The drone inspection process: eight stages, no flights forced through.

The process step by step

From qualification to data retention.

Every stage ends with a concrete result. If one of those results is missing, the process stops - and you know where and why.

1. E·01

   Qualifying the assignment

   We start with the question of which decision the material is meant to serve: a refurbishment, maintenance, handover of works, damage, a purchase. We check whether the scope falls within the limits of our method - and if it does not, we say so plainly before we take the assignment.

   • the decision at hand and the recipient of the material: owner, service company, surveyor
   • type of building, access and the expected date
   • matching the scope: RGB as standard, thermal imaging only after the method gate
   • a scope beyond our limits = a refusal or a vetted partner

   Result of the stage an initial scope and a "fits / does not fit" decision.

2. E·02

   Feasibility review and grounds for refusal

   Every address goes through a feasibility review before any promise of a date is made. This is where "we fly or we do not" is decided - and we treat it as a service, not a formality: the review is free and we reply within 1 business day.

   • geographical zones for drones and the permissions required at the address
   • the surroundings: trees, power lines, traffic, neighbours
   • bystanders: we plan the flight so as to avoid them; scenarios requiring a flight over people are a special category we do not currently offer
   • the economics of travel: a radius of about 30 km from the confirmed dispatch point; beyond that a combined route, an economic assessment or a partner

   Result of the stage a verdict of "we fly / we fly conditionally / we do not fly", with reasons.

3. E·03

   Mission plan and permissions

   After a positive review we plan the mission: flight geometry matched to the specific material, the take-off point, the weather window and the full set of permissions. The record of mission conditions is created before take-off, not after it.

   • the agreed scope and the list of deliverables
   • the owner's or manager's consent to take off from the site and to document the building
   • a weather window with stop criteria agreed in advance
   • the date is always conditional: the zone, the surroundings and the weather

   Result of the stage a mission plan and a record of conditions ready to be filled in on site.

4. E·04

   Data acquisition

   The flight takes place within the operator's visual line of sight (VLOS), in the open category, up to 120 m above ground - to the plan, not improvised. The operator fills in the record of conditions on site and checks the completeness of the frames while still there.

   • VLOS, open category, up to 120 m
   • record of conditions: date, wind, sunlight, the limits of the day
   • we do not fly in rain - that is a limit of the equipment, with no exceptions
   • a stop criterion exceeded = abort and a new date, not "we will manage somehow"

   Result of the stage a complete set of source material and a filled-in record of conditions.

5. E·05

   Data backup

   Straight after the mission the source material goes onto two independent copies. The master stays read-only - the selection and annotations are made on the working copy, so the original keeps the state it had on the day of the flight.

   • two independent copies after every mission
   • the master read-only, with no editing of the source
   • for thermal material: R-JPEG with radiometric data, a checksum and a log of the software version
   • identifiers of the source data recorded in the mission log

   Result of the stage a secured master and a working copy for analysis.

6. E·06

   Analysis and quality control

   Selection and indexing of the observations: each one gets a location, a level of confidence and the context of the conditions. We keep observation apart from interpretation - and we check the material before it goes out. Nothing leaves the studio without a quality review.

   • an index of observations with locations on the building
   • a level of confidence recorded with every observation
   • the limits of the method written down plainly, not in small print
   • a quality review before dispatch: completeness, consistency, the limits of the conclusions

   Result of the stage a report with an index of observations - laid out as in the sample report.

7. E·07

   Handover of the report

   We hand over the report and go through the observations. The material is prepared for verification by a roofer or the appropriate service company. We do not make diagnoses: we point out observations, their context and the places recommended for repair.

   • a walk-through of the report and answers to your questions
   • the next step with its owner: roofer, PV service, surveyor, property manager
   • an observation is not a diagnosis - the interpretation belongs to the appropriate expert
   • material in a form ready to pass on without us in the middle

   Result of the stage a report received and a clear next step.

8. E·08

   Data retention

   The rules on access and storage we agree before the mission, not after the fact. We record only what is needed for the purpose of the assignment, and once the agreed period has passed the material is deleted.

   • the material goes only to the recipients agreed
   • minimisation: we plan the frames so as to avoid bystanders and other people's property
   • the storage period is set in the terms of the assignment
   • deletion after the deadline - the details are in the privacy policy

   Result of the stage the access rule and the retention schedule written into the terms of the assignment.

The same process applies whatever the scale of the assignment - a single house and a portfolio of company buildings go through the same gates.

What you get at the end

Four things, always as a set.

Whatever the scope of the assignment, the set looks the same - which is what lets you compare material between dates and pass it on without explanation.

This is what the set looks like in practice: the sample report. Demonstration material is unambiguously marked as a demo.