Summary: The Alan Bristow Memorial Lecture is held annually to highlight the legacy of the man who founded the largest international helicopter group that continues to bear his name. Alan was a true pioneer, great innovator and fully supported progressive ideas for developing all aspects of aviation in particular, rotorcraft. Bristow continues to operate in this spirit, leading the industry in innovations, many of which are now standard in today’s operating environment. Bristow joined forces with Sky-Futures in 2016 bringing continued innovation to the aviation space. UAS is now an accepted technology in the oil and gas industry and it is leading a safety revolution in de-risking dangerous and costly rope inspection and data gathering methods. Sky-Futures has been at the forefront of this marketplace since 2011 and is the established global offshore lead for data gathering by UAS for vertical infrastructures. As global leaders in their individual fields, Bristow and Sky-Futures recognised the opportunities and came together to advance the commercial use of UAS to the highest safety standards. This lecture provides an insight into how and why these companies are shaping a new era of industrial aviation.
