News & Information

ASOG 2020 Focus Areas: Information sharing

Last week we posted a general consolidation of webinars that relates to our profession and your professional develop. From that post, one of our members (Marcus Gurtner, member since 2017) shared that he’ll be conducting a webinar on 10 June.

The theme of the webinar is: Converting a GA or Transport aircraft into a Search & Rescue Aircraft.  If you are interested, let Marcus and his Team know, i.e., register at http://www.sar-sensorswebinar.com

***Side Note***: I want to say thank you to everyone at Airborne Technologies. It’s great that they think of ASOG and support by providing informative information to ASOG members & connections. I know its part marketing but it is also professionally informative, i.e., whats trending regarding tech, capabilities and who does what in the aerial multi-mission sector.

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick)

ASOG 2020 Focus Area: Information Sharing

The other day I was cleaning out my in-box and realized I hadn’t shared this article. It was published this month in the GA Buyer Europe magazine. The focus is on those aircraft that do Aerial Work operations vs. GA and Transportation, i.e., it relates to the office of an Airborne Sensor Operator…both manned and unmanned aircraft.

Article on Page 33: GA Buyer Europe, May 2020

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick)

Hello Everyone,

Here is a follow-up video from last month. I thought the technical aspect would be interesting for some of you. My boss Mr. Wolfgang Grumeth does a walk around of a Vulcanair P68 Observer we converted to a Multi-Sensor Surveying and Mapping aircraft. Actually, it was the second aircraft we did for the same client. If you have any questions, please let me know. I hope you enjoy the video.

ASOG 2020 Focus Areas: Professional Development and Training

Do you still have some free time or cannot travel? As part of our effort to strength the Airborne Sensor Operator profession, we consolidated a list of virtual workshops and webinars presented by leading professional associations or companies (hyperlinked below) that relates to the ASO profession.

Side note: ASOG has no connection with the companies or associations below. They were chosen because of the technical information presented.

If you know of a workshop or webinar that is not here but would be a valuable learning event for our community, just call it out.

Civil-Commercial:

Nearmap  

• Seeing IS Believing: Using High-Res Aerial Imagery to Boost Productivity
• How 2D Turns Into 3D with HD Aerial Mapping
• HD Aerial Imagery Helps Solar Shine
• Location Intelligence: Context is Everything
• Imagery & Insights: HD Aerial Maps Elevate Project Plans
• More….

SenseFly   

• Drones at a Distance – Lessons Learned From North America’s Largest BVLOS UAV Project BVLOS project
• Integrating Drone Tech into Mine and Quarry Workflows
• Ag Drone Insights 1, 2, 3
• Drone to GIS Explained
• More…….

Public Safety:

Airborne Public Safety Association  (Requires Membership)

• CFI Roundtable and Discussion
• IIMC (Helicopter Operations)
• Drone Maintenance…Manage it Like an Aircraft
• Advanced Drone Tactics

Defense & Security:

Association of Old Crows (AOC)  (Members - Free / Non-Member - fee)

• Deep Learning and Waveform Classification
• The Fundamentals of Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensor Engineering
• Denial & Deception: Getting back to SIGINT’s roots
• EW System Development: Critical Thinking in Design Tradeoffs
• The Lost Art of HF: The Rebirth of Shortwave in a Digital World
• High Resolution Direction Finding
• Understanding Quantum Computing & Communications
• Convergence of TDOA/AOA in Operational Environments
• Specific Emitter Identification (SEI)
• Introduction to Radar Pulse Deinterleaving
• High Power Radio Frequency/Microwave Directed Energy Weapons (HPM DEWs)

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick)

ASOG Article of the Month - May 2020

ASOG Author: Roderic Hutton; Image: Commons.wikimedia.org & unspash.com

As an ASO or anyone who participates in the Aerial Remote Sensing business, enhancing your airmanship and technical knowledge is an important part of your professional development. Roderic Hutton highlights a great way to do this by participating in pilot training.

First thing first

This article is Not about how you should learn to fly an airplane because it’s fun. I personally find it very enjoyable, as do many others, but there are already plenty of books, websites, and YouTube channels devoted to aviation as an avocation. It’s entirely possible that you have spent so much time in an airplane that the last thing you want to do with your free time is fly even more, and that is completely understandable.

But even if you have no desire to spend one extra hour of your life flying for “fun,” undergoing even a small amount of pilot training can significantly enhance your professional knowledge and value to your team, which is the focus of this article.

Why will pilot training enhance your value?

Short answer: Because you’ll be able to help your crew stay safe and legal.

Long answer: Consider a hypothetical scenario...

You’re a private pilot, and work as a sensor operator onboard a dual-piloted King Air, flying daily out of a quiet, towered airport. It’s the second-long flight of the day and everyone is feeling drained, but the show must go on. While conducting preflight checks at your station, you listen to the taxi clearance from the tower and note that its the same instructions you get for every flight. Based upon experience at this airport, you predict that the tower will issue takeoff clearance as soon as the aircraft is ready to go.

Later, as the aircraft approaches the end of the taxiway, the copilot’s tablet computer comes unstuck from the window and falls to the floor. As he picks it up, the tower issues the instruction to “line up and wait” on the active runway. The pilot repeats the instruction and taxis onto the runway, but instead of bringing the aircraft to a full stop on the runway centerline as he is supposed to, he begins advancing the throttles for an immediate takeoff.

