What is Non-Destructive Testing?

NDT (short for Non-Destructive Testing) refers to an inspection procedure that allows one to gather information about a material or structure without causing any harm to it.

Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) is used to gather information about a substance without causing it to be altered (i.e., without destroying it). In this blog, we will focus on one type of NDT which is Ultrasonic (UT) NDT now being used for commercial applications with Drones.

The main distinction between NDT and DT is that NDT does not require inspectors to harm the material being tested, whereas DT does. For example, in Destructive Testing, a piece of the material may be scraped, removed for analysis or modified in a different way on-site (i.e., Macro sectioning, Tensile testing, 3 point bend testing).

Why choose NDT methods?

The importance of non-destructive testing in ensuring that assets are properly maintained cannot be overstated. Here are the top reasons why NDT is utilized by so many businesses around the world:

1. Savings: The most obvious answer to this issue is that non-destructive testing (NDT) is more desirable than destructive testing because it allows the material or object being inspected to survive the inspection unscathed, saving precious resources.
2. Safety: NDT is especially intriguing because, with the exception of radiographic testing, practically all NDT techniques are safe for humans.
3. Efficiency: NDT methods enable a complete and relatively quick examination of assets, which can be critical for assuring project site safety and performance.
4. Accuracy: NDT methods have been demonstrated to be accurate and predictable, which are both desirable attributes in maintenance processes designed to ensure worker safety and equipment longevity.

Where is NDT used?

Depending on how broadly you define NDT, you could argue it’s employed in practically every industry on the planet, because visual inspections (whether formalized or casual) occur in almost every workplace in some form or another. Having said that, several sectors require NDT and have structured methods for its utilization.
The industries that require NDT with UT include:

• Oil & Gas
• Power Generation
• Chemicals
• Mining
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Maritime

Inspectors in all of these businesses utilize three different methods to get access to difficult-to-reach or high-rise locations:

1. Scaffolding: Scaffolding necessitates inspectors working at height in order to obtain inspection data.
2. Rope access: Inspectors must also work at heights while using rope access to obtain inspection data.
3. Drones: Drones can be used by inspectors to collect inspection data remotely allowing them to remain safely outside of tight places or below high-risk locations.

Using drones for NDT

Drones fitted with cameras have been another instrument extensively employed in NDT for obtaining visual data in recent years. Due to technological restrictions, drones could only give supplementary visual data for inspectors for some time, but could not replace inspectors physically gathering visual data themselves. However, as drone technology has advanced, inspectors have been able to use drones as
RVI (Remote Visual Inspection) tools more and more, completely removing the requirement for them to collect visual data manually in some cases.

 1. Safety

Drones help improve workplace safety by eliminating the need for inspectors to enter unsafe confined locations to obtain visual data.
Using a drone to capture visual data on assets such as power lines or towers minimizes the amount of time a human needs to physically be in the air on the tower or line. For indoor inspections of assets such as pressure vessels or boilers, employing a drone to collect visual data eliminates the need for the inspector to enter a tight place, thereby reducing risk exposure.
Nondestructive inspections are a safe and effective method of finding flaws that could lead to dangerous situations, malfunctions, or catastrophic failure. They reduce the number of mishaps that occur during testing operations as workers attempt to access difficult-to-reach regions and hostile settings. Furthermore, it reduces the potential of fires and other hazards occurring during traditional destructive testing, such as welding or the use of open flames.
Identifying flaws in advance allows maintenance staff to remedy problems before they occur. This effectively eliminates failure, which could result in fires and accidents to workers and those nearby the impacted institution.

2. Reduced Downtime

Drones can help businesses improve their ROI (Return on Investment) in both indoor and outdoor environments. Nondestructive testing using drones makes it simple, quick, and economical to identify flaws and defects in materials. This allows the maintenance personnel to do quick repairs and replacements before problems arise. Each of the technologies serves a unique function in decreasing the costs and time required to complete a specific inspection. Furthermore, testing without shutting down operations saves the organization time and prevents production losses.
Only a few people, if any, are required to go out into the field to do the inspections. Furthermore, drone-based NDT inspections eliminate the requirement for huge transport vehicles and helicopters to reach inaccessible places. The technologies decrease transportation and insurance costs, and because the tests take less time, the corporation
spends less on lodging and allowances.
Drone-based NDT inspections can swiftly identify the majority of flaws and provide enough information to maintenance employees to allow them to rectify problems and prevent leaks and pipeline damage.
Since a drone inspection can be mounted rapidly, inspections may be undertaken more frequently, allowing flaws to be identified early and boosting asset longevity. With a single examination, these early discoveries can save businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars.

