Especially for Hard to Reach Locations
Once only associated with CIA secret missions or in the hands of the uber-wealthy, drones have become increasingly accessible in recent years. In fact, according to CompTIA, the drone industry is set to grow to a whopping $43.1 billion by 2024 from $14.1 billion in 2018.
This increased use and trust of drones across industries creates an opportunity to use them to carry out tasks deemed risky and expensive. For example, troubleshooting inspections for hard to reach locations like roofs, windmills, water towers, and more. For this use, there are three main benefits for both workers and businesses that make them an invaluable resource.
Helping the bottom line: Using drones cuts costs
Using drones to inspect hard to reach locations gives businesses opportunities to cut inspection costs.
Even companies that need these services regularly find that the monetary investment required to keep everything up to code is increasing over time. But with the arrival of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology (aka drones!), business owners can cut costs dramatically by covering a wider area in shorter time and more easily getting a 360 degree, literally birds-eye view.
Inspections that are typically done one time or very infrequently for maintenance, the costs are higher because of the special machinery and/or manual labor required to carry out the inspection and process the data.
Watch the clock: Getting efficient inspection results
It’s no surprise that manual inspections of hard to reach locations take time. It requires specialized professionals to physically come to the site in question, gather the needed data and resources using a variety of equipment, analyze said data, identify the problems — and only then — come up with a verdict or actionable solution.
A drone can do a “first pass” to identify any issues so that the person doing the repair can already have the right tools, parts and equipment “the first time they climb,” for example, when repairing damage to a water tower or antennae.
With drones, you can get the same if not more accurate results more efficiently.
Safety first: Keeping everyone at a safe distance
Manual inspections can come with an abundance of safety risks depending on where the site is located. Using drones mitigates the risk of physical injury at the inspection site itself.
And who wants to venture out when the ground (or steep metal steps) are covered with ice? A drone can do the hard work while the licensed commercial drone pilot guides it from the from the warmth of their truck cab.
The first step to starting a drone inspection business: Get your Commercial Drone Pilots License
Now is the best time for you to get in on the action and position yourself as an expert as you grow your own consulting business in this exciting industry. Plus, you already have a list of benefits to sell your services to potential clients with the information in this post!
More than 3 people to train at your company? We’ll come to you!
As a business or plant owner, we can come to you to train members of your inspections team on how to pass the FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilots Exam (required by law for anyone operating a drone commercially). Plus we offer hands on training to make sure your fleet of drones are flown safely and well-maintained.
Contact us today and let us train you to be a sought-after licensed drone pilot. Reach out to us at (888) 316-8889 or contact us now for more information or register now.
The next training is December 14!
Photo credit: “vdm052015-12” by CG94 photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
