Tower Surveying With a Drone

Performing an inspection on a cell phone or broadcast tower is one of the most dangerous jobs a person can perform. Thanks to advancements in UAV technology and increasing utilization of drone technology, though, teams everywhere are reducing this risk.

Today, companies are using drones instead of conventional methods of sending tower inspectors to gather visual information.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why Use a Drone? 5 Compelling Reasons

Drones offer a massive assortment of benefits to tower inspections and site surveyors. Here are a few of the most pronounced:

1. Higher-Resolution Visual Inspections

When compared to ground-based inspections, drones produce a much higher quality of visual information. It is essential to record many pieces of information on a tower inspection, such as model and serial numbers of antennas.

Also, you must note the overall condition of the tower, which includes brackets and hardware. Rust, corrosion, thread count, and other factors are critical to note. This information can then be translated into reports, plans of action, and client documentation.

2. Reduced Man Hours

When utilizing UAVs in inspections, teams can reduce the amount of time required at a site. This, in turn, decreases the financial investment associated with inspections and allows your company to complete several inspections in a given day, provided that there are enough drones and operators available.

3. Increased Safety

The most apparent benefit of drones is that they reduce the time spent climbing a tower and increase time spent on the ground. In general, this is a much safer approach than being in the air conducting the tower survey. This enhanced level of safety, in turn, reduces insurance costs and allows companies to shuck some of the burden associated with keeping inspection teams safe throughout a project.

4. Continued Tower Functionality

During a drone inspection, towers can sometimes remain functional. This, of course, depends on some variables, including the drone being used and the power and frequency of the antennas. While it’s always best to down a tower, this isn’t always possible.

Utilizing a drone to perform a tower inspection, however, can reduce the amount of downtime a tower may experience. Depending on the broadcast type and power rating some towers can remain operational during the inspection.

5. Increased Efficiency

Drones can aid in data accuracy and improved reliability by preventing downtime and allowing tower members to maintain a site proactively. They also allow your team to make real-time decisions quickly, based on the high-resolution imagery they are collecting. These all expand the scope of the site survey and make it possible for you to provide clients with all the information they need or want.

Rules and Regulations for Height Authorizations

If you’re planning to use drones for tower surveying, you’ll need to be aware of specific rules and regulations.

Here are some of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandates:

• Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (25 kg).
• Visual line-of-sight (VLOS) only; the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS. Alternatively, the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the visual observer.
• At all times the small unmanned aircraft must remain close enough to the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS for those people to be capable of seeing the aircraft with vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.
• Small unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons not directly participating in the operation, not under a covered structure, and not inside a covered stationary vehicle.
• Daylight-only operations, or civil twilight (30 minutes before official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset, local time) with appropriate anti-collision lighting.
• Must yield right of way to other aircraft
• May use visual observer (VO) but not required.
• First-person view camera cannot satisfy “see-and-avoid” requirement but can be used as long as requirement is satisfied in other ways.
• Maximum groundspeed of 100 mph (87 knots).
• Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level (AGL) or, if higher than 400 feet AGL, remain within 400 feet of a structure.
• Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from control station.
• Operations in Class B, C, D and E airspace are allowed with the required ATC permission.
• Operations in Class G airspace are allowed without ATC permission.
• No person may act as a remote pilot in command or VO for more than one unmanned aircraft operation at one time.
• No operations from a moving aircraft.
• No operations from a moving vehicle unless the operation is over a sparsely populated area.

Keep in mind that drone capability can also affect max drone elevation. Some drones cannot physically fly above certain heights based on their performance capabilities.

Examples of Use Cases

Wondering where else drones can contribute to your organization? Consider the following use cases:

Equipment Surveys

Drones have a high potential for use on equipment surveys. They are highly maneuverable and can survey equipment quickly, efficiently, and entirely, providing high-quality information teams can use to make decisions.

Identifying Environmental Hazards

Identifying environmental hazards with a ground crew can be tough. Vision from the ground is inherently limited, and it’s virtually impossible to gain all the information needed without making multiple trips. With drones, you can identify environmental hazards while limiting the risk to people.

Damage Assessments After Natural Disaster

After a natural disaster, conditions are variable, and it can be difficult to send crews into potentially hazardous environments to assess the damage. Using drones, you can survey an area quickly, without risking personnel. Drones have the advantage of elevation, which means they can provide more comprehensive information than ground crews, which leads to better decision-making.

Scanning for Potential Dangers

Before you send your new drone up for tower surveying, be aware of these potentially complicating factors:

• Wind. Wind can toss drones off-course and lead to crashes unless the drone operator is experienced and used to flying in gusty conditions.
• Safety Concerns. Depending on the type and nature of your inspection, you may need a waiver from the FAA. Check their website to learn more and to find out which regulations apply to you. You may also need a drone license or a part 107 license to be in full compliance.
• Electromagnetism. Electromagnetism can have a massive effect on your drone flight. Before you take flight, be sure you understand electromagnetic interference and the problems it can cause for your drone flight.
• Battery Life. While this may seem obvious, be sure your drone is fully charged before you send it up for your first tower survey. Nothing cuts a mission short quite like a dead battery.

Drone Nerds Recommended Inspection Drones

Wondering which drones are best-suited for tower surveying? We generally recommend the Matrice 210 RTK or the Phantom 4 RTK. Both these drones are durable and sturdy enough to conduct delicate tower surveying operations and advanced enough to deliver top-quality results.

Additionally, each is equipped for top-of-the-line software that can help organize and deliver reports for your teams.  Available software includes the following:

• Pix4D
• DroneDeploy
• Measure

These software systems help provide precise, expansive tower surveying information that your team can use to generate detailed reports and produce better outcomes for clients.

Drones Create Easier Tower Surveying

With the help of Drone Nerds, you can find a drone that’s perfect for supplementing your existing tower surveying efforts. No matter what you want from your drone inspection process, our teams are here to help. Contact us today to learn more.