Industrial inspection
Basic flying, then solar, electrical, wind, structures and bridges.
36 lessons, then one final test with one attempt.
Set the conditions.
The instructor sets the conditions for each lesson.
Available
- Wind
- Speed and direction around the tower, the line or the turbine.
- Gusts
- How hard the wind gusts, close to the structure.
- Flight mode
- From the easy Loiter mode to fully manual.
Weather and temperature.
Every session starts from the exercise’s default. The pilot then changes it.
Available
- Weather
- Sunny, cloudy, or light, moderate or heavy rain.
- Temperature
- From −20 to 50 °C. Hot air gives less lift and a shorter battery; cold makes the battery weaker.
- Wind
- Speed, direction and gusts in every area.
- The drone’s limits
- Each drone has its maker’s wind, rain and temperature limits. Past them, the pilot is warned.
BVLOS operation.
Fly this area out of sight. The drone camera is the only view: you find your way by the numbered markers and the line in the picture.
Available
- I1Power-line patrol out of sight
- I2Link lost beside the line
- I3GPS weak near the steel
- I4Inspection out of sight: final test
- Camera only
- No view from the ground or from behind. Distance home, height, battery and link on screen.
- Its own exercises
- Out-of-sight exercises only, with their own final test.
- Its own record
- Kept apart from the area’s normal training.
The lessons.
basics
- I01Site familiarisation
- I02Tower orbit at a safe stand-off
- I03Tower climb inspection
- I04Power-line follow
- I05Pylon detail photographs
- I06Solar row scan
- I07Storage tank perimeter and roof
- I08Building facade grid
- I09Close hover beside the tower in gusts
- I10Inspection mission assessment
solar
- S1Solar visual survey
- S2Solar thermal survey
- S3String and module faults
- S4Mixed solar survey
- S5Solar assessment
electrical
- E1Line patrol: what you can see
- E2Insulators and wires close up
- E3Thermal patrol: hot connections
- E4Clearance and vegetation
- E5Substation inspection
- E6Electrical assessment
wind
- W1Tower and lower blade
- W2Blade close-up
- W3Nacelle and hub: thermal and oil
- W4Heights and tip clearance
- W5Wind turbine assessment
structures
- B1Facade survey
- B2Flat roof survey
- B3Telecom tower audit
- B4Storage tank inspection
- B5Structures assessment
bridge
- BR1Viaduct: piers at the river
- BR2Viaduct: under the deck
- BR3Viaduct: bearings, joints and clearance
- BR4Arch bridge: steel arch and stonework
- BR5Bridge assessment (both bridges)