3. Reliable Inspection Data

The NDT can examine the structures and offer detailed data that would have taken many days using standard access methods by employing a drone to visit inaccessible regions.
Drone-based inspections in the oil and gas industry can give dependable and accurate test data on a wide range of properties. The best part is that the inspection process is usually repeatable and can be extremely valuable in determining the effectiveness of any repairs.
The drones may repeat the same experiments from the same place and angle by using location and other settings. This enables maintenance employees to produce precise results and eliminate errors that would otherwise occur when testing at various sites.

Ultrasonic Drone Inspections

A drone equipped with an ultrasonic thickness gauge can make contact with surfaces for testing to measure metal thickness and ignore paint coatings. One such example of a drone already in the market is the skygauge ultrasonic testing drone.

The Skygauge is a drone-mounted ultrasonic thickness gauge designed for both visual and wall thickness inspection. Instead of putting workers’ safety at risk by putting them on ropes, boom lifts, and scaffolding for industrial inspections, the Skygauge allows personnel to stay on the ground while the drone inspects dangerous areas.
The Skygauge drone’s process is separated into three major categories: site gathering, flight path planning, and post-analysis. Workers must verify that the surroundings around the inspection area are clear before checking the structure in question.

The drone uses a force-sensing probe to apply the precise amount of force required to acquire thickness measurements and maintain surface contact during the scan.
The Skygauge’s design allows for precision flying, force contact, wind resistance, and tilted examinations.

UT Testing with Drones around the Globe

• Apellix does UT measurement with precision flight and advanced sensors.
• Eddyfi Technologies helps pipeline operators inspect assets with many types of drones and measurement tools.
• Gecko Robotics uses UT as one of its many inspection methods.
• Mitras uses robots to do NDT on large structures using robotics, automation, and data.
• Terra Inspectioneering and Skyline Drone use drones to inspect confined and hazardous energy assets with UT, visual, and other inspection methods.

There are many applications where the use of drones are better than using traditional methods for inspection in many ways. As the use of these drones for NDT in industries increase, the resulting advantages are very rewarding. When drones and non-destructive testing are combined, the advantages of drone mobility and flexibility, as well as the non destructive nature of the inspection, are realized. This improves safety, saves costs, and avoids manipulating the materials under test.
Drone-based NDT inspection, when done correctly, can give useful information while keeping structures intact. However, it is necessary to grasp the task at hand as well as the type of information it will seek. It is critical to understand both the capabilities and the constraints. Furthermore, understanding the essential standards and specifications in regard to the test is critical.
Drone NDT is a beneficial financial investment since it reduces safety hazards to the NDT technician and, in some situations, offers access to key regions that an NDT technician may not be able to investigate.

Pakistan’s Geography

Bordered by India to the East, China to the North, Iran and Afghanistan to the West, Pakistan is situated in the South Asian region. Pakistan is a geographically diverse country – it’s rich diversity of landscapes span from the soaring mountain range in the northwest, followed by valleys to barren plateaus and the Indus River plain, which flows southward all the way into the Arabian Sea.

Disasters in Pakistan

Pakistan is home to a vast geography. The country is however seriously affected by global climate change and environmental degradation. With so much rainfall and poor infrastructure, floods hit Pakistan every year. According to the Climate Risk Index 2021, Pakistan is ranked eighth for countries most affected by global climate change even though contributing to even less than 1% of it.

Floods

Since 2010, Pakistan has been hit by a succession of floods. In this country, flood dangers are at an all-time high. The recent terrible 2022 flood, caused by intense monsoon rains, wiped away rural and urban developments, leaving about 10 million children in desperate need of emergency lifesaving assistance.

Thousands of houses, schools, hospitals, and water infrastructure have been devastated. The National Disaster Management Authority documented over 1,600 deaths and over 12,000 injuries, including 579 deaths and over 4,000 injuries among minors.

This is only one example of a recent flood. Floods have occurred every year since the 2010 floods, affecting over one-fifth of the country’s territory and leaving around 20 million people without relief who needed quick assistance. The delay in help response resulted in a higher number of victims (out of the 1,985 deaths). The 2010 flood alone caused losses over Rs. 39 billion to the national economy.

Aside from floods, Pakistan confronts natural calamities such as wildfires, droughts, and earthquakes, but no suitable disaster management strategies have been implemented.

Droughts

The United Nations has put Pakistan on the “drought-hit” list. Pakistan is among the twenty-three (23) countries that are facing extreme droughts over the past few years. Several districts in Baluchistan and Sindh face drought conditions resulting in high level of food insecurity and leaving adverse effects on agriculture and livestock.

Extreme drought of 1998 – 2002

This drought is considered the worst drought the country has faced in 50 years. It started in 1997, gained intensity in 1998 and reached its peak in 2000 till 2001 and ultimately lost its effect in 2002. It hit the country’s economy really bad. Around 1.2 million people in just Baluchistan were affected by the drought. In Sindh, 127 people died as a result of severe water shortages and heat strokes.

As a result, tens of thousands of families migrated from Baluchistan and Sindh to irrigated or urban lands. Pakistan has always faced a drought every two years be it a moderate or a week drought. In 2022, the National Drought Monitoring Centre issued a drought alert alerting about a potential drought in the summers due to the increased average temperatures and little or no precipitation.

Earthquakes

The most seismically active country, Pakistan is crossed by several major faults due to which destructive earthquakes occur very often in Pakistan.

The most destructive earthquake in the history of Pakistan was the October, 2005 earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6. It claimed about 79,000 lives and 32,000 buildings collapsed in Kashmir

Pakistan’s Response to the Disasters

Something interesting to note is that although Pakistan has been facing these issues for a long time, there’s always zero preparation when it comes to pre-disaster measures or even post-disaster measures. After all, disaster management is more about preparedness than response. Floods and the drastic change in climate are preventable if there’s a check on deforestation activities, illegal constructions alongside rivers and construction of more and more dams.

Pakistan, being a developing country that is economically and politically suffering, has historically relied on foreign funding to mitigate the effects of natural calamities such as flash floods, earthquakes, and forest fires. Pakistan’s disaster response system, even though it exists and is working, is not always prepared for pre-disaster precautions because it is a struggling country.

When it comes to post-disaster measures, aid response is often delayed, placing impacted people in a dire scenario. Once the roads are cleared, the only method to bring relief to the affected people is via helicopter or vehicle (which takes forever when it comes to floods or earthquakes). Monitoring of floods and water levels, for example, has always been done by satellite, despite the fact that in this current age of technology, many more cost-effective and widely accessible substitutes are available.

Are Drones a Solution for Disaster Management?

Drones and their applications have swiftly evolved over the last several years in a range of sectors from commercial, agricultural, industrial to disaster management and humanitarian aid. They can remotely operate in disaster areas that are normally inaccessible to humans or rescue vehicles.

Disasters are notorious for sowing the seeds of loss. The inevitability of calamities prompts the implementation of provocative safety measures. With life and death on the line, disaster management and quick response relief services cannot be overlooked. The importance of drones in such scenarios cannot be emphasized.

Drones may be utilized in a variety of disaster management scenarios. Some of these are discussed below:

1. Search and Rescue

When lives are at stake, every second matters. For those trapped beneath the rumbles of the catastrophes, each second feels like a lifetime, every second counts.

Traditionally, helicopters or small aircrafts were used on a large scale to help in search and rescue from above, but in disasters such as earthquakes or flooding, airfields and helipads are frequently destroyed and unfit for use. Even if they are active, it takes them longer to commence rescue efforts, particularly in developing and economically suffering nations such as Pakistan.

This method of spotting and rescuing also relies on spotters looking down from a high platform with binoculars.

