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Q&A with Didi Horn, Chief Executive Officer at SkyX

Didi Horn, Chief Executive Officer at SkyX, comes with expertise in the world of aviation, aerospace, and drones. Serving with the Air Force for nearly a decade (2006-2015), as both a captain and drone pilot, Didi's work in drone operations has given him profound insight into the capabilities of these unmanned systems.

Just do it. If you have the idea or the path, get yourself going. You’ll know on the way if you missed the train or are on track.



MEDIA 7: Please take us through your career journey. How did you come up with the idea of SkyX?
DIDI HORN: I first had the vision to start an aerial data company during my ten years as a Special Ops commander for a drone squadron in the Air Force. In my last position in the military, I was responsible for the development and implementation of future unmanned systems within the military. I saw the aerial data that we were able to capture via cutting-edge drones and recognized the technology’s unlimited potential. I wondered, is there a commercial use for it? How do I make data from the sky accessible to the commercial market in the simplest way possible?

After I left the Air Force, I decided to attend oil and gas industry conferences. I knew very little about the industry but had a gut feeling that if I was patient enough and sat at the booths of the oil and gas giants, the CEOs and senior executives would eventually stop by. When they came, I would speak to them as if I had the technology that I envisioned and asked if it would interest them. What struck me was that every time I asked the question, they would admit that their current pipeline monitoring processes were inefficient and the data they were collecting was limited.

These conversations validated that there was not yet an efficient way for oil and gas companies to proactively monitor and prevent potentially dangerous pipeline issues like leaks, sinkholes, vegetation encroachment and theft. I knew there was a significant opportunity to bring a simple solution that provides actionable aerial data collected via drones to the oil and gas industry. In 2016, I founded SkyX. Our goal is to be able to track 50,000-100,000 kilometers of land every day. This kind of coverage provides benefits that go beyond the needs of the oil and gas industry—ranges like that could help teams track and contain wildfires or could save animals from poaching. Like the technology itself, the possibilities are endless.


M7: SkyX has recently expanded into South America amidst growing demand for remote monitoring services. What would it mean for the company? 
DH: Oil and gas companies in South America are currently looking for innovative solutions to better inspect and monitor their pipelines. In many places around the world, South America being one of these places, the pipelines were literally built a century ago and are running all over the place and in places you cannot see with varying terrain, climates and ecosystems across the continent.  Effectively monitoring these pipelines using an airplane takes a significant amount of time and logistics. The same route needs to be flown on a regular cadence, thousands of images collected from each flight need to be downloaded and then uploaded to a computer, then the images need to be analyzed. What we’re doing for these companies is automating all of these steps AND providing better data that shows where action needs to be taken and how to prioritize the issues. We’re committed to delivering the solution they need and empower them to make proactive decisions to protect their assets, the environment and the South American people.


M7: How does SkyX help its customers create safer and more efficient midstream assets?
DH: The simplest way to explain our solution is using three words: acquire, analyze, act - then repeat. It’s an infinite process of:
-    Acquiring data: Drones or other aircraft armed with the right cameras and sensors based on the distance, climate, customer objectives, and a host of other factors fly the route and collect the data.
-    Analyzing data: Data is loaded into our purpose-built software solution called SkyVision where it is thoroughly analyzed and areas of interest are identified, prioritized and compared over time.
-    Acting on data: Using the data we provide in SkyVision, the customer takes action to address current issues and proactively prevent future issues.


In our business, there’s a very specific and niche target customer that we want to reach so we don’t hesitate to invest in doing what it takes to build strong, lasting relationships.


M7: What is your go-to resource – websites, newsletters, any other – that helps you stay updated with all things aviation?
DH: Right now podcasts are my go-to. I listen to a variety of podcasts about aerospace, drones and data so that I can gain many different perspectives. I’m also really into Harvard Business Review, not as much for aerospace topics but more for data.  At SkyX we have a group of handpicked experts who sit on our Customer Advisory Board which is led by Tim Heely, an FA-18 pilot in the U.S. Navy. As a two-star admiral Tim was in charge of acquisition, testing and evaluation of all U.S Navy and Marine Corps Unmanned Aviation and has spent his time past retirement immersed in UAV development and operations. I speak with Tim bi-weekly to talk about drone technology plus we have quarterly meetings with the board members who enrich the team and me with new knowledge and insights that help us learn and evolve.


M7: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work - what day-to-day processes have you had to re-tool to be able to pull them off remotely?
DH: As a tech company with employees around the world, we were already very well-equipped for remote work prior to the pandemic. The team based in our Toronto headquarters used to meet in person weekly and do team social events regularly. During the pandemic those things changed to virtual, but we’ve been able to maintain a positive work environment and an engaged workforce despite that. In the field, the team adapted quickly to wearing PPE, physical distancing and adhering to public health guidelines.  I believe that the pandemic actually brought us closer as a team, we achieved massive growth in our sales funnel and ended 2020 with a significant agreement with one of the world’s top oil companies.