Luckily you were paying attention, and make a quick, sharply worded command to the pilot over the intercom. The pilot recognizes the error, brings the throttles back, immediately applies the brakes, and nobody is the wiser.

You have just saved the pilots from a serious infraction, but more importantly, your crew and the pilot of a Cessna 172 crossing the runway on the intersecting taxiway are all going home to their families tonight.

Three Factors

In this story, there are three main factors leading to a potential accident. Fatigue diminished everyone’s alertness, distraction compromised the co-pilot, and anticipation of a clearance trumped the pilot’s ability to recognize the actual instruction. Its these simple lapses of awareness that good pilots fear, because they can happen to anyone, and carry grave consequences. Events such as catastrophic engine failures in commercial operations are extremely rare. The same cannot be said for miscommunication over the radio, which has the potential to be equally deadly.

If this seems implausible, consider that a similar miscommunication about takeoff clearance resulted in the deadliest aviation accident in history, when two 747’s collided on the runway in Tenerife resulting in 583 fatalities. If it could happen to the three-person KLM flight crew with a combined experience of 38,000 flight hours, it could happen to you.

In the Defense Against Mistakes

In our fictional story, an experienced sensor operator with no pilot training could have saved the day, but a trained pilot is more likely to catch this kind of mistake, and countless similar ones that have ended careers and lives in the past.

In aviation it is understood that making mistakes is part of the human condition. Every pilot has made, and will continue to make mistakes, no matter how much training and experience he has. One way to minimize the frequency and magnitude of mistakes is to present every situation to multiple observers and decision-makers. Pilot training makes you that second or third decision maker in the line of defense against mistakes. Leveraging the combined situational awareness of a team is the goal of Crew Resource Management, or CRM. This topic merits its own article, but for readers who are not familiar with CRM, it is a methodology for using all available resources to make operations as safe as possible. You should always consider yourself a resource in the furtherance of safety.

Pilots who practice CRM will value extra sets of eyes and ears. The more informed those eyes and ears, the more valuable. In earning a primary-level license like a Private Pilot certificate, you will be required to learn the basic laws of aviation that apply to all civil operations. You will learn about weather hazards, how to use navigation systems, and how to communicate with all echelons of air traffic control.

Just as importantly, you will encounter unfamiliar situations and make mistakes. Perhaps the sensor operator from the story made the same mistake as the pilot during his training and would have taken off without a clearance if not for quick action from his flight instructor. These kinds of experiences have the potential to make a lasting imprint on people and make them extra attentive to detail in all similar future situations.

Where do I Start!

By this point, I hope your thinking is along the lines of “Ok, you’ve convinced me, where do I start?!” First, know that you have a lot of going for you. Chances are you are already an experienced, technically oriented aviation professional, and basic airmanship skills as well as the technical knowledge will probably come easily.

Common subject areas that new students struggle with include situational awareness and radio communication. You probably already possess developed skills in one or both of these disciplines and are way ahead of the curve.

Your next step is to research flight schools, get your medical certificate, and knock out the written test. There is a lot to unpack in these three tasks, so in a future installment I will go into depth with all of them, including choosing a school, preparation for training, funding your training, and more. Stay tuned!

ASOG 2020 Focus Areas: General

Very interesting. It was great to see the participation and honest answers. Thank you to those who contributed. Both the poll and quiz questions & answers are great to get a better understanding of our specific profession and feedback to members on areas for improvement. So, take a look below and see what you think.

Also, if you missed last month’s Poll & Quiz questions, you’ll have a shot at April’s questions. Just jump over to the Poll & Quiz tab and click away!

March 2020 POLL:

Certification & Accreditation - Should civil ASOs (outside of military institutions) be certified or rated?

• Yes – 67%
• No – 33%
• Other (tell us in the comments section) - 0%

Aerial Remote Sensing Industry – (As of 1 April) How will COVID-19 effect the Aerial Remote Sensing Industry (Commercial, Public Safety and Defense) and ASO jobs in 2020?

• It will greatly affect it in a negative way - 14%
• It will slightly affect it in a negative way - 57%
• No affect - 14%
• It will slightly affect it in a positive way - 0%
• It will greatly affect it in a positive way - 14%
• Other (tell us in the comments section) - 0%

Safety / CRM - Does your organization consider ASOs as aircrew and do they apply Crew Resource Management (CRM) appropriately?

• Yes - 43%
• No - 57%
• Other (tell us in the comments section) - 0%

Professional Classification - What role or position within a civil/commercial manned aircraft flight crew does an Airborne Sensor Operator belong?

• Flight-Deck Crew (Pilot, Navigator, Flight Engineer etc.) - 100%
• Cabin Crew (Flight Attendant, Paramedic etc.) - 0%
• Passenger - 0%
• Other (tell us in the comments section) - 0%

Professional Classification - Is “Airborne Sensor Operator” a profession, i.e., in line with other aviation career fields, e.g., Pilot, Flight Engineer, Flight Attendant, etc.?

• Yes - 83%
• No - 17%
• Other (tell us in the comments section) - 0%
• Comment: I voted no because you have career flyers in the industry, and non-career flyers such as JTACs, TACPs, or others being brought in as ASOs without the history of crew concept, handling emergencies, CRM and how it applies in an aircraft. If there were an established guideline and pipeline to hire from rather than the cool handshake club route then i would say it's in line with pilots, flight engineers. Due to the lack of Aviation and aircrew experience and exposure by these non-career flyers then it is not in line with those listed.