Drones facilitate fast, efficient, and effective search and rescue operations. They account for quick relief since calamities necessitate immediate aid and relief.

They come with a plethora of useful features that boost the effectiveness of the operation, allowing first responders to carry out their rescue services much earlier and more effectively.

Drones can cover broad search grids; for example, during flash floods, drones may provide a birds-eye view of where the water is moving, predict where it will rise, and locate trapped individuals. Responders can discover heat signatures, identifying people buried beneath the rumbles of a catastrophe, using the attached thermal cameras and spotlights. Thermal cameras can detect a person in the water up to 50 meters away. Drones can also autonomously identify people and send back the information marking GIS (geographical information system) coordinates of the site where people were found including a headcount. With the help of this information, the rescue department will be able to initiate its rescue services immediately.

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake is a real-world example of drones being employed in a search and rescue effort. One of the most devastating earthquakes in human history. Drones were employed to assist rescue teams by identifying collapsed population-dense buildings as well as roads that were closed to on-the-ground personnel.

2. Medical Package Delivery

Aid organizations in developing nations have weak or non-existent infrastructure, which is aggravated by disasters such as damaged roads and debris-covered areas, which make it difficult for medical aid teams to access impacted areas. People stranded in regions where rescue will take time require immediate assistance until they are rescued and moved to a safer location.

Drones may not be able to replace conventional 4×4 vehicles or helicopters for humanitarian aid (since they can transport larger supplies), but they can improve the effectiveness of first-aid response by serving as an additional instrument for humanitarian relief.

Payload delivery drones can provide medical supplies, food, sanitary items, and communication equipment. Medical supplies can range from essential pharmaceuticals to vaccinations, water purification tablets, and surgical equipment. The objective with drones is to minimize aid delivery time and to alleviate the suffering of the victims.

During COVID-19, for example, drones were utilized in a global viral outage. People in need received COVID-19 test kits and PPE supplies. Drones cut delivery times from up to six and a half hours via road to only 10-15 minutes.

3. Communication Re-establishment

Power line and communication lines are cut off in regions hit by natural disasters. In such areas, a network capable of handling voice channels might be critical for search and rescue activities. Communication infrastructure is critical for communicating disaster and safety information to the general public, coordinating recovery plans among first responders, and re-establishing communication between family members to check in on their loved ones.

A unique type of UAV can be used to re-establish temporary Wi-Fi connections enabling on-the-ground rescue teams to- coordinate rescue preparations. A drone fleet can be deployed (linked together to enhance coverage) in regions of crisis, or they can be linked to a ground-based telecommunication system to boost signal coverage for use by search and rescue workers during an operation where communication is critical.

Integrated Dynamics, a Pakistani UAV manufacturer and service company, has a communication re-establishment UAV dubbed the SOLARIS. A UAV powered by a hybrid of solar and Li-Ion batteries that can stay in the air for several weeks, offering a platform for communication during a disaster or for military objectives.

UAVs can be linked together utilizing directional antennas (which focus signal bandwidth in one direction, boosting coverage from 100s of meters to kilometers) to provide expanded coverage. Finally, Wi-Fi routers provide a wireless connection between the UAV and ground terminals as the source.

4. Remote Situation Assessing and Mapping

Disaster-affected areas cover vast swaths of land or water, are massive and difficult to scale, and may pose an unnecessary risk. Assessing them with human aerial vehicles such as aircraft or helicopters can endanger the pilots and crew and is both costly and time consuming.

Drones, due to their speed and mobility, can assist in assessing damage and reaching remote sites. Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras record real-time images of the disaster while simultaneously gathering and relaying critical data to ground stations.

Drones equipped with 3D mapping and surveying technology can map the impacted areas and collect data to aid in the prevention of future disasters such as flash floods and landslides.

5. Extinguishing Wildfires

Time is of the essence when it comes to wildfire. Makes sense why drones can be the better option when it comes to wildfire response. They are easier to deploy, much faster and much more safer making them more effective as compared to traditional methods.

Every year, firefighters lose their lives to wildfires. In 2013, for example, the United States Fire administration stated that around 34 firefighters died and 29,760 firefighters sustained serious injuries.

