Crafting Effective SOPs for Drone Operations

In this special solo episode of the Clemson Drone Podcast, Dr. Joe Burgett dives deep into the essentials of crafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for drone operations. With his fresh insights from developing a custom course and training AI bots, Dr. Burgett outlines six critical components for SOPs: Management Systems, Operations, Training, Maintenance, Safety Management Systems, and additional key considerations.

Drone operations of all sizes, big and small, require SOPs to ensure safety, compliance, and efficiency. This episode provides listeners with valuable insights to develop their own. With systems and guidelines in place, your operations can run smoothly and ensure you maintain an excellent reputation.

About Joseph M. Burgett Ph.D.

Joe “Dr. Drone” Burgett is a tenured professor in the Nieri Department of Construction Development and Planning at Clemson University and a Level 3 Thermographer. He has been in university-level academics since 2010 and teaches both undergraduate and graduate-level courses on drone application in the built environment. By trade, Dr. Burgett is a general contractor and has spent many years teaching online courses for the trade unions. His primary area of research is in applied drone technology, and he has worked extensively with the SCDOT. His area of research focuses heavily on using UAS technology for bridge inspections and creating 3-D models to support field operations. He has published multiple peer-reviewed articles on UAS technology including titles such as “Accuracy of Drone Image Based Volumetric Surveys,” “Evaluating the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to Perform Low-Slope Roof Inspections,” and “SCiDUC: Solution to Address Common Challenges of State Agency Drone Deployment.” Dr. Burgett was named Clemson University’s 2018 Master Teacher, which is the University’s highest teaching honor. He is the founding President and current Director of the South Carolina Interagency Drone Users Consortium (SCiDUC). SCiDUC is the state’s only 501c3 nonprofit drone association exclusive to South Carolina government agencies. Dr. Burgett is also an accomplished speaker. He is a regular presenter at the Associated Schools of Construction and American Institute of Constructors conferences. He has also spoken at the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction and the International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Aloft: aloft.ai
• DroneLogbook: dronelogbook.com

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