Andrew takes Glencore’s drone program to new heights
From IT to aviation.
Andrew Sutherland has paved the way in mining by planning, developing, and scaling up a high quality and efficient commercial drone program.
The drone program started under Glencore’s first Chief Remote Pilot Don Cameron in 2014 before Andrew took the controls in 2020.
On Andrew's watch the program has grown significantly, now spanning across 30 sites with over 300 pilots.
The program covers Glencore’s Australian coal and metals business, as well as our pastoral company, Colinta Holdings.
“I am the go-between for the company and the Civil Aviation authority,” Andrew explains.
“My job is a statutory role. I’m responsible for all our pilots following the rules and regulations set out by Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
As a qualified Commercial Pilot himself, Andrew applies aviation standards to the drone program.
Having been with Glencore for more than a decade, his first role with the business was as an information technology systems engineer at Ulan Coal.
In fact, he’d worked in IT for 30 years before jumping at the chance to take on the role of Chief Remote Pilot for Glencore, covering all resource streams, and Aviation Coordinator for Coal Assets.
“It’s been a fairly long journey. It started out as a side project. Don Cameron, who is a bit of a legend in the drone world, he recruited me to the idea in 2014,” Andrew says.
“We started with a Phantom 3 and then got something bigger, a Vulcan drone, which was cutting edge at the time.
“One of the first projects we did where we proved our worth was inspecting a conveyer. Normally this job would take 3 days to complete, and we had the whole job done in 27 minutes.
“Suddenly everyone started to take some interest in this drone thing we were doing, and in 2015 the project was green-lit, Don was our Chief Pilot, and it grew from there.”
Drones continue to become a necessary part of everyday operations. The use of drones can significantly improve efficiency and safety measures.
Drone technology in Glencore:
- 152 - the number of drones Glencore owns
- 15,958 flights - that's some 4,630 flying hours recorded to date in 2025
- Using drones for inspection purposes can significantly reduce downtime and costs compared to traditional methods like scaffolding and aerial work platforms.
- Glencore has expanded the drone program to include grazing with Glencore’s Colinta Holdings.
- The implementation of a mobile app for flight approvals and planning has been a game-changer, making it easier and more efficient for pilots to manage their operations.
But how does Andrew manage the workload of 30 sites?
An internal training program and assessments for sub two kilo pilots plays a part.
The training not only provides assurance of competence, it also provides a pathway for employees to transition into more advanced roles as drone pilots.
“As a drone pilot with Glencore you’re required to do maintenance and log your flights. We treat it like an airline,” Andrew says.
“We have an extensive training program. We assess our own pilots regularly. You can’t operate equipment unless you’ve been signed off as competent.
“Once you have that sub-two kilo experience, it’s a little bit easier to get your RePL (Remote Pilot Licence) later on. They’ve flown under the same system.
“The difference is the rules, size of the drone and capabilities. Some of these guys have 50-70 hours flying experience. It’s an easier transition for them to make.”