Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Andrew Sutherland, and I am the Aviation Coordinator for Glencore Coal Australia and Chief Remote Pilot for Glencore Australia.
When did you start in the mining industry and what was your first job?
My first exposure to mining was as an IT Technician working for a company called Osborne Computers in the mid 1990’s. Servicing IT systems at Ulan, Cobar and Latrobe Valley.
How different is your job now to what you wanted to be when you were a kid?
As a young Air League cadet, I had a passion for aviation. My ambition was to be a pilot. I completed my commercial pilot’s license in my late teens. The difference is I don’t sit in the cockpit but stand on the ground looking up at my aircraft and guide a fantastic team of drone pilots.
What’s a usual day at work entail?
Usual day? I could be on site in the Hunter Valley training new pilots, facilitating the use of agricultural aircraft for a rehab project in Central QLD, undertaking drone night flying recertifications or inspecting a helipad or airstrip. I could be studying the latest rule changes from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority or researching drone technology or approving drone flights across our operations while working from home or onsite.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Variety! I am fortunate enough to see more than just a single site operation and have exposure to not just Glencore’s coal operations, but other commodities sites and facilities.
The worst thing?
As a subject specialist I work in my own solitary bubble to provide a service. I can be in high demand at short notice. I am fortunate enough to have a great team of senior site pilots and peers in other mining companies that I can converse with for information and mutual support.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Changing the culture when using drones. Whether you are a surveyor, an enviro or in production, when you fly a drone, you are a pilot first. There are aviation rules outside of the mining rules and your primary job that must be followed.
What’s something about your job that would surprise people to know?
As Chief Pilot I had to sit an assessment with a CASA Inspector to ensure I knew the rules and understood my operation manuals and that I could manage a large complex drone program.
What’s your best advice for people entering the industry?
Get your free RPA Operators Certification online with CASA. It’s free and a good start to learning the rules and gaining experience. Even if you want to use a drone to take and sell photos online. You need that certification and your drone registered. Then practice!
The mining industry gets more than its fair share of criticism. What is your view of our industry and the impact it has?
Mining has scored a few own goals in the past. In my travels across our various operations, I have seen great strides in correcting past mistakes. The rehabilitation work I have seen is great credit to those doing it, and safety in our industry is like aviation. I live in an area that is shared with tourism and agriculture. The community is fortunate to have all three that help carry the local economy when one or two are fluctuating with the economy and seasonal changes. Without mining we also wouldn’t have the resources for the conveniences and necessities we take for granted.