March 2020 QUIZ:

Passive Sensors Systems and Capabilities – What sensor is not considered a passive sensor?

• Imaging radiometer - 0%
• Spectrometer - 20%
• Scatterometer - 80%
• Accelerometer - 0%

Meteorology – On a clear summer day, turbulence caused by solar heating is most pronounced:

• Immediately after sunset. - 0%
• During the early afternoon. - 100%
• During early morning hours before sunrise. - 0%
• About midmorning. - 0%

Active Sensors Systems and Capabilities - LiDAR _____________to see under trees, when acquiring elevation data using remote sensing data collected from above the Earth’s surface (e.g., airplanes or sat)

• Does not have the ability - 100%
• Does have the ability - 0%
• Other (tell us in the comment section) - 0%

Flight & Airfield Operations - In aviation, what is an ILS?

• Incandescent Lighting System - 0%
• International Loading System - 0%
• Instrument Landing System - 100%
• Immediate Launch System - 0%

Electro-Magnetic Spectrum - Which of the following is correct in order of lowest to highest frequency?

• X-rays, Visible Light, Microwave - 20%
• Ultraviolet, Visible Light, Gamma-rays - 20%
• Microwave, Visible Light, Gamma-rays - 60%

If you’re interested in contributing a question for either the ASOG Poll or Quiz, please e-mail it to deskeditor@aso-group.org.

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick Ryan)

Hi again everyone, since I’m on a roll posting here in the group.

I thought I’d share an article just written about the company I work for in the AVBuyer and GA Buyer Europe Magazine (May 2020). Enjoy the read. O’…if you have a question, I’ll be glad to connect you with the right person in our company, just send me a message or leave a comment on this post.

Stay safe everyone!

Airborne Technologies: Designed for Precision

Hey everyone, I hope you are well and safe. 

I just wanted to get the word out that the company I work for is still operating under the current global crisis.

So if there’s anyone in the group who is working on a project that requires upgrading their current or new special mission aircraft, we’ve setup a Specialist Team able to conduct personal online consultation meetings via Zoom, Skype, Webex, or any other tool of your comfort.

Just send an e-mail to sales@airbornetechnologies.at and book an appointment.

ASOG visitors,

Because many of you might have some unscheduled downtime related to the current global pandemic, we posted our internal ASOG Newsletter (ASOG March 2020 Highlights) for you to read and participate.

We’ll close the members-only Article Library and Polls & Quiz area NLT 16 April. Please enjoy the Newsletter and if you want to join ASOG, just click the “Sign-Up” button on our homepage. But most important, we hope you stay safe & well during these challenging times.

---------------------- ASOG March 2020 Highlights:

ASOG Members,

I hope everyone is doing well. As many of us can relate to, March was a very interest month for our families, communities and for many people around the world regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. With time, discipline and patience, we should be getting back to normal ops in the near-future.

Speaking of normal ops or new ops, our new projects (ASOG Article of the Month, Article Library and Poll & Quiz questions) are up and running. Thank you to those who’ve helped make it happen and to those who’ve volunteered to become ASOG Authors.

For me, it’s been great to see and work with people here in ASOG who care about our profession and who want to go beyond their daily job routine to make things better for others and they’re own careers.

Before I let you go so you can start surfing the highlights, don’t forget, ASOG is designed for you to share your experiences and current efforts so others in our profession (young & old) can learn, i.e., best practices, trends, job opportunities, work related questions etc.

So, if you want to experiment with something (e.g., webcast, article series, host a service etc.) just let me know, maybe we can test it here. Like I’ve said to some of you,” Nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

With that, let's get started.

MARCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Blog Board: 

The Airborne Sensor Operator and The School of U

New ASOG Article Library and Poll & Quiz Features   

What are Aerial Work Operations?  

March ASOG Article of the Month - What are the Golden Rules in IIMC?   

Write for Us – Airborne Sensor Operators Group   

Looking for NVIS capable, powerful tablet  

ASOG Stammtisch BC (Before COVID-19)  

Poll & Quiz:

Poll (March Questions)

Certification & Accreditation - Should civil ASOs (outside of military institutions) be certified or rated?  

Aerial Remote Sensing Industry – How will COVID-19 effect the Aerial Remote Sensing Industry (Commercial, Public Safety and Defense) and ASO jobs in 2020?  

Management (CRM) appropriately Safety / CRM - Does your organization consider ASOs as aircrew and do they apply Crew Resource?   

Professional Classification - What role or position within a civil/commercial manned aircraft flight crew does an Airborne Sensor Operator belong?   

Professional Classification - Is “Airborne Sensor Operator” a profession, i.e., in line with other aviation career fields, e.g., Pilot, Flight Engineer, Flight Attendant, etc.?  

Quiz (March Questions)

Passive Sensors Systems and Capabilities – What sensor is not considered a passive sensor?  

Active Sensors Systems and Capabilities - LiDAR _____________to see under trees, when acquiring elevation data using remote sensing data collected from above the Earth’s surface (e.g., airplanes or satellite).  

Flight & Airfield Operations - In aviation, what is an ILS?  

Electro-Magnetic Spectrum - Which of the following is correct in order of lowest to highest frequency? 

Information Forum:

New ASOG Supporter - Aurora Geospatial Solutions (AGS)

New ASOG Supporter – Kabelik GmbH

New ASOG Supporter – G2Consulting

New Network Members: Members Area  

• Andy L.
• Tim "Jake" W.
• Ciaran M.
• Trevor B.
• Molete A.S.
• Nicholas J.
• Jonathan K.
• Mathew R.S.

2020 FLIGHT PLAN / FORECAST

Projects:

• April ASOG Article of the Month / Meet the ASOG Author – Wayne Dahlke
• ASO Pay & Benefit Survey

Events: Events Calendar  (Recommended events for member networking and professional development)

• International LiDAR Mapping Forum - Postponed
• Aero Friedrichshafen - Postponed
• 2020 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit – Cancelled
• Maritime Search and Rescue 2020
• AOC Electronic Warfare Europe 2020
• Multi-Mission Expo & Conferences 2021

That's it for March, until the end of April, stay safe and be patient.

Again, if you want to break out of your current professional routine or situation and want to expand yourself, start engaging others here in the group by networking, posting, and participating.

Best Regards,

Patrick

Patrick Ryan
ASOG Managing Director

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Airborne Sensor Operators Group (ASOG) is a global professional network that allows members to network, collaborate, and share information to shape the ASO profession, individual careers, and the industries that ASO's participate in. As such, ASOG's goal is to promote the ASO profession and enable the safe, coordinated, and effective use of aerial remote-sensing capabilities for the individual aircrew member, public service, industries, and society.

ASOG Article of the Month - April 2020

ASOG Author: Wayne Dahlke; Image: Commons.wikimedia.org

Besides integrating hardware with software, how do engineers and operators integrate as a team? Wayne Dahlke hits this point with a great real-life ASO story.

Wee Young Lad

I have been flying for most of my professional life. I started when I was a wee young lad of 19, in 1988. An RC-135 she was. A grand old bitch of an airplane. Old. Loud. Equipment that had been designed in 1950-something, meant to be used by something with more than three hands and the ability to see out of the back of its head.

For the next 35+ years, I worked in the aviation field in one way, shape, or form. One thing that has not changed in all that time, is that engineers who design and build new equipment normally know absolutely NOTHING about the operational use of the systems they build. They build awesome gear that performs a specific set of technical functions, but they rarely understand the operational concept under which it will be employed.

New Challenge

As ASO’s, most of us have had the experience of checking out a new piece of gear. Most of us, especially in civilian applications, also perform our own maintenance on the systems we use. We install them, we do preventative maintenance, and we do troubleshooting and software/firmware updating. Rarely do we design or build the systems or software.

In my career in the military, I was fortunate to be part of the AC-130W Dragon Spear program. Here is a link to the project, as it was around 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FvmWBx6BLw

What we were building was a modular gunship, with a Roll-On, Roll-Off kit that could be used as a gunship platform on some days, and a transport platform on other days. We were also testing out a number of new technologies that had never been integrated into the gunship world up until then, such as Stand Off Precision Guided Munitions (SOPGMs), a new mount to support a 30MM cannon, new fire control software that would allow for control of the weapons systems from multiple crew positions, and support for Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs) and Hellfire on the outer wing pylons.

Needless to say, this was a complex project. We had lots of moving parts, complex testing schedules, and a very tight timeline. The ONLY way we made it all work, was that we had an integrated team that involved the hardware and software developers, project managers, and operators. It worked. We went from a concept on the back of a pizza box to an operational platform shooting bad guys, in 18 months.

How to Make an Integrated Team?

One day, another fire control officer (we’ll call him Dan) and myself, with the lead software developer from the fire control software company (we’ll call him Jeff), were heading to the aircraft to review an update to the fire control software. The software was supposed to update a series of fire control settings that were key to swapping data between the different sensors and the fire control software, allowing for targeting handoffs between the various munitions onboard.

Jeff is the penultimate software engineer. You know the type. Great guy, and smart as hell when it comes to software, but he is all about the CLI (command line interface) and does not really like graphical user interfaces. He would prefer to type in the command and have the response come back in a text line.

Our software, on the other hand, HAS to be a graphical user interface. We have to juggle four or more active radios, at least two separate visual sensors, three large 24 inch monitors each, keep track of multiple teams of people on the ground (good guys and bad guys) and keep their positions updated on our situational awareness software, as well as dealing with stack management for all of the other aircraft in our airspace, and monitor our position and fuel state. We are too busy to type anything. Hotkeys, macros and mouse clicks are what we use, and all our software support has to be optimized to leave our spare brain cycles available to process changing information in real time. To top it all off, we fly around unpressurized, with O2 masks, gloves and helmets on, for 6 to 8 hours at a time.

Jeff does not understand any of this, no matter how many times we have explained how we operate to him. He brings up his new version of the software for us to review. We start getting into the various capabilities of what the software can do, and my partner asks him a question about a function, I don’t recall exactly what it was. Jeff responds with “Just type in ‘icuponme’ (not real – I can’t remember the exact command) and that allows you to change to the other function”.

Have a Problem, Find a Solution!

Dan and I look at each other. We look at Jeff. Without saying a word, we look at each other again, both of us grin at the same time, and Dan just says to Jeff “Come with us”.

We head over to the Aircrew Life Support shop, with Jeff in tow. Jeff is looking very confused.

