Drones and Aerial Imaging have expanded the business horizon, but the one thing that we should never change is SAFETY.
Our team is always focused on the safety protocol in all aerial operations. That includes safety for ourselves, your team, equipment, buildings and anyone/anything in the surrounding area. As we focus more in the construction and real estate market, there is no compromise for safe measures at all times. Our team has developed our own safety checklist that must be completed before any aerial operations take place. Many of our clients jokingly ask why we are taking notes before we even unpack to begin… and those notes are a part of our safety protocol.
On arrival we immediately do a survey walk to get a general idea and recognize any potential hazards. This might be items like power lines, or trees, or heavy machinery. We then review those items with our flight plan and mark those items in relationship to the flight path accordingly. If your project also requires a Visual Observer, that person will also make a notation in their folder. Once the review is done, we will discuss our flight plan with your staff to ensure that everyone is aware of the plan and we are aware of your operation. In some cases, we will need to file NOTAM’s (typically near airports).
Our next stage is our Pre Flight Inspection. This is to ensure that the drone itself is in working condition and not in need of any additional service. Calibration of the GPS, propeller/motor, camera gimbals, connectivity and other items are all on the checklist. At this time we also ensure that our flight plan has LAANC authorization (if needed) and no TFR or other restrictions are in effect. If all is clear then we will have a brief review flight that is solely hand-flown. Many of the operators solely depend on automated flight capabilities and skip over this stage. The issue is that if there is a safety hazard or an issue with the aircraft, they would never know until it is too late. Hand flying the drone allows us to immediately change course or take command of any fly-away characteristics. It is also a great way to calculate camera angles necessary.
The third stage for us is to make a final inspection of the drone including battery life, flight plan, and propeller health then it is time to execute the mission. While this is happening, the Remote Pilot is solely focused on the aircraft and camera. When needed, we also bring a Visual Observer or even a Remote Operator. The communication between the team is clear, concise, and prevents any hazards. Once the flight is complete, we will review that all imaging is indeed appropriate for use and conduct a Post Flight Inspection of the aircraft before it is packed away. Afterall; the aircraft will be in use for the next client as well.
On construction sites, our team is aware of OSHA standards and wear hard hats, vests and eye protection as required. On real estate operations we ask that you alert the neighbors, and we will also maintain a professional presence in working with clients.
As you can see, safety is NOT something we take lightly and neither should you. On a low grade incident, there may be property damage or damage to the aircraft. Costly as it is, but nobody is hurt. On a high grade incident there is damage to property and person. And that is simply unacceptable.