NBAA Panel to Explore sUAS Opportunities

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) create a powerful opportunity for flight departments to become even more relevant and impactful to their corporation’s bottom-line. Hazardous tasks like cell tower, flare stack, and wind turbine inspections that are normally performed by ground-based crews can now be accomplished more safely and efficiently by sUAS. Who in a company is better qualified to purchase, contract, or operate these unmanned aircraft than the existing corporate flight departments?

NBAA has been preparing its membership for the coming sUAS market by offering educational sessions at its sponsored events. For the second year, NBAA is presenting a panel discussion called “Small UAS (sUAS) in Business Aviation” at its annual convention. The panel is slated for Tuesday, November 17, 2015, at 10:30 a.m., in Room N255/257 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Once again moderated by Robotic Skies President & CEO Brad Hayden, the purpose of this forum is to facilitate a discussion among high-level executives from the UAS and manned aviation industry with NBAA flight department managers and pilots about the emerging unmanned opportunity.

“Through special exemptions, it’s already possible for companies to operate commercial sUAS,” says Hayden. “It’s incumbent on NBAA members and their flight departments to be prepared to leverage unmanned systems to generate cost savings and even add revenue for their companies.”

Hayden will moderate a panel of UAS experts including Christopher Broyhill, Transportation Director, Excelon Aviation; Jonathan Downey, Founder and CEO, Airware; Paul McDuffe, VP of Commercial Business Development, Insitu; and Brian Wynne, President and CEO, AUVSI.

“We’ve selected panelists who are all manned aviation pilots, and who are, in addition, either major players or customers of the emerging UAS industry,” adds Hayden. “This panel will be attended by forward-thinking company executives, flight department managers and pilots who understand that a major change is coming to aviation in the form of unmanned aircraft, and that change represents increased opportunity for their businesses.”

NBAA’s Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (#NBAA15) runs November 17-19, 2015, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada.