Aerial Inspections

Aerial Inspections

APT Sound Testing provide high definition aerial inspections for a wide range of surveying and inspection services by utilising the latest unmanned aviation systems (drones).

With the ability to reach even the most inaccessible, hazardous or large-scale sites, we have the capacity to reach the most awkward areas that other means of powered access simply can’t reach or would not be safe, saving you time and money as well as reducing the associated risk issues of working at height.

The main benefits are:

  • Reduce the risk associated with working at height.
  • No need for access equipment or scaffolding.
  • Reduce manpower requirements.
  • Save time on programme.
  • A large cost saving.

Whether it’s a simple roof inspection or a more comprehensive survey to commercial building envelope, our highly-experienced engineers can safely capture high-resolution imagery, video and detailed reportage all in a fraction of the time taken by traditional survey methods.

With the modern business endeavouring to cut costs and time against programme our aerial inspection service offers an extremely cost effective solution, delivering large savings in time, cost, manpower and equipment and most important reducing.

If you have a project that that requires a high level inspection, then please call us now, we offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

We can provide detailed high definition photographs and video of the building’s roof and façade where access towers, cherry pickers, scissor lifts and scaffold may not be viable due to possible safety issues.

Our drone aerial inspections offer you the following benefits:

  • High Definition photographs and video evidence of damage/defects
  • Very Cost Effective (approx. 20-25% of crane and associated costs)
  • Post pre-completion contract inspection to ensure the building is constructed correctly prior to handover.
  • Shared inspection data for effective analysis by off-site surveyors, architects or technical specialist in remote locations
  • Reduce health and safety concerns such as working at height
  • Reduces the requirement for powered access equipment and/or scaffolding.
  • Minimise disruption to businesses such as hotels or building sites.
  • Personnel can remain on the ground instead of working at height, in all weathers.
  • Reduced downtime
  • Our UAV can reach work heights (up to 120m) in less than a minute and begin producing results immediately.
  • Rapidly provide evidence of structural damage for insurance claims to speed up the claim process.
  • Higher quality imagery – both video and photographs from any vantage point
  • Our highly-skilled UAV operators can fly within 2 metres of the survey structure, producing unsurpassed image quality in great detail.
  • Making the inaccessible accessible instantly
  • Our UAV can be directed to areas such as wind turbine blade tips or HV electrical installations to perform a survey that would traditionally be dangerous and time-consuming in a matter of minutes.
  • Using real-time imagery streamed to the ground, our engineer can direct the survey to investigate any potential issues while the UAV is in the air allowing focused results.

With the modern business endeavouring to cut costs and time against programme our aerial inspection service offers an extremely cost effective solution, delivering large cost savings in, manpower, equipment and time saving against programme.

We use the latest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to provide high-definition footage and imagery from on-site locations such as high end real estate, roof surveys, electrical and mechanical plant installations, saving our clients the expense and administration of hiring traditional manned aerial platforms or helicopters.

We also work with engineering and maintenance teams to assist in the surveying and planning of assets such as high voltage pylons, wind turbines, high altitude structures and all types of buildings, displaying real-time video footage and allowing close-up inspections to be made wherever more in-depth information may be required. The survey results can be quickly logged and forwarded to clients.

If you have a project that that requires a high level inspection, then please call us now, we offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

During the UAV aerial inspection the surveyor is able to see what the camera is looking at via our real time data link. Once the drone had returned to base the full hi definition photographs can be downloaded straight to the client and surveyor.

Throughout the survey our drone allows us to see the typical areas of damage to high level areas such as:

  • Eaves
  • Roof coverings (slates & tiles)
  • Parapets
  • Gutters
  • Chimneys
  • Lead flashing
  • Pointing
  • Hidden Valleys
  • Flat roofs
  • Skylights
  • Brickwork (corbelling etc.)
  • Windows

With the modern business endeavouring to cut costs and time against programme our UAV aerial inspection service offers an extremely cost effective solution, delivering large cost savings in, manpower, equipment and time saving against programme.