“Where are we going?” Jeff says.

“Life Support” I say.

“Why?” says Jeff.

“You’ll understand shortly” says Dan.

We take Jeff into Life Support. The NCOIC of the shop is on duty and we ask for a full MOPP4 flying kit, size large. MOPP stands for Mission Operational Protective Posture. Level 4 is the full kit. Levels 0-3 are less restrictive, but still a pain in the ass to fly in. A MOPP4 kit is a set of protective gear for flying in Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical environments. The gear involved in a flying MOPP4 kit includes:

• A set of charcoal impregnated pants and shirt, to be worn over your regular uniform or clothing
• A pair of white cotton gloves
• A pair of heavy rubber gloves
• A pair of heavy rubber boots
• A rubber hood that can either be attached to a filter on a hose, or directly connected to the aircraft oxygen system.

We take Jeff over to the benches and deck him out in our full MOPP4 flying kit. Once he is dressed, we take him back out to the aircraft, him carrying his filter kit with the blower on, attached to his rubber hood. Once we are on the aircraft, we help him put on a borrowed helmet, hook him up to aircraft communications, and attach his hose to the aircraft oxygen.

Once he is on comms with us, we ask him “Jeff, have you ever flown on an aircraft during an ORE (operational readiness exercise)?” He, of course, says “No”.

We tell Jeff that what he is wearing at the moment is what we have to wear during OREs, and sometimes during combat operations, and we still have to be able to accomplish the mission. In the case of this aircraft that he is working on software for, that means being able to shoot and manipulate the fire control software, while wearing what he has on right now.

When the Lights Come On!

He gives a very confused “OooooKayyyy?!?” and we ask him to type in his “icuponme” command, to switch between the various functions of the software. He starts turning his head left and right (his mask is fogging up, as they have a habit of doing), trying to see the keyboard and the screen. He finally gets the angle correct to be able to see what he is typing, and he attempts to type in the command.

‘uoicupooinme’, ‘8i9fcdjyuploionmnjmwse’

After about five attempts without success, he asks us “How the hell do you guys type wearing all of this crap?! I can’t even see the keyboard, let alone feel the keys!”

We give the silence a few seconds to build, and then Jeff answers his own question with “That was the point of this, wasn’t it? To show me why you guys have to have hotkeys, mouse clicks, and button presses to do things with a GUI?”

“Yes, Jeff” Dan and I say in unison.

We never had another problem with Jeff not listening to us when it came to anything having to do with operator input for the systems.

The Moral of the Story

If you can give operator input to your engineers early on in the development process, and make them understand that you are just as much of an expert in your field as they are in theirs, system development, operational utility, and testing goes much, MUCH smoother!

I don’t want anyone to think that we felt Jeff was stupid. He was not. In fact, he was a bloody genius! But he did not have an operational “hook” to hang his ideas on when it came to design of the software. Our real world, operational experiences were needed to help him inform his design processes. In the end, we both won. We got a great piece of software that still amazes me at what it does, and Jeff learned a valuable lesson in why certain design parameters were essential to the proper functioning of his software.

As always, fly safe and have a great day!

ASOG 2020 Focus Area: Professional Development & Career Management

Author: Patrick Ryan; Image: Wikicommons, Dreamliner 2012, Date: 26 March 2020

What is The School of U?
The school of U is the school of You! If you’re one of those Airborne Sensor Operators (ASO) who has limited “bandwidth” to attend formal training programs because of time, money, or limited access to formal training programs in your area, one method is self-training & learning. Without falling behind your peers, this is a way to ensure you have valuable skills for the next job opportunity or interview. Essentially, don’t wait for someone else to teach you, do it yourself!

If you’re new to this profession or you initially received ASO training many years ago in the military/public safety sector, continual training and learning is a must if you’re going to have a safe and successful career in whatever field of work you pursue. Why, because things change, and skills fade over time.

O.K., so what do you recommend I learn?
From an ASO perspective, I recommend either learn or review the basics than focus on specialized areas that relate to your specific industry sector or an industry you want to enter. Here’s what I advise as a good initial start…as we all know, there’s always something to learn every day:

That’s easier said than done, how do I self-train or learn?
Well, the first order of battle is that you “want to learn.” Without a deep interest, it will be a waste of time and maybe some money. If you’re genuinely interested, here are some basic tips on how to self-train or learn:

Identify - Decide what you want to do. Do you want to review the basics or learn something new? Besides feedback from your last performance review or peers, one way of identifying an area to study is to review current job descriptions and job posting across your industry sector.

From this, build a picture (skills & knowledge) of what industry is looking for and compare that to your current resume. The difference should be those areas for you to study.

Organize - Take that picture or list of areas you want to get smart on and prioritize. From this list, build yourself a student-plan or course plan. In other words, you’re both instructor and student. To do this, surf the internet for course outlines or textbook table-of-contents of the topic you’re interested in and build a plan.
Next, surf the internet for source material that supports your student-plan, i.e., fill in the blanks. This material could be textbooks, slide shows, websites, etc. Also, if you know of a subject matter expert, reach out and ask questions. One good thing about using different sources allows you to see a topic from different angles.

Execute - Once you’ve identified your self-training areas and organized them into specific courses, all you must do is start learning. One of the big challenges is time-management and sticking-with-it. One technique to keep you on course is to schedule time each week and study in a place you’re able to concentrate, i.e., in your office at lunchtime, after the kids go to bed, etc.

