Risk Management Magazine

It was a fairly routine flight. The weather reports showed conditions deteriorating slightly, but it was still within our briefed minimums and the unit command approved the flight.

It was another wet, dreary day in southwest Oklahoma. We’d been dealing with rain for a week and the roads were flooded. Driving to work was a significant event, as vehicle accidents were occurring all over the place due to standing water.

Throughout my career as an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operator, I was fortunate to never experience a near-miss or mishap. While this may be considered one of my greatest accomplishments, I cannot take full credit. I attribute much of my success to the many lessons learned from noncommissioned officers (NCOs) at the smoke pit.