Drones can inspect pipelines, tanks, stacks, rooftops and remote infrastructure faster and more safely than people working at height or in confined spaces. But a drone inspection program that is not planned properly can create new risks and produce data nobody trusts.
Before you buy equipment or hire a contractor, work through these five questions.
1. What decision will the inspection data support?
Define the outcome first: a condition report, a repair decision, a compliance record. That determines the sensors, the resolution and how the data must be stored and reviewed.
2. Who is accountable for flight safety?
Every operation needs a named person who authorizes flights and can stop them. If you use contractors, be clear on who owns the risk assessment and who holds the approvals.
3. What are the site-specific hazards?
Radio interference, hot surfaces, flammable atmospheres, people on site and nearby airspace all change how a mission should be flown. A site risk assessment should come before the first flight, not after the first scare.
4. Are the crews competent and current?
Ask for evidence of training, recent experience and how competence is maintained. A good pilot is not automatically a good inspector, and the reverse is also true.
5. How will you keep it compliant over time?
Rules change and operations drift. Plan regular audits of procedures, records and equipment so the program stays safe and defensible as it grows.
Need help with this in your own operation? Talk to the Sky Command team and we will suggest a practical way forward.