To round-out your course and give yourself feedback on how well you understand the topic, try to find quizzes on the internet or other sources that relate to your topic and self-test.

So, what are you waiting for, the school of U is open!
Again, if you’re serious about staying ahead in the work world and the ASO profession and don’t have the resources or opportunity to attend formal courses right now, “the school of U” is an option. This option allows you to refresh an old skill or better yet learn something cutting edge that is valuable to yourself, your employer, or clients.

Just think about it, most basic knowledge provided in a course is out there in the open-source world, it’s just a matter of doing some searching, organizing, and effort. However, if you can take a course from a certified instructor, that’s even better….but don’t just sit there if you can’t…self-learn!

Hi ASOG Members and Followers,

We want to let everyone know that we added two new features to the group. The new features or initiatives (besides the “ASOG Article of the Month” that we launched last week) are:

• Article Library: We’ve added a new member-only area to the ASOG website, which makes it easier to scan and select previous popular posts and articles, i.e., Article Library. You can still use the search function, but this area allows you to see the big picture and quickly pick what you like or what catches your eye.

• Polls & Quizzes: To capture the pulse of the community and the industries we work, we’ve added a members-only Poll & Quiz area. Members can participate and see the result relative to other voters in an anonymous format. Here are two samples:

Poll - Aerial Remote Sensing Industry – How will COVID-19 effect the Aerial Remote Sensing Industry (Commercial, Public Safety, and Defense) and ASO jobs in 2020?

o It will significantly affect it in a negative way
o It will slightly affect it in a negative way
o No affect
o It will slightly affect it in a positive way
o It will significantly affect it in a positive way
o Other (tell us in the comments section)

Quiz - Electro-Magnetic Spectrum - Which of the following is correct in order of lowest to highest frequency?

o X-rays, Visible Light, Microwave
o Ultraviolet, Visible Light, Gamma-rays
o Microwave, Visible Light, Gamma-rays

If you have a specific poll or quiz question that you want to see what others think, please send it to deskeditor@aso-group.org. Also, if you’re not a member and want to participate in the community, just fill out the member profile questions and hit the join button. No fees or donations required.

Best Regards,

Patrick Ryan
ASOG Managing Director

ASOG 2020 Focus Area: Professional Development - Reading

Another coordinated effort with one of ASOG’s Supporters (AVBuyer/GABuyer Magazines…Thanks John, Matt & Astrid). This article is the first of a series of articles highlighting the third pillar of aviation (Aerial Work or Multi-Mission) starting from a general baseline and then migrating to specific topics later. Overall, these articles should be interesting because they directly relate to the Airborne Sensor Operator (ASO) profession.

“What are Aerial Work Aircraft? Aerial Work operations fly everything that General Aviation (GA), the airlines and air charter operators don’t. This includes civil aircraft used for specialized services in many industries.”

• What’s the History of Aerial Work Operations in Aviation?
• What do Aerial Work Operations Cover Today?
     o Civil (Commercial Providers)
     o Public Safety (Commercial and Public Providers)
     o Defense (Commercial Providers, in Support of Public Contracts)
• What Defines a Aerial Work Aircraft?
• Aerial Work and General Aviation Operations: What's the Difference?

Article, pg 30-31 - What are Aerial Work Operations?

ASOG Article of the Month - March 2020

ASOG Author: Gareth Davies; Image: Wikicommons.Saberwyn

In aviation and especially in the Airborne Sensor Operator community, are specific golden rules being forgotten, which ensures safety and avoids unnecessary accidents? Gareth Davies discusses this and how the ASO community can make a difference.

Flying is like skiing

Many years ago, F.I.S. (Federation Internationale de Ski) produced 10 rules for safe skiing. These 10 rules were plastered on the sides of the huts at the start of T-Bars and chairlifts. As the queue slowly shuffled past these posters and placards there was plenty of time to read them. They are:

1. Respect for others: A skier or snowboarder must behave in such a way that he does not endanger or prejudice others.
2. Control of speed and skiing or snowboarding: A skier or snowboarder must move in control. He must adapt his speed and manner of skiing or snowboarding to his personal ability and to the prevailing conditions of terrain, snow and weather as well as to the density of traffic.
3. Choice of route: A skier or snowboarder coming from behind must choose his route in such a way that he does not endanger skiers or snowboarders ahead.
4. Overtaking: A skier or snowboarder may overtake another skier or snowboarder above or below and to the right or to the left provided that he leaves enough space for the overtaken skier or snowboarder to make any voluntary or involuntary movement.
5. Entering, starting and moving upwards: A skier or snowboarder entering a marked run, starting again after stopping or moving upwards on the slopes, must look up and down the slopes that he can do so without endangering himself or others.
6. Stopping on the piste: Unless absolutely necessary, a skier or snowboarder must avoid stopping on the piste in narrow places or where visibility is restricted. After a fall in such a place, a skier or snowboarder must move clear of the piste as soon as possible.
7. Climbing and descending on foot: A skier or snowboarder either climbing or descending on foot must keep to the side of the piste.
8. Respect for signs and markings: A skier or snowboarder must respect all signs and markings.
9. Assistance: At accidents, every skier or snowboarder is duty-bound to assist.
10. Identification: Every skier or snowboarder and witness, whether a responsible party or not, must exchange names and addresses following an accident.

