Tom Caska is the Founder and CEO of Aerologix, an award-winning aerial intelligence platform delivering on-demand insights through an Uber-like drone pilot network. With 20 years across aviation and unmanned systems—including roles with Qantas and Hawker Pacific—Tom blends operational credibility with deep technical expertise. He holds an Air Transport Pilot Licence, 3,500+ flight hours, an Honours degree in Aviation (majoring in Atmospheric Physics), and an MBA, and is a co-inventor of a patented 3D flight navigation system now used in Aerologix software worldwide.
Tom guest lectures at UNSW and AGSM and mentors students through the Gateway program. His work focuses on technology that earns trust in the real world—supporting public safety, resilience, and environmental impact through initiatives spanning surf lifesaving drone programs, conservation surveillance, and drone mapping with remote Indigenous communities.
The story behind the mission
A life-changing accident broke my neck and ended my airline career—but it also clarified what matters: systems that work when minutes matter. That lens is why I build and speak about emerging technology with a practical edge—drones, air taxis, and AI as real infrastructure, not hype. My mission is simple: back innovation that delivers real-world impact, and help leaders prepare for what’s coming next.
Featured on The Project (Channel 10)
Air Taxi Revolution: When Drones Grow Up
Air taxis aren’t sci-fi—they’re the next step in aviation’s evolution. If drones were the first chapter, eVTOLs (Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing) are what happens when drones grow up: bigger aircraft, higher standards, real passengers, and a city-scale safety case.
In this keynote, I break down what’s real, what’s hype, and what needs to be built to make air mobility safe at scale—air corridors, charging and vertiport infrastructure, digital airspace management, and the human oversight layer that earns public trust.
Audiences leave with a practical framework for how drones and eVTOLs will reshape response time, resilience, and the way cities function by 2030 and beyond
BEST FOR City leaders • infrastructure • aviation • innovation teams
TAKEAWAYS
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The real job categories behind drones + eVTOLs at scale
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The skills pipeline: what to teach, train, and certify now
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How cities and organisations can prepare for 2030+ workforce demand
When minutes matter
Most systems look fine—until the day they’re tested. A life-changing accident taught me that response time isn’t a slogan; it’s a design problem. The gap between “we could” and “we did” is almost always coordination, infrastructure, and decision-making under pressure.
In this keynote, I unpack what resilience really means in modern cities: how drones, real-time data, and a well-designed operational layer can cut response time, improve situational awareness, and help teams act faster when every minute counts.
Audiences leave with a practical framework for building systems that don’t just perform in perfect conditions—but still work when everything goes wrong.
Best for: Government • emergency management • infrastructure • safety leaders
TAKEAWAYS
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Why response time is a system design challenge—not a luck factor
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How drones + data improve awareness, coordination, and decision speed
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What “resilience by design” looks like in real operations
Prepare for Take-Off: Jobs of the Future
The air taxi revolution isn’t just aircraft—it’s an economy. As drones scale and Air-Taxis arrive, the biggest constraint won’t be imagination. It will be people: the trained workforce to operate, supervise, maintain, and govern the “sky layer” safely.
In this keynote, I map the emerging job landscape—from pilots and technicians to airspace supervisors, safety managers, data operators, and human-in-the-loop teams. It’s a grounded look at what roles appear first, what skills transfer from aviation and tech, and how education and policy can prepare the next generation.
Audiences leave with a clear, optimistic roadmap for building capability—so this transition creates opportunity, not bottlenecks.
Best For: Education • industry • policy • workforce planning • innovation programs
Take Aways.
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The real job categories behind drones + eVTOLs at scale
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The skills pipeline: what to teach, train, and certify now
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How cities and organisations can prepare for 2030+ workforce demand