Right now podcasts are my go-to. I listen to a variety of podcasts about aerospace, drones and data so that I can gain many different perspectives.


M7: What are the major marketing tools that you use to hike up the brand awareness of your company?
DH: We have found that Linkedin and conferences have contributed the most to brand awareness over the years. In our business, there’s a very specific and niche target customer that we want to reach so we don’t hesitate to invest in doing what it takes to build strong, lasting relationships.

Once we’re engaged with a potential customer I have always found that in-person conversations are most effective. I think about it like this: You can find your husband or wife using an app, but in order to get married you need to spend some time together.


M7: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?
DH: Start earlier. I “wasted” a year and a half before starting SkyX on the “what-ifs'' pondering whether or not someone else already did what I wanted to do or if someone will do it faster than me. Just do it. If you have the idea or the path, get yourself going. You’ll know on the way if you missed the train or are on track.

ABOUT SKYX

SkyX has been revolutionizing the way aerial data is acquired, analyzed and actioned since 2016. Their mission is to arm infrastructure asset companies across the globe with the unique aerial data they need to take a proactive approach to ensuring the health and safety of people and the planet. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, SkyX has a broad global presence with customers and projects completed in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, Mexico and Israel.

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Features like the LED flashlight and large AMOLED display, combined with the high-end materials, make this the most premium-built D2 smartwatch yet." –Carl Wolf, Garmin Vice President of Aviation Sales and Marketing New features pilots will love A built-in LED flashlight offers variable white light intensities, a strobe function and red light for flight deck operations. Improved battery life touts up to 25 days in smartwatch mode and up to 46 hours in the Fly activity, perfect for the professional pilots who complete their trip over multiple days. Red Shift Mode changes the entire watch interface to shades of red to help preserve night vision, which provides for potentially clearer sight for demanding night flying conditions. The ECG app2 allows users to record their heart rhythm and check for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Users can take a 30-second ECG recording and view the results immediately on their smartwatch and, optionally, later in the Garmin Connect™ smartphone app. When pilots aren't taking to the skies, they can get a better understanding of their fitness levels and track their performance with more than 30 built-in sports apps and advanced training features like hill score and endurance score. Designed for pilots Built for 24/7 wear, the carbon gray D2 Mach 1 Pro combines a durable design and premium materials like sapphire and titanium with a vibrant and sunlight-readable 1.4" AMOLED display. The 51mm watch case features a diamond-like carbon (DLC) titanium bezel and stainless steel 5-button design, allowing for quick access to flying tools, fitness stats, smart notifications3 and more – all on the responsive touchscreen interface. Compatible with a wide variety of metal, leather, nylon and silicone QuickFit™ bands, the D2 Mach 1 Pro can be styled for every type of event, whether it's a workout at the gym or a night on the town. Premium aviation features on your wrist The D2 Mach 1 Pro includes all the preflight, in-flight and postflight features pilots have come to know and trust from the D2 series, including a worldwide aeronautical database, HSI, Direct-to and moving map — all available without a phone connection. Pilots can stay informed with easy access to NEXRAD3, METARs, TAFs and MOS4 weather reports — alongside custom weather alerts as well as non-weather alerts like time, distance, altitude and a fuel timer. Utilize the wrist-based Pulse Ox sensor5 to monitor blood oxygen levels and barometric altimeter for altitude alerts. And in case of an engine-related issue, the D2 Mach 1 Pro can show the best glide speed, estimated glide distance and glide time, along with a bearing pointer to the nearest airport and a list of alternate airports. Flight logging is a breeze with the D2 Mach 1 Pro, which automatically starts tracking flights on takeoff, then automatically transfers the date, duration, total flight time and route to the user's flyGarmin.com logbook3. Pilots can connect with the Garmin Pilot™ app to seamlessly transfer flight plans to the watch and view the list of waypoints included in their route. Additionally, for pilots operating a PlaneSync™-equipped aircraft, the D2 Mach 1 Pro can be used to access the aircraft dashboard to view status information6 including fuel, electrical, database and location information while away from the aircraft. Customized fitness With dozens of built-in sports apps – including new team sport activities like football, baseball, softball and more – D2 Mach 1 Pro provides data and insights for many passions. Whether working out at a gym or in the comfort of one's home, the D2 Mach 1 Pro tracks activities like strength, cardio, indoor rowing, stair stepping, yoga and HIIT. Users can also take advantage of daily workout suggestions or follow animated cardio, strength, yoga and Pilates workouts right on their watch screen. For those exploring the great outdoors, they can keep track of adventures like hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, whitewater rafting and more. Around-the-clock wearability The D2 Mach 1 Pro is designed for all-day wear and includes advanced health and wellness tools, as well as a suite of smart features to keep users connected while on the go. Loaded with 24/7 health monitoring features, the D2 Mach 1 Pro includes Body Battery™ energy monitoring, all-day stress tracking, jet lag advisor, advanced sleep monitoring and sleep score, and more. Packed with connected features, the D2 Mach 1 Pro lets users receive smart notifications3; download songs from Spotify®, Deezer or Amazon Music7 for phone-free listening; check their calendar; breeze through checkout lines with Garmin Pay™ contactless payments8; and more. Like all Garmin smartwatches, the D2 Mach 1 Pro can be used with either Android or Apple® smartphones. Available now, the D2 Mach 1 Pro includes a vented titanium bracelet with carbon gray DLC coating as well as a black silicone band for a suggested retail price of $1399.99. Garmin products and services have revolutionized flight and become essential to the lives of pilots and aircraft owners and operators around the world. A leading provider of solutions to general aviation, business aviation, rotorcraft, advanced air mobility, government and defense, and commercial air carrier customers, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate. Recipient of the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for Garmin Autoland, Garmin developed the world's first certified autonomous system that activates during an emergency to control and land an aircraft without human intervention. Visit the Garmin Newsroom, email our media team, connect with @garminaviation on social, or follow our blog. Battery life based on D2 Mach 1 Pro when smartwatch mode is enabled. The ECG app is only available when paired with a smartphone with the latest version of the Garmin Connect smartphone app. The ECG app is not available in all regions; see Garmin.com/ECG for availability. The ECG app is not intended for use by people under 22 years old. With the ECG app, this device is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram. When paired with a compatible smartphone, with a data connection, and in range of Bluetooth technology. U.S. airports only This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox is not available in all countries. Remote aircraft status requires active PlaneSync subscription. User's smart device must have internet connectivity. Feature is available on-ground only and requires GDL 60 to have LTE connectivity; signal strength and other factors may apply. See Garmin.com/PlaneSyncCoverage for coverage details. May require premium subscription by a third-party music provider View current supported country, payment network and issuing bank information at Garmin.com/GarminPay/Banks.

