Meet the Team: Max Gossling, Remote Pilot

From offshore drone deliveries in the North Sea to technical bridge inspections and heavy-lift operations at wind farms, Max has seen his fair share of excitement. Having started as a contract Hub Operator before progressing to a full-time Remote Pilot, Max shares how Skyports has helped him build a career, the projects that have tested his skills, and how travel, technical problem solving and continuous learning keep the role exciting.

 

So you started as a contract Hub Operator, and are now a full time Remote Pilot. Talk us through what you got up to in both of those roles.

As a Hub Operator, you’re the hands-on person on the ground, supporting the pilot and making sure the aircraft is ready to fly. That includes setting up the drones, carrying out pre-flight and daily inspections, communicating with the pilot during take-off and landing, flagging any issues and, where trained, carrying out maintenance.

For me, it was a great introduction to commercial drone services and gave me valuable hands-on experience with the aircraft.

From there, I was able to train through Skyports and become a qualified, full time Remote Pilot, taking responsibility for flying the drones and conducting the missions themselves.

 

 

What’s been your favourite project you’ve worked on, and why?

Two projects really stand out. The first was a technical bridge inspection in Spain, where the customer needed an extremely detailed survey for potential structural defects. As one of my first projects, it was a great opportunity to develop my technical flying skills and get some serious hours under my belt.

Recently, it was some training missions in Denmark with our long-range surveillance drone, the Quantum Systems Vector. We operated from an active airfield alongside manned aircraft, which involved communicating with air traffic control and integrating our drone operations within the airspace, which was a cool experience.

 

 

What would you say is the coolest bit of flying that you’ve done?

It has to be the first deployment of our DroneCrane service, which I was involved in over the summer.

DroneCrane is a heavy-lift drone capable of carrying up to 85kg, making it particularly useful for offshore operations.

For this deployment, we were based at an offshore wind farm in Scotland, helping to deliver cargo directly to the top of wind turbines from a jack-up vessel. Flying such a powerful aircraft in that environment was a really unique technical challenge, and being part of the first deployment made it an especially exciting project to work on.

 

 

What do you like most about being a drone pilot, and when you were a Hub Operator before.

The travel is definitely one of the biggest perks.

When I started as a contract Hub Operator, I worked on a long-range drone delivery project with Equinor in Norway, delivering parts to oil rigs around 70 kilometres offshore in the North Sea.

It was an incredible experience, from staying on the rigs to spending downtime exploring the fjords and getting out on boats.

I really enjoy being sent to interesting places and never quite knowing what’s coming next. There’s always something happening, and quieter periods offer a lot of opportunities for training and building new skills.

 

So you started working with us as a contract Hub Operator, and became a pilot – tell us about how that worked, and the benefits you found for building a career

I’d always been interested in drones, but wasn’t sure how to turn that into a career.

I joined Skyports as a contract Hub Operator and, within a couple of weeks, was offered the opportunity to work on the Equinor project in Norway. Skyports put me through the necessary offshore training and qualifications, and what started as a three-month deployment became five months.

Afterwards, I started asking about progression opportunities. Having built up experience and trust as a Hub Operator, I was given the training and support to progress into a permanent Remote Pilot role, turning my interest in drones into a career.

 

 

Some of the team are contract Remote Pilots – how does that work?

Contract Remote Pilots have a lot of flexibility. They don’t have set contracted hours, so they can let the team know when they’re available, what aircraft they’re trained on and then be brought onto projects as they’re needed. Depending on the project, they might come in for some additional training before heading out on deployment.

It’s a great option for people who want to work flexibly, gain experience across different projects and aircraft, and get a foot in the door in the commercial drone industry.

 

As you build your skills here at Skyports, what type of flying or project would you like to get under your belt?

In general I enjoy being given a project, getting out there and making it work – particularly when it requires problem-solving, technical knowledge and working independently. From that point of view offshore delivery really appeals to me because it’s a complex environment with lots of moving parts and people to coordinate with.

In regards to my overall responsibilities at Skyports, I’d like to progress towards a more specialist role that combines flying with the hands-on technical side, including more advanced maintenance and taking greater responsibility for deployments.

I’d like to be the guy who can go out on complex or new projects, help oversee other pilots and solve challenges as they come up.

 

 

Thinking longer term, how have you found being a drone pilot at Skyports for helping build a career?

It’s been great for building a career, especially in the sense of starting as a contractor, and being able to work up to becoming a full time pilot.

The learning opportunities are also fantastic. When I started I thought I knew a lot about drones, but quickly realised how much there was still to learn. Most of that knowledge has come through hands-on experience, and now I can look at a new aircraft, understand its specifications and really get to grips with how it works.

There’s a lot of room to grow at Skyports, and everyone is passionate about sharing their knowledge. If there’s a particular type of flying or more challenging operation I want to develop experience in, there are opportunities to get involved and learn.

For anyone looking to start a career in the drone industry, Skyports is a great place to start, with the opportunities for contracting both providing an easy foot in the door, alongside day-to-day flexibility.