Our Team

Brad Mason is Ripper’s RPAS Instructor/Assessor and has qualifications in the following: 

• A RePL for Multi-rotor, Fixed Wing and Helicopter drones
• A Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
• CASA Instruments to train and assess Aviation Radio (AROC) and General English Language Proficiency (GELP)
• And over 300 hours of flight time

The story of how Brad got into the drone industry involves being forced into a career change after experiencing a work injury (many moons ago) and recognising that helicopters were his second passion. He developed a drone from a model helicopter, taught himself how to fly it and then applied to CASA for a licence. That was back in 2002, the same year that CASA promulgated the first drone regulations, so he’s been in the industry ever since the start of commercial drone operations in Australia. 

Working with Ripper comes with many benefits, but the below are the ones that Brad loves most about what Ripper does: 

• Working with a reputable company at the cutting edge of industry tech and the phenomenal people he gets to work with
• The challenges posed to develop solutions to make our technology operate safely in everyday dynamic environments
• Developing world class RPAS training courses and passing our knowledge to newcomers to the industry

AI enhanced flight operations are pretty special and will continue to break new ground, and Ripper Corporation is right there at the forefront of it which is great for Brad to be a part of. Their Koala spotting operations at night, particularly the recent water-based flight ops, demonstrate a level of operating experience that is second to none, and highlights the efficiency and efficacy of drones over conventional environmental research methods.