comes to the flight environment you participate in (organization, crewmembers, etc.), take extra notes!

O’, I don’t want to be over dramatic, but flying can get out-of-hand quickly. This video makes that point, especially at low-level. Think Safety!

Drilling down further, the following video shows an aviation safety program that focuses on human factors, i.e., how to manage the “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” in all of us.

One of the major reasons ASOG came about is to make a small contribution to aviation (+ aerial remote-sensing) and a big contribution to the Airborne Sensor Operator (ASO) profession. One significant area is Aviation Safety and how the ASO is a critical part of the “Safety Net” (this includes unmanned sensor operators who support a drone operator…as a crew).

Take a look at this webpage and review the Accident archives related to the ASO community (Flight Type – Aerial photography, Ambulance, Calibration, Cinematography, Fire Fighting, Geographical, Meteorological, Military, Survey/Patrol/Reconnaissance, and Topographic):

B3A / Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

One negative trend I see with accidents that appear to have an ASO onboard is the term “PAX on board” which could mean that not enough emphasis (knowing who’s a PAX and who’s a Crew member, training, CRM, etc.) given to this critical crew position.

What other trends do you see?

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick)

(Image: Wikimedia Commons – Guillaume Normand)