Q: Why would I need a drone inspection?
A: In NYC, it is the building owner’s responsibility to ensure that building facades are properly maintained, and regularly inspected to ensure they are in a safe condition. For buildings above six stories, it is required by law that a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector (QEWI) perform an inspection and file a safety report every 5 years.
Drones can greatly assist with this process. By using a drone, inspections that would normally take days to perform via other means (scaffolding, wall drops, cherry pickers) are completed in a matter of hours. Drones can access a variety of tight and confined spaces that other services can’t.
Since drones can typically achieve 100% coverage of a façade, all imagery is geo-located along the length of the wall, and a complete orthomosaic (map) of the façade is generated. Drones provide the most complete and cost effective visual inspection of a façade available.
Q: Who would need a drone inspection?
A: In most cases we are hired by either the building owner directly to perform an inspection for their needs (typically insurance requirements) or, we work directly under the QEWI assigned to the building to customize an inspection to meet the requirements of their prepared safety report.
Q: What kind of cameras/images do you take?
A: High-resolution photography cameras are used in all of our inspections. Aerospect also uses cutting-edge aerial infrared cameras for facades and rooftops inspections. Infrared cameras see the heat difference across a surface and can detect roof/wall moisture issues, spots with poor insulation, and leaks due to exfiltration or failure of HVAC systems.
Q: What do I get from an AeroSpect inspection?
A: You will receive a drone-produced, high-resolution map of your entire façade, along with marked locations of each photo taken. That way, you can see the entire wall in high detail and easily locate the original photos to annotate specific issues on the façade.
Q: How will I be able to access my inspection?
A: We offer many ways to deliver our products to suit your workflow. To make accessing easy for you and your colleagues, we’ve created the Aerospect Web Portal, where you can view and annotate a map of your façade from anywhere. We take advantage of several image hosting methods to suit your needs. We also provide offline methods for image delivery – including physical delivery of all your data on a hard drive to any location you choose.
Q: Is AeroSpect “in the cloud?”
A: That choice is entirely up to you. All processing is performed offline to ensure data security. The AeroSpect Web Portal is a cloud-hosted map and annotation tool, and projects are created at your request for ease of convenience. The AeroSpect Web Portal uses industry standard passwords and encryption to ensure that only you and the users you choose can access your façade.
AeroSpect takes privacy and data security seriously and all data is captured, processed, and stored completely offline, physically in an NYC location. It is only uploaded and hosted online with your express permission. See the previous question for how we can deliver data to you in a variety of ways.
Q: Can AeroSpect tie into my existing CAD data?
A: Absolutely, we can match any CAD format you choose – simply send us a template of your typical CAD drawing, and AeroSpect will work you to integrate directly. We can export the most popular file formats such as .dwg files.
Q: I want to start an inspection today. What do I need to provide AeroSpect?
A: The location and area of each wall to be inspected is all we need to get started. Additionally, we prefer you provide any existing elevations of the façade or building so that we can get the most accurate scan possible. Having existing drawings from your firm greatly increases turnaround time and makes CAD integration a breeze.
Q: What areas is AeroSpect allowed to operate in?
A: AeroSpect has all federal authorizations to operate drones in all 5 boroughs of New York City. AeroSpect also has pilots in Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles.
Q: How does AeroSpect comply with COVID-19 related health and safety issues?
A: Drone inspections are perfect to maintain social distancing and other requirements as outlined by the state. All inspections with AeroSpect drones are no-contact. No staff is required to physically interact with any crew on site or the building itself. We are continually monitoring and adjusting to match CDC guidelines as required.
Q: Is AeroSpect available for 24 hour emergency response?
A: Yes, we are available for 24 hour dispatch on request.