Snook Man
Hardcore RCTalk User
I got a call from a friend who is in the same business as I with an idea to use a quad copter equipped with a high resolution camera (stills and video) to take images/video of the outside façade of high rise buildings that we inspect.
Often some of the areas we need to have a look at are very hard to access and repelling is the easiest way due to a boom lift not able to get to the area or will not reach high enough and swing staging takes a lot of time and money to assemble and often cannot be used in some situations. Repelling works well for access but it takes quite a bit of time to setup to do it safely.
Were basically wanting to use the quad to fly up the outside of the building to an area we need images of and take nice clear high def images of the area of concern. The images would need to be good enough that we could then later zoom in and have a detailed look at the area for defects in the sealant/flashings/windows/control and expansion joints, etc. If the images show a need for further hands on inspection we could then plan to access the area in person. The quad could save a lot of time and money in just knowing if we need to go the trouble to access the area.
What kind of setup would be the best for this type of situation and is it even possible to safely fly close to a large building 40 or 50 stories high .I know updrafts and winds will be an issue and safety would also be a major concern. Some of the buildings are very close together with only a narrow ally 10/14 feet wide separating them.
What kind of restrictions are we looking at generally, we would have permission from the property owner to fly the building but what about city/county restrictions flying above pedestrians and cars/traffic. Anyone know if you can even obtain liability insurance for such a thing?
We are just toying with the idea and I thought I would ask to see if any of you have some thoughts/ideas on the matter.
Also, if you know of anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth area with a setup that would fit the bill who would be willing to do some experimenting/test flights and earn some cash let me know.
Often some of the areas we need to have a look at are very hard to access and repelling is the easiest way due to a boom lift not able to get to the area or will not reach high enough and swing staging takes a lot of time and money to assemble and often cannot be used in some situations. Repelling works well for access but it takes quite a bit of time to setup to do it safely.
Were basically wanting to use the quad to fly up the outside of the building to an area we need images of and take nice clear high def images of the area of concern. The images would need to be good enough that we could then later zoom in and have a detailed look at the area for defects in the sealant/flashings/windows/control and expansion joints, etc. If the images show a need for further hands on inspection we could then plan to access the area in person. The quad could save a lot of time and money in just knowing if we need to go the trouble to access the area.
What kind of setup would be the best for this type of situation and is it even possible to safely fly close to a large building 40 or 50 stories high .I know updrafts and winds will be an issue and safety would also be a major concern. Some of the buildings are very close together with only a narrow ally 10/14 feet wide separating them.
What kind of restrictions are we looking at generally, we would have permission from the property owner to fly the building but what about city/county restrictions flying above pedestrians and cars/traffic. Anyone know if you can even obtain liability insurance for such a thing?
We are just toying with the idea and I thought I would ask to see if any of you have some thoughts/ideas on the matter.
Also, if you know of anyone in the Dallas Fort Worth area with a setup that would fit the bill who would be willing to do some experimenting/test flights and earn some cash let me know.