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In this episode, host Jason San Souci welcomes Scott Forbes, Senior Analyst for Drone Safety and Standards at Verizon and a former US Army Blackhawk maintenance test pilot. Scott shares his unique journey from 25 years in military aviation to overseeing one of the largest corporate drone programs. Scott breaks down the pillars of Verizon’s robust Safety Management System (SMS) and shares a provocative view on the future of professional drone pilots.

Key Takeaways:

• HAWK Drone: Learn how Verizon uses a tethered drone, the "HAWK," to instantly re-establish wireless communication networks in disaster areas.
• The Power of 4G LTE: Why Verizon's proven 4G network is the "force multiplier" for long-distance command and control and real-time video streaming (situational awareness) for first responders.
• Safety Management System (SMS): The essential safety metrics Verizon tracks, including preflight checklists, anonymous reporting, and battery/distance performance indicators, to ensure thousands of damage-free flights.
• Career Journey: Scott's transition from a US Army Blackhawk maintenance test pilot to a drone safety leader at a Fortune 50 company.

• [00:05:00] - Strategic Goals: Fleet modernization, world-class in-person training, and increasing capabilities integration (e.g., hyper-precise location) 
• [00:07:35] - Disaster Response: Use of drones for rapid mapping and terrain assessment for Verizon's Incident Response Team (DIRT) 
• [00:10:20] - 4G vs. 5G: Current use of 4G LTE for airborne Command and Control (C2) and real-time video streaming due to FCC limitations on 5G for drone operations 
• [00:12:14] - Safety Pillars: The importance of a robust Safety Management System (SMS), the Drone Handbook, and mandatory preflight checklists 
• [00:15:13] - Internal Certification: Verizon's process for training and certifying its remote pilots, including monitoring flight maneuvers via their flight management system 
• [00:17:32] - Industry-Wide Standards: Scott's belief that common standards, collaborating with peers, and communicating with the FAA are essential for safe growth
• [00:20:20] - Measuring ROI: Quantifying economic benefits by comparing costs of drone use to traditional methods (e.g., tower climbs) for use cases like site surveys, microwave line-of-sight, and avian inspections 
• [00:25:34] Controversial Topic: The argument that every enterprise drone program should employ full-time drone pilots with an "aviator's mindset" to safely tackle newer, more complex use cases like Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)
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Follow the Guest Scott Forbes:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-forbes/

👉 Company’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/verizon/

👉 Website: https://mycareer.verizon.com/

Follow the Host Jason San Souci:

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsansouci/

🔗 More from Do You Know Drones:

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👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dykdrones/#

👉 X(Twitter): https://x.com/DronesDyk

👉 Email: [email protected]

Follow the Podcast:

 👉 Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/do-you-know-drones/id1479307112

👉 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DoYouKnowDrones

#DroneTechnology #UAS #Verizon #DroneSafety #DisasterResponse #Aviation #SafetyManagementSystem #EnterpriseDrones