2017-08-22
In the third of a series of interviews with key figures involved in the success of Drone World Expo, we talked to for Hector Ubiñas, Aviation Services Manager, San Diego Gas and Electric. Hector joined SDG&E in September 2016 and has been overseeing the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) program since starting with the company. In this role, Hector is responsible for the daily operations of the UAS program and continuing to develop new work methods for its application in the utility industry.
At what point in your career did you first become involved with UAS in a professional capacity? Was that during your period with the Navy?
My first involvement with UAS in a professional capacity came during my last tour of duty with the Navy. I was the Aviation Officer onboard the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) in charge of all aviation operations. Not only was the ship operating with the traditional complement of manned aircraft (helicopters), we also had organic UAS assets; Insitu’s Scan Eagle. Our deployment was the first time the ship had to operate with manned and unmanned aircraft simultaneously and I developed the operating procedures to safely integrate both within the ship’s control zone.
At that time, did you imagine that you might be working with UAS in a commercial capacity?
Not at all. My concept of UAS applications was limited to military operations. I did not realize nor appreciate the many benefits unmanned aircraft bring to the civilian commercial sectors.
Are there any experiences/lessons learned from your military experience that could be beneficial to commercial applications?
Of course. My experience integrating unmanned and manned operations in the maritime environment clearly crosses over to the commercial sector where a major safety concern is how to safely fly a drone amidst manned aircraft. Not only that, the time I spent as an instructor has proven extremely beneficial with developing and leading our internal training program which is helping the scale the UAS program across the enterprise.
Can you tell us about how the UAS Program works at SDG&E?
The UAS Program is housed within our Aviation Services Department where we provide program management and oversight to ensure safe operations. We have a hybrid business model where we use internal and contracted RPICs to conduct work with unmanned aircraft. Drones are used for acquiring data for applications such as aerial assessments of structures to post construction surveys with a LiDAR sensor.
Do you have your own fleet and pilots or do you subcontract?
We have both. Our fleet consists of 15 drones that are mostly DJI Inspires, Phantoms, and Mavics. We have 5 trained RPICs and several more in the training program. Our internal operations are limited to applications that require pictures, videos, or thermal imagery. If a more robust UAS or sensor is required, then we reach out to the experts in the industry and subcontract them to conduct the work (like LiDAR acquisition).
Why did you choose to support Drone World Expo?
DWE is one of the leading commercial drone conferences in the nation and we were honored to be considered to participate in the expo. We recognize the valuable networking opportunity it provides along with the ability to see the latest technological advances the industry has to offer. We are excited to be a part of DWE and look forward to sharing and learning from the many other end users there.
2021-05-05
Development of the world market of UAV during COVID-19 pandemic
The drone market has grown steadily and continuously over the past several years. The technology is here to stay and is becoming more prevalent across numerous industries. But 2020 was a unique year due to Covid-19. Overall, respondents even felt that the changes in business models triggered by the lockdowns would actually have a positive impact on the drone industry in the long run.
2020-12-23
Drone application in the oil and gas sector
Russia ranks 3rd in the World in the list of countries for oil production. The length of main pipelines in Russia is more than 250 000 km. Many pipelines often run in hard-to-reach areas of our country, which makes it difficult to monitor the condition of pipelines and increases the risk of illegal activities and violations. It is in such cases drones become an integral part of the oil and gas industry.
2020-09-12
SenseFly drones help monitor Lake Winnipeg ice hazards in Switzerland.
The project, which is part of the Canadian Space Agency's Earth observation applications development program (EODAP), was aimed at identifying and monitoring lake ice levels, as well as detecting cracks and pressure ridges to raise awareness among local communities and first responders about the risks of moving lake ice.
2020-09-03
Development of unmanned aircraft on Military-Technical Forum "ARMY-2020"
On August 29, Military-Technical Forum "Army-2020" ended, although only a few months ago this event was under the big question due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the Forum was held and the results were impressive. Mostly participants and visitors of the forum were impressed by the display of domestic unmanned aerial vehicles.
2020-04-30
The Pros and Cons of Drone Delivery
The idea of commercial delivery drones is more relevant now than ever as social distancing guidelines have made contactless delivery an essential part of company operations. ‘
The first drone delivery was a tasty one: Dominos delivered two pizzas to a residence in New Zealand in 2016. Since then, companies have been racing towards liftoff.
2020-04-06
Medical Drone Delivery Success in Ireland
In September, it was reported on the world’s first BVLOS medical delivery in Ireland.
Researchers at NUI Galway partnered with German drone startup Wingcopter to transport prescription medication and blood samples for diabetes patients.
This week, the research team released more details about the project in an ENDO 2020 abstract to be published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
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