Every year, massive forest fires rage in Pakistan amid record-breaking temperatures and severe heatwaves. The worst damaged locations in 2022 were in Baluchistan’s Koh-e-Sulaiman Range. The wildfires damaged over 40% of the entire trees, displacing a large number of people. Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen many wildfires destroy families who were unaware of the unexpected disaster.

Rescue aircrafts flying at much low altitudes fighting wildfires put the lives of the firefighting crew in risk.  

With drones, firefighting duty has become a lot easier. Drones can be used for situational awareness about the fire and its surrounding, assisting fire fighters in assessing the fire. The machines can reach difficult places, provide thermal assessment with the help of thermal cameras and point out potential fire outbreak points.

Drones can also be used, but can never replace aircraft extinguishing services, for extinguishing fires by dropping fire retardants more precisely and safely.

How can Pakistan benefit from Drones for Disaster Management?

Pakistan is prone to natural disasters and has been in the forefront of the countries affected by climate change.

The Pakistani government can, together with other stake holders, use drones for a better perspective on the disaster. It can help them with disaster preparedness, collecting data over time from vulnerable places, analyzing them and acting accordingly.

The government can provide these drones to rescue organizations in Pakistan so that they can conduct search and rescue missions amid flooding, earthquakes, landslides, and wildfires. Because rescue organizations already have offices and deployment sites in disaster-prone areas, drones can be deployed swiftly and easily without the trouble of travelling to the disaster area. They can be used to deliver aid packages to the suffering families which is always on delay in this country.

Pakistan’s economy is in trouble, and the country is already in international debt. Disasters like these, as well as measures to mitigate disaster damage after the fact, may have a significant influence on a country’s already ailing economy. Pakistan has relied extensively on traditional manned aircraft for post-disaster and disaster relief operations. The expenses are not static; when inflation rises, manufacturing prices, fuel costs, and maintenance costs rise significantly. Drones will be a more cost-effective alternative to expensive helicopters or aircraft used for data acquisition and searching since they do not require fuel, do not require costly maintenance, and have a 99% lower production cost. This would alleviate some of the economic strain associated with disaster management.

Recently, the CDA (Capital Development Authority) began to recognize the usefulness and efficacy of drones in wildfire prevention and monitoring by purchasing drones for this purpose as part of its efforts to increase surveillance of Margalla Hills National Park amid rising forest fire incidents.

Unfortunately, countries like Pakistan have yet to find the true potential of drones and use them specifically in disaster management and humanitarian aid services.

DroneServ in Disaster Management so far

DroneServ has actively provided demonstrations in creating awareness on how Drones can be used for Disaster Management. During the Sindh Floods of 2022, DroneServ used it’s fleet of drones to identify potential areas for air drops and deployed its unmanned aircrafts for delivering key medicines to those in need. We offer our drones in such cases and consultation on what drones you can use for your disaster management preparedness.

Have something to add to the blog? Feel free to leave it in the comments below!

Drones provide a practical solution for the inspection of transmission and distribution (T & D) lines, as well as substations. This is a great, practical resource for anyone who is considering using drones for their utility work or is operating them and would like to learn more. 

Drones – An Introduction to the Technology for Power Utilities

The industrial adoption of drones is happening rapidly. On a global scale, power utilities and co-ops are not strangers to the technology. Drones offer a sensible resolution for the inspection and analysis of transmission and distribution (T&D) lines, along with substations. Drones support business efforts to avoid unsafe manhours; cut back prices for maintenance, inspections, and repairs; and ultimately minimize downtime. Valuable use cases for drone applications in the area can be found which have been endorsed by ground crews, linemen, plant managers, and engineers, embracing the technology with open arms.

A big concern for a country like Pakistan is the airspace regulations for drones. But don’t let ‘regulations’ get in the way of another technological revolution to set you back just yet. The regulations will come and while they are ‘on the way’, we can certainly assist utilities in following standard operating procedures and best practices for adopting the technology – safely and effectively.

