Page 56 - World Airnews September 2020 Edition

NEWS DIGITAL

DRONE TRIALS IN SHEEP

MANAGEMENT

Footage from a drone used in a trial to assess whether drones can replace
the attentive eye of a farmer. Photo: Agriculture Victoria

nator Erica Schelfhorst said the trial was already producing some
benefits with the bird's eye view of paddocks and sheep giving
Using drones on farms is continuously increasing in popu- farmers a new perspective on what is happening on the ground.
larity and a trial is underway in Victoria to assess whether the "Farmers tell me they're growing increasingly confident in flying
hovering of a drone can replace the attentive eye of a farmer. the drone and making decisions based on what they're seeing
The 'Drones for monitoring sheep welfare' pilot project is being on-screen," Ms Schelfhorst said.
conducted by a Best Wool/Best Lamb group in Boort, Victoria. She said exactly how much time the drones would save and
The group's aim is to figure out whether drones can replace a whether they could truly replace the human experience, skill and
farmer in situations such as physically monitoring lambing ewes know-how remained to be seen, but expectations were high just
or making sure the water troughs are full, in turn saving time and one year into the three-year demonstration project.
money. So while the jury was still out, she said Victoria's sheep producers
They believe farmers can spend a significant amount of time were at least increasing their technical skill and knowledge, while
checking on the welfare of lambing ewes and during dry times, testing the value of using drones in keeping a valuable eye on their
paddock inspections are crucial to check on water supplies, animals' welfare.
available pasture and stock health. The project will continue until the end of 2021 when the results
Agriculture Victoria livestock extension officer and trial coordi- will be published. Q
NEWS DIGITAL

GLOBAL 7500 EQUIPPED WITH

DUAL HEAD-UP DISPLAY

ogy and automation at the service of the The aircraft boasts outstanding low-
crew, rather than creating technology that speed handling characteristics on takeoff
Bombardier has delivered the first the crew has to manage.” and landing, as well as the short-field
Global 7500 aircraft equipped with a dual The second Heads up display builds on performance of a light jet.
head-up display that allows co-pilot to these advantages, with benefits including The advanced wing on the Global 7500
increased contribution from the co-pilot
benefit from Enhanced and Synthetic vision during HUD-assisted operations, easier aircraft was conceived to optimize speed,
for increased situational awareness switching between pilot flying and pilot range and control and ensure an exception-
“This delivery showcases our monitoring as well as valuable redundancy ally smooth ride.
outstanding commitment to safety,” said during low-visibility approaches. With its long-range capability of 7,700
Michel Ouellette, senior vice president, The Global 7500 aircraft is equipped with nautical miles (14, 260 km) at M 0.85, it can
programme management and engineering, the latest Bombardier Vision flight deck, fly eight passengers non-stop from New
Bombardier Aviation. featuring unprecedented automation that York to Hong Kong, and Singapore to San
“This cockpit is designed to put technol- remains firmly at the service of the crew. Francisco. Q

World Airnews | September Extra 2020
— 9 —