Utility

Communications towers come in a variety of styles.  From individual arrays on roof tops to tall towers with arrays on multiple levels our team uses a mix of ground-based LIDAR, zoom cameras, and drones to generate a detailed 3D model of whatever type of communications equipment you may have. Allowing you to “Climb” the tower without putting personnel at risk.

Our Pilots have experience performing site walks on a wide variety of towers, from rooftops, to water towers, to standard monopoles. In our operations covering Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico our pilots have performed flight only operations, as well as interior site walks taking photos of all desired equipment.

Using a specific flight path and a high-quality camera we can efficiently capture imagery for the entire tower and compound, allowing the customer to see the current location of equipment, or any damage that may be present.  At the completion of the inspection the customer will receive all of the images we capture, as well as a compiled 3D model of the tower with centimeter level accuracy.

Most states requiring a general inspection every 1-2 years and a detailed inspection every 3-5. Throw in the fact that Powerlines are one of the most complex items to inspect, and the inspection process is a constant part of any power company. Helicopters can make this process easier, especially in remote locations, but also greatly increase risk. Drones combine the best of both worlds. The flight capability allows easier access to assets that are difficult or impossible to access from the ground. The small size of the drone allows it to get much closer to each asset, allowing for higher quality images.

Our aircraft are also equipped with collision avoidance sensors that not only allow our pilots to see in every direction around the aircraft, but can also be set to automatically stop if the aircraft gets within a predefined distance of anything, including the cables! Our team can also carry or swap out multiple payloads such as LIDAR or thermal imaging to determine other potential hazards to the assets such as creating a vegetation management plan and searching for any hotspots that might indicate an issue that cannot be seen in the standard imagery.

Using a specific flight path and a a variety of sensors we can efficiently capture imagery for the any length of line, allowing the customer to see any damage or areas that are not performing as needed.  At the completion of the inspection the customer will receive all of the images we capture, as well as a PDF report with specific images showing any damage that was found along with a priority rating assigned by the panel of linemen we work with to complete the inspection. For ease of repair GPS coordinates and the asset number will be provided. If LIDAR was requested a complete 3D model of the entire section of line will be provided in the requested file type.

Standard practice is to inspect Solar fields every 1-2 years. However these inspections can take up large amounts of time and effort. The downtime required to safely perform these inspections drives up the cost of the inspection even more then just the physical labor. The use of drones greatly reduces this cost by allowing the farm to stay up and running during the inspection, and only needing to shut down for maintenance. A case study done by Measure shows a 97% increase in efficiency and a savings of $1254 per MW when a inspections are completed by drones.

Our Pilots are Thermography Certified through the Infrared Training Center. This training not only covers specific issues with solar panels, but also focuses on capturing and interpreting thermal images from the air. This knowledge allows our pilots to operate a drone in a way that ensure no false data is captures the first time. Whether you have a ten-acre or a thousand-acre solar farm we can help.

Using a specific flight path and a high-quality thermal camera we can efficiently capture imagery for the entire solar farm, allowing the customer to see any damage or areas that are not performing as needed.  At the completion of the inspection the customer will receive all of the thermal images we capture, as well as a PDF report with specific images showing any damage or underperforming parts that we found. For ease of repair GPS coordinates or Panel coordinates can be provided depending on the customers preference.

Looking to install new assets of any kind?  Ask us about our survey capabilities.  Using LIDAR and orthographic imagery we can create 3D models that have centimeter accuracy allowing you to supplement, expand upon, or potentially replace traditional survey methods.

Our pilots are trained in and have experience using RTK base stations, in conjunction with our drones to ensure survey grade accuracy from the air. We can also work points marked by a Professional Surveyor to verify accuracy, or ensure continuity.

Using a specific flight path, a LIDAR sensor package, and a base station we can efficiently capture a detailed 3D scan of the desired area.  At the completion of the inspection the customer will receive the full 3D file in the desired format.