DroneServ looks towards creating an awareness in adopting this technology for a better consumer experience and operational excellence when it comes to an economy-drowned country like Pakistan. With our team of skilled ‘drone’ professionals, DroneServ can assist power utilities in meeting ends which will not only cut costs but also improve the infrastructure with efficient data capture and analysis. Here’s how.

Benefits of Using Drones in Power Utilities

For firms in the energy sector, drones allow safe and efficient inspections with data collection. Drone based inspections are conducted by trained pilots and skilled data analysts to substantially cut inspection time, labor expenses, and dangerous man-hours, while also delivering high-quality data that allows a roadmap to be constructed for corporations to maximize energy output.

Drones in transmission and distribution give up new options while also replacing old, conventional methods of conducting inspections. Inspections are normally carried out manually, employing ladders, bucket trucks or via long-range photography in some cases. Manual inspections that require climbing or the use of buckets clearly pose risks that may be avoided with drones. Ground-based data collecting barely provides the level of detail and flexibility that a drone can.

 It is anticipated that the benefits and use cases for drones will expand further as the technology grows. However, at this point in time, drones have a lot to offer to the power utilities.

1. Better Data

Multi-rotor drones that are simple to use can examine approximately 8 – 12 kilometers of distribution poles every day, gathering thermal and RGB imagery. Compared to traditional ground or helicopter patrols, teams will benefit from a better level of detail – missing pins, corrosion, and broken insulators – and thermal images can instantly identify hot spots in the region. Thanks to the technology, companies can now proactively identify greater number of defects which could potentially lead to fewer power outages and reduced maintenance costs. 

2. Reduced Risk

Drone based inspections eliminate the need for climbing up poles where the maintenance teams can get up close to a defect while keeping their boots on the ground. Drones further provide access to hard-to-reach areas including right of ways and poorly maintained areas.

3. Rapid Response

Drones can provide insight of a field in disastrous situations. Access to areas may be halted by floods or even a fallen tree. Here, a drone can be deployed to collect information and allow for the right equipment and personnel to be sent to the right location – right away! This is imperative for power utilities since restoring power efficiently is usually a priority. When terrain conditions are unknown, quick response times are critical for energy utilities.

4. Boosted Efficiency

Utilities can save time with drone inspections. One drone inspection can potentially save 2 – 3 days of field work. At times approvals have to be taken before sending some up on a truck which is a process that takes days (according to a study by U.S. based Drone Service Provider, Measure). It must be noted that a substation may be inspected by a drone within an hour and no shutdown is required.

5. Quick Return on Investment

Drones are reasonably priced nowadays. The cost of equipment, training, software and support for drones pays for itself at least five times over in inspecting 100 KM of utility lines plus one substation. Operation of drones is further simple thus enabling easier adoption of the technology. 

Use Cases for Power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) Lines

Let us look at some of the contributions Drones provide to Power Utilities.

Case 1: Quick Transmission Tower Inspections

Towers regularly need to be inspected for issues. However, unforeseen incidents could cause the inspection team to be summoned. It’s usually a lineman’s job to climb up and look into the issue which is dangerous to begin with. Adding further complexities to the issue, the tower may be inaccessible in some cases.

Traditional methods call for special permissions to be taken and the power to be disrupted for the maintenance crew to climb up and run inspection activities for the specific tower. Not to forget, the inspection activity takes a while to complete when it comes to fault-finding.

With a trained pilot and a drone available, this task can be accomplished in a few minutes without any power cuts to begin with. Drones can offer close up views and even live video streams to inspection crews on the ground. There are no hazardous man-hours involved and you get a clean look of the tower in real-time. The footage can be assessed and a mitigation to the issue could be devised for the issue while you’re still at the field. 

Case 2: Scheduled Ground Patrols

During routine patrols, a team member may swiftly launch a drone to capture greater detail and identify any faults. The team can further observe things they may have missed otherwise, better define the situation, and select the best course of action, all while avoiding dangerous manhours. 

This also calls for security concerns that many energy companies have in Pakistan. Ground Patrols for security can also use drone effectively to conduct surveillance operations effectively. This is more efficient than conventional methods which involves motor vehicles and security personnel running around which is not a fool-proof method for right of way monitoring. 

Case 3: Substation Maintenance and Inspection

