b'OPERATIONSTUL79We cant see heat or cool-air loss with our eyes, but the dronesWe do whatever we can to provide the resources needed, he thermal cameras can show us where its occurring, Brown remarks. says. You have to trust that your people will utilize the resources The drones also improve productivity by performing tasks usuallyyou make available to them to the best of their ability. handled by employees. That gives them time to do other work, he adds. Endless PossibilitiesOverall, Dahl says drones are helping TUL Operations employees Workplace safety is another consideration. We dont have to putdo their jobs better. They provide us with different perspectives that employees up on a roof unless its absolutely necessary, Brownenhance our capabilities, instead of just doing things like we have for explains. So theres a safety benefit, too. decades, he explains. They reflect how this industry is innovating Practice Makes Perfect every day.Dahl encourages airports interested in launching their own droneLooking ahead, Dahl has been talking to personnel at a Canadian programs to provide as much detail as possible when applying for ancompany called Niricson about drone-compatible technology that FAA certificate of waiver. can identify pavement defects not visible from above. It can detect cracks under the pavement and create a three-dimensional model of Beyond that, he recommends a lot of practice. Get out therea runway, for example, he says. Airports could save a lot of money and log flight hours and get a little better every day, he advises. by nipping problems in the bud.To that end, Dahl invites personnel from other airports to shadowIts just another example of the endless possibilities for drone TULs experienced drone operators. Theyre more than welcomeusage, Dahl continues. I think were just scratching the surface of to come and see what we do, he says.what they can do. Brown says its important to support employees like Dahl who are passionate about the evolving aerial technology and interested in creating a drone program.AirportImprovement.comOctober 2025'