CEO Charles Tavner attends ‘Beyond Goal Zero’ Aircraft Safety Seminar
Flylogix CEO Charles Tavner was invited to attend the recent Shell Aircraft Safety Seminar and Workshops in the Hague, along with safety subject matter experts, academics and executives from the energy and aviation industries.
“As one of the only representatives of the uncrewed aviation industry at the seminar, it felt like recognition of how quickly Flylogix has created an impression. I think we can be proud of our record in safety – in that we’re operating our own aircraft safely, but also the very fact of operating uncrewed vehicles means there is a reduced risk in the first place. But of course, we’re very aware that we have to be proactive in every area of safety, particularly as the volume and distance of uncrewed flights is increasing so rapidly.”
“We’re really pleased that this is now receiving acknowledgement from an organisation such as Shell, who are very thoughtful on aviation and have invested heavily in aviation safety.”
Safety 2.0 – understanding ‘why things go right’
Speakers and subject matter at the series of seminars ranged from aerobatic pilot Frank van Houten, Shell VP for Safety and Quality Duncan Trapp who discussed the theory behind Safety 2.0, Stephen Ingham of the LOSA Collaborative who monitor and diagnose aviation safety, to ex England rugby union captain and RFU presidency candidate Maggie Alphonsi talking about high performance environments. Attendees were drawn from Shell’s aviation specialists as well as helicopter and private jet operators, and aviation safety experts.
One of the key questions for the seminar was focusing on excellence and reducing operational variability more effectively, and exploring what can be achieved by shifting the focus from ‘preventing things going wrong, to understanding why they go right’.
“There were lots of benefits of attending these seminars,” said Charles, “not the least of which was the simple pleasure of meeting up in person. The two-year period of the pandemic accounts for about half of the time that we’ve been operational as a business, and so there are many people who we’re meeting face to face for the first time.”
Experts in safety, risk management, aviation and excellence
“It’s a reflection of how far we’ve come in a short space of time, that Flylogix is seen as a contributor amongst such established businesses and industries. And – as we extend the scope of our work in the energy industry beyond methane measurement, and into areas such as environmental monitoring and wildlife surveys – it’s good to broaden our contacts within a global business such as Shell and other attendees.”
“Manned aviation is more than 100 years old,” said Charles, “whereas uncrewed aviation is still right at the beginning. So, many of those attending the seminars are at a much more advanced and mature stage of their lifecycle as businesses than Flylogix. There is so much for us to learn about managing safety, from both an engineering and a behavioural perspective, and this opportunity to listen to a wide range of experts in safety, risk management, aviation and excellence was one we felt privileged to have.”