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Aviation Technology

Eviation announces Letter of Intent with flyVbird for 25 Alice All-Electric commuter aircraft

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Eviation Aircraft, a leading manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, today announced that flyVbird, an emerging on-demand regional airline, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 25 Alice aircraft, with options for a further 25. flyVbird is committed to enhancing connectivity in rural areas where it will use smaller, more accessible airports. The airline is driven by unique algorithms to deliver on-demand air travel to routes passengers want to fly. It plans to secure its own Air Operator Certificate to utilize Alice for decentralized and sustainable travel across Europe, connecting unconnected or underserved communities worldwide and delivering carbon-free, cost effective, convenient air travel. Leading the Electric Revolution The nine-seater Alice is the world's first flight-tested all-electric commuter aircraft. Built from a clean-sheet design, the Alice produces zero emissions and costs significantly less to operate per flight hour compared with light jets or regular turboprops. It is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units developed by magniX, the global industry leader in flight-proven electric propulsion systems. "The European Union is moving forward with ambitious new rules aimed at decarbonizing the aviation industry," said Eddie Jaisaree, Vice President, Commercial Sales at Eviation. "The Alice is the innovative and beautifully designed aircraft needed to lead aerospace's transition to net zero carbon emissions. We are very pleased to partner with flyVbird in the future of flight." "The fact that Alice is a zero-carbon, quiet, low operational cost aircraft makes it the perfect solution for flyVbird to deliver clean, on-demand regional travel across Europe into the next decade and beyond," said Anton Lutz, CEO of flyVbird, at the Routes World 2023 Conference in Istanbul. "Through our unique AI-driven approach, we will offer direct alternatives to typical hub-and-spoke operations and Alice will play a critical role." About Eviation Aircraft Based in Washington State, U.S., Eviation Aircraft Inc. develops and manufactures electric aircraft to delight operators and passengers with green, cost efficient and convenient regional transportation. Its electric propulsion units, high-energy-density batteries, mission-driven energy management, and innovative airframe are designed from the ground up for electric flight. Please visit us at www.eviation.com. About flyVbird flyVbird GmbH (formerly flyvirtual.global UG) is an emerging regional airline headquartered in Germany. In lieu of a traditional hub-and-spoke network, flyVbird's airline model is an AI-backed carrier that will use algorithms to schedule flights based on paid bookings. Its focus will be on serving regional airports to offer a faster and more convenient alternative to traditional transport methods.

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SkyX

SkyX

SkyX has been revolutionizing the way aerial data is acquired, analyzed and actioned since 2016. Their mission is to arm infrastructure asset companies across the globe with the unique aerial data they need to take a proactive approach to ensuring the health and safety of people and the planet. Head...

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