So even after a day’s skiing, these rules were instilled and, for the most part, followed.

Forget me not!

Fast forward to today’s generation of snowboarders whose parents (as they did not snowboard) had no chance to teach their offspring ‘mountain lore,’ and the onset of ever-faster ways up the mountain meant that these rules were not being read and therefore not taken in.

Because of this, they’re now relegated to a small placard next to a set of tools for binding adjustment, i.e., away from the queues and the main body of operators. Silly really as those with enough knowledge to be able to adjust bindings know these rules backward.

Flying is not inherently dangerous, however…

My point. A lot more people should know the rules, and when the majority know the rules accidents are less likely to happen.

Contrast that to the recent sad Helicopter accident in California with NBA Star Kobe Bryant onboard; Double IIMC (Inadvertent Immersion/instrument to Meteorological Conditions) is bandied about as a possible cause. Far be it me to second guess the NTSC; however, if more people, Aircrew, TFO’s and passengers, knew about IIMC I would l bet my last dollar of there being less of these types of accidents.

Let me explain. I am not a pilot nor qualified aircrew however I was the chairman of the Police Aviation Conference for 12 years. Over the years I have met and chatted with any number of Aviation Safety Unit (ASU) chief pilots. To a man their unspoken (well publicly anyway) fear was IIMC. With or without IFR training this condition was the minefield in the sky. This was a condition to be avoided at all costs. Because Dear reader Double IIMC is an Inadvertent Immersion/instrument to Meteorological Conditions (IIMC). To us laymen this means suddenly (inadvertent) you are flying blind. Very limited or even no spatial awareness, no reference points and therefore no way on knowing where you are relevant to terrain. Once more for us layman this means cloud, fog, smoke or mist.

To re-enforce this, on March 27, 1977 over 500 people died in Tenerife Spain when two 747s collided on the runway. Fog was factor as was a peer pressure issue between a junior and senior pilot. I have always found it strange when the final report on such incidents are published. Strange because in most cases they, more or less, read the same.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Event though the pilot on aircrews are trained to recognize and manage an IIMC situation, other crewmembers are not. Organizations like ASOG, aircrew associations and aviation schools can play a major part in minimizing aviation accidents by promoting education programs that provide the necessary knowledge and tools for non-pilot crewmembers to enhance the effectiveness of the crew.

I think it would be a tremendous advantage to all who fly in helicopter’s (and even fixed-wing aircraft) because I know enough to want to know these things before I get into one:

1. What are the prevailing weather conditions?
2. Is the pilot IFR trained?
3. Does the company they fly for have an IFR rating?
4. Is the aircraft rated for IFR?

And even then, I am going to be sceptical.

For pilots reading these please do not take these questions as an insult to your ability. I have since learned that IIMC is such a serious matter that if you think there is any possibility at all being anywhere near a potential IIMC, thank you I’ll take a bus (and perhaps you should too).

The final leap!

As for FIS and the skiing community not re-enforcing these basic golden rules, people keep leaping out onto the piste without looking, blocking path and entry ways and stopping just over the brow of a hill where they cannot be seen, with resulting injuries and deaths!

Regarding the aviation community and especially the aircrew world, educating and implementing basic airmanship rules for all aircrew positions is critical in minimizing future aviation injuries and deaths!

I leave you with General Wilbur “Bill” Creech because I think it applies in any organization as well in a cockpit:

"Many people believe that decentralization means loss of control. That's simply not true. You can improve control if you look at control as the control of events and not people. Then, the more people you have controlling events -- the more people you have that care about controlling the events, the more people you have proactively working to create favourable events -- the more control you have within the organization, by definition."

-- Gen. Bill Creech (Commander, United States Air Force Tactical Air Command from May 1, 1978 to December 31, 1984)

ASOG Members, as part of this year’s ASOG’s Focus initiatives, we would like to start a new project called “ASOG Article of the Month.” This is in addition to the open blog board.

To make this happen, we need nine volunteers to write at least one article (or two) for this year (2020). If you’re a volunteer, let me know what month you want to author.

Also, If you sign-up for one of the slots and the article gets published on the board (plus, shared over Linked-In & Twitter), we will have a tab on the webpage that highlights you as an ASOG Author, i.e., “Meet the ASOG Authors.”

Who can write?
All ASOG members! As many of you know, ASOG is about networking and sharing best practices via your aircrew experiences and knowledge (manned & unmanned aircraft operations) to help others in their jobs and highlight the many different aspects of our aircrew profession.

Also, this includes those members who might not be an aircrew type but someone who’s a stakeholder in the aerial-remote-sensing sector, i.e., part of our eco-system (Students, OEMs, Suppliers, Integrators, Educators/Trainers, Ops Service Providers, Imagery/GIS Analyst, end-users, etc.), i.e., how you connect and collaborate with the ASO profession.

What can I write about?
Here are some general ASO story Domains to focus on:

• Aviation & Airmanship
• Remote-Sensing/Communication technology & application (sensors, processing, exploitation & dissemination)
• Training & Education
• Safety/CRM
• Civil/Commercial Ops
• Public Safety Ops
• Defense & Security Ops (Nothing classified)
• Other (Hoist Operator, JTAC, Imagery Analyst, GIS Specialist, Air Ambulance Paramedic, etc.)?

Here are some example story types that you may want to use or combine:

• Personal Discovery Stories – Tell how you learned a lesson, i.e., give some practical advice on how the group might learn from your experience.
• Best Practice Tips – share with the group your thoughts on how to do better with something, i.e., career, training, operating systems, instructing, planning, CRM, etc., etc.,
• Trending / Future – tell the group where your sector is trending or what is trending.
• Success Stories – tell how you achieved something that others can learn.
• Failure Stories – show some lessons learned through failure.
• Biographies – tell a positive story of a person in your niche – pulling out useful parts that can be applied and used to help others in the aerial-remote-sensing aircrew profession.
• Autobiographies – tell your own professional career story from start to finish or a part of your career, e.g., how you went through flight training and your thoughts then and now.
• Case Studies or Observation – describe a situation, flight, project, or mission that others can learn from, i.e., a spot from history or your history.

What can’t I write about?
We don’t want poetry, fiction, reviews of someone’s else product/work in a negative way (unless you have solid facts & figures), long academic papers, political themes or preachy lectures.

Remember that you are writing colleague to colleague – one peer sharing knowledge with another, i.e., good practices or experiences that cross-checks with other peers and the next generation of peers. Our approach is conversational and casual, and that’s why long academic papers and rambling stories don’t work well either.

However, as I said above, industry white papers, press releases, announcements, wanted request etc. are highly encouraged for the blog board. This specific article of the month initiative focuses on individual members uniquely contributing to the aircrew community and the industries that support it.

What are the guidelines?

• Volunteer and let me know what month or slot you want to fill for this year (deskeditor@aso-group.org ).
• The typical length of an article is 1000 to 1500 words, but we are willing to go a bit shorter or longer. Plus, author-supplied (i.e., you own it) photos are a huge plus. I think a few pictures or graphs tell the story better.
• We are willing to post an article that’s already been published elsewhere if you can prove you own the rights to the material.
• Send your article in a Word document format. Don’t send a link to a blog or a PDF file.
• Include a title and your full name. Plus, a short bio and photo of yourself for the “Meet the ASOG Article of the Month Authors” section.
• Send your article to deskeditor@aso-group.org two weeks before your article month.
• That easy! 

Remember!
If you can hang out in the hanger and tell experiences with your buddies, you have the talent to write it down. I know from my personal corner of the world; I want to hear your unique professional thoughts and stories.

Who knows, next time you go to a BBQ, you can say you’re an ASO and an author!

ASOG Desk Editor (Patrick)

It was great to rendezvous again with ASOGers in Vienna Austria, i.e., on Fat Tuesday, Faschingsdienstag, Marti Gras. The beer, ribs, and networking were excellent. For me, I enjoyed seeing folks move around the Stammtisch, either catching-up with old colleagues or meeting new folks in our profession.

Excerpt from the aerial surveying of the river Mur: The above image is a cross-section through the river of the combined classified point cloud. Point representation: blue (water), orange (ground) and green (vegetation). The deepest point at this cross-section is approx. 1.45m.

As a new start-up company in the aerial surveying & mapping community, Kabelik GmbH successfully delivered its first project on 05 January 2020. Kabelik was commissioned last year to fly above three river sections in different parts of Austria. The aim of the aerial surveying project was to survey the riverbed of specific high interest river sections.

The project consisted of flying two days using a combination of topographic LIDAR, a bathymetric LIDAR, and a digital camera. Using this package of sensors ensure the best accuracy for collecting the best data regarding the surrounding terrain and the riverbed under the water.

To acquire this data, the aircrew (Aerial Survey Pilot & Airborne Sensor Operator) flew approximately 400m above ground level (AGL) and could collect 8 points per m² per laser scanner as well as 8cm GSD orthophotos. With this, it was possible to measure a dense point cloud of the riverbed up to 1.5m depth underwater.

With the conclusion of data collection operations, the team at Kabelik was able to turn-around the data in two weeks, which included DTM, DSM, orthophoto and classified/colored point cloud information.

If you’re interested to learn more about Kabelik GmbH services and capabilities, visit their website at https://www.kabelik.at/ or e-mail them at office@kabelik.at.

ASOG 2020 Focus Areas: Networking

Upper Left Photo: Our roving ambassador George introduced future ASOG members Emmanuel PREVINAIRE/CEO and Yuk Kwan WONG/Exec.Asst. of Flying-Cam at the Singapore Airshow 2020.

Lower Left Photo: ASOG members Brynn ELLIOTT (Police Aviation News / PAvCON Editor) and ambassador George practice the new Singapore Airshow 'handshake' going on this week.

Right Photo: ASOG's Marcus GURTNER (R) and ambassador George (L) introduce future member Ernest NG of ATOS/France.

Joe CHEU of AlpinSun (Singapore) immortalized in the act of signing up to becoming an ASOG member during the preparations for the Singapore Airshow 2020. Witnessed by our ASOG ambassador-at-large George.

Fellow ASOGers, several of you are planning to attend Singapore Airshow this year. Based on yesterday’s reports (7 Feb) regarding the Coronavirus and the airshow, the show is still scheduled to open. However, many companies and organizations are reporting that they’re canceling their participation because of the situation.

For more information, check out the latest news release from the Airshow operators:

Singapore Airshow 2020 will proceed with additional measures to safeguard the well-being and safety of attendees