We use the latest unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to provide high-definition footage and imagery from on-site locations such as high end real estate, roof surveys, electrical and mechanical plant installations, saving our clients the expense and administration of hiring traditional manned aerial platforms or helicopters.

We also work with engineering and maintenance teams to assist in the surveying and planning of assets such as high voltage pylons, wind turbines, high altitude structures and all types of buildings, displaying real-time video footage and allowing close-up inspections to be made wherever more in-depth information may be required. The survey results can be quickly logged and forwarded to clients.

If you require an aerial inspection survey, please don’t hesitate to contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

Aerial Photography of Property – the use of our flying droid can add a totally new perspective to property imaging whether it be for sales agents or just for you to admire your home or building. With our flying platforms we can take aerial photography up to 400ft to capture stunning images that are not possible with traditional pole camera systems or even cherry picker rigs.
We specialise in Aerial Photography of high end prestigious suburban and rural properties throughout the United Kingdom. We can get our drones in almost any position to create elevated images that will totally enhance the sale of your property. APT Aerial Surveys have undertaken many aerial surveys and also use high end Nikon equipment to take land based photographs.

APT Ariel Surveys can also capture that moment in time that cannot be taken from any other angle or perspective. Promotional pictures of your event such as a grand opening event or a sporting event can be captured to show you/client images and/or video in a totally new dimension.

If you require an real estate aerial survey, please don’t hesitate to contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

APT Aerial Surveys undertake surveys of very inaccessible locations such as church roofs and steeples alleviating the needs to erect scaffolding or hydraulic platforms which can run into tens of thousands of pounds. Besides providing large cost savings, our technology avoids the safety problems associated with people working at height, disturbance to old existing structures and issues with soft ground or other access problems associated with navigating through graveyards.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your church roof, please don’t hesitate to contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

We can quickly undertake aerial surveys of large factory roofs using our drones. Not only does this shorten the time it takes to undertake the survey it also negates the need for very large aerial platforms which are needed to safely survey/inspect the often hazardous existing roof coverings.

We can normally supply the high-quality photos and video on the same day as well as negating the risk elements associated with working at height on fragile materials. We can normally undertake an inspection of a large roof during a single day.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your factory roof, please don’t hesitate to contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

Visually inspecting tall or otherwise difficult to reach structures has traditionally been an expensive exercise requiring large cranes, helicopters or rope access work.

Using our aerial drones you can now get high-resolution, high-quality photos and video of these structures in an economical manner as well as negating the risk elements associated with working at height. Our UAV sends a live video feed of what the drone is seeing and we can email the images across to our clients within minutes.

Also, because they are unmanned our drones are able to get into areas that would otherwise be too dangerous for live inspection, e.g. close-up on live flame stacks or in proximity to chemical leaks. Likewise, because of their small scale and quiet operation our drones can operate close to working sites without causing disruption.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your industrial chimney stacks then please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

We can capture your on-going Construction project – from Greenfield sites to completed projects. This is usually for planning reasons, time line appraisals or as a record of the build for developers and/or architects. Using the latest software we can place our flying droids in the exact place for each on-going survey to repeat and capture the same image as the project progresses capturing the whole build from start to completion.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your construction site then please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

We can also undertake Health & Safety aerial inspections – to check on collapsed scaffold etc. We can deploy our droids to check hazardous sites without compromising the safety of inspection personal, allowing them to see first-hand if closer inspections are needed and most importantly if it is safe to proceed on to a site that my present real hazards to inspectors and the workers.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your site then please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

Wind turbine rotor blades can suffer damage as they are subjected to extremely variable weather conditions. When blades become damaged, dirty or faulty the total productivity of your turbine may be considerably reduced.

APT Aerial Surveys can undertake remote visual Inspections of wind turbines, electricity pylons all from a safe distance and using HD camera systems with a dedicated video downlink we can allow the client to view exactly what the Drones camera is seeing.

APT will work closely with your engineering and maintenance teams to provide high-quality real-time imagery of each of your turbine assets, reducing down-time and associated costs.

Our UAV can analyse the rotor blades and structure of each wind turbine asset in seconds, moving to multiple locations in a wind farm with minimal time delay, allowing you to survey and analyse HD imagery much quicker than traditional telephotography or manual inspection methods.

HD photos and video will be recorded of the survey, with findings documented in a comprehensive report and complimentary DVD with files in a format of your choice up to 4K.

If you require an aerial inspection survey on your wind turbines then please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

Do you supply high quality images?

By utilising the latest UAV camera sensors mean that we can capture data and imagery with precision and detail not possible by other means. The accuracy of the information is ideal for things such as planning repair and maintenance schedules or assisting with insurance claims. Our range of sensors gives you access to data beyond the visible. This is particularly useful for reviewing areas of excessive heat loss and detecting vegetation growth which cannot easily be seen with the naked eye and with basic cameras.

Is it faster than manual inspections?

One of the main reasons UAVs usually lead to reduced costs is because they can carry out surveys more quickly especially when compared with manual inspections as this often requires you set up scaffold and/or the use of large cherry pickers or scissor lifts. For larger jobs our surveys can reduce weeks of work to a matter of days.

Where safety is paramount

Heath and safety is the most important item on any project and this is where UAVs come into their own as they are ideal for carrying out inspections where access is difficult or dangerous such as for roofs or solar panel inspection. The imagery provided from our range of sensors goes beyond that which can be captured by other means such as manual inspections. Our highly skilled pilots know how to reach the areas of critical importance to your business.

Much Greater Accessibility

UAVs can reach areas that other methods either cannot reach or those that are only accessible with difficulty or may be hazardous. UAVs can also be sent on repeatable flight paths to ensure a consistent pattern if repeatability is required. They are ideal for large factory roofs, renewable energy facilities and solar panel farms.

Much lower costs

We often undertake detailed inspections of factory and/or office roofs prior to the customer taking ownership. This means that repair costs (if required) can be evaluated and the costs transferred to the landlord. It also allows maintenance and repair teams to accurately target the areas that require repair which often means less access equipment and manpower is required to undertake the remedial works. .

We also undertake regular yearly building or roof inspections to ensure that issues are flagged more quickly and priorities can be more easily identified. Regular inspection work allows for prompt attention to issues reducing the likelihood of major damage further down the line.

Aiding ongoing business efficiency

Industrial inspections are not only a tool for repair and maintenance but they can also drive efficiency. For instance thermal images can highlight energy wastage through the building envelope. A UAV mounted camera can quickly identify issues enabling ground based staff to focus on resolving problems forming an accurate targeted response rather than searching them out.

If you require more information on how our aerial inspections can you save you time and money please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

1. What are your flight times?

A typical flight with any of our platforms lasts between 15 to 20 minutes. However, these times vary depending on a variety of factors including the weather, flight characteristics and the size of the camera system being carried. As we carry up to 4 batteries with us, these can be swapped over quickly enough in order to proceed with the flight almost immediately. Furthermore, we have on-site charging capabilities allowing us to always have enough batteries to be able to begin another flight.

2. What weather conditions can you fly in?

We can normally fly in light rain and in winds up to 17mph. This is due to the potential damage that this could do to the kit and the negative impact it could have on the quality of the photo. If there are visibility issues due to adverse weather conditions such as fog or haze, we may need to alter our flight plan in order to maintain a line of sight with our UAV.

3. What is the maximum height and distance you can fly to?

This is rightly governed by the rules of the CAA, we are permitted to fly at heights of up to 400ft above ground level (approximately 120m), and at distances of 500m from the pilot. This is in order to ensure the UAV stays in the pilot’s line of sight. We continually monitor the UAV’s altitude and distance from the pilot using telemetry information fed back to the pilot’s screen.

4. Are you able to operate busy areas, such as Central London?

Yes this is usually possible, although extra permissions are normally required when operating in central London. The cost of the survey can increase if it is in a complex area, since most of London is a classed as a restricted area and any UAV aircraft, no matter how small has to submit a non-standard flight application to fly in these areas. The application can take up to 21 days to process and permission is not guaranteed even then. As a result working in London is possible but it is essential to allow at least a month to organise the project.

5. Is there anywhere you can’t fly?

Unfortunately, yes. These areas are typically around airports and sites of military activity. We also need permission from the landowner for land we want to take-off or land on.

6. Can you fly indoors?

Yes, we’re perfectly able to fly indoors although we usually use our smaller UAVs for this type of works.

7. What weight can it carry?

Our platform can carry cameras up to a weight of 1kg.

8. How fast can it fly?

The maximum speed of our UAV is 30mph.

9. What fuel do the UAVs use?

All of our UAVs use Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries.

10. How much do your services cost?

Unfortunately each job needs to be priced individually. This is due to the variances in work conditions due to timescale and data processing requirements; we are usually able to give you a rough estimate of costs in a quick phone call as long as long as the information given is accurate. .

11. Are you insured?

Yes – all our machines, cameras and data are insured and we have £5 million public liability insurance.

12. What qualifications do your pilots have?

All of our pilots possess Remote Pilot Qualifications by a CAA approved pilot assessment body. This qualification assesses the pilot’s competence regarding the knowledge necessary to become a commercial UAV pilot, including knowledge of aviation law, meteorological conditions and human factors which affect flight safety. To pass our pilots must also have passed a practical and UAV-specific annual flight assessment.

13. What emergency prevention features do your UAVs have?

As well as utilising our own numerous procedures to reduce the likelihood of an accident, our systems all possess in-built emergency prevention features to minimise any damage in the unlikely event of an emergency. This includes low battery voltage alarms and a return to home feature which, if contact with the radio controller is lost, allows the UAV to fly back to its take-off zone at a pre-defined height and land itself.

14. How do you ensure the privacy of the public?

As we carry imaging equipment on our UAVs we must adhere to a number of regulations set out by the CAA to protect the privacy of the public and third parties. This includes flying the UAV no closer than 150m to congested areas and organised open-air assemblies of 1,000 persons or more. We must also fly no closer than 50m to any structure, vehicle or person without their permission, although we may fly above them at altitudes of over 50m. The exception to this is that we may fly as close

15. What UK regions do you operate in?

We fly throughout England and Wales. We are based in the Home Counties but we also have satellite offices in London and Cardiff.

If you require more information on how our aerial inspections can you save you time and money please contact us now. We offer a quick, safe and cost effective solution for all your surveying and inspection requirements.

Utilising UAV’s we have the capacity to fly close to building facades and roofs to reach the most awkward areas that other means of powered access simply can’t reach or would not be safe, saving you time and money.

We can provide detailed high definition photographs and video of the building’s roof and façade where access towers, cherry pickers, scissor lifts and scaffold may not be viable due to possible safety issues.

Our Aerial surveys offer a quick solution to investigating an area that needs to be inspected. Our inspection data is then collated into a full conditions inspection report. We liaise with the client prior to the aerial inspection to ensure that all potential problem areas are inspected.

During the UAV aerial inspection the surveyor is able to see what the camera is looking at via our real time data link. Once the drone had returned to base the full hi definition photographs can be downloaded straight to the client and surveyor.

Throughout the survey our drone allows us to see the typical areas of damage to high level areas such as:

  • Roof coverings (slates & tiles)
  • Eaves
  • Parapets
  • Gutters
  • Chimneys
  • Lead flashing
  • Pointing
  • Hidden Valleys
  • Flat roofs
  • Skylights
  • Brickwork (corbelling etc.)
  • Windows

If you would like more information on our Aerial Survey service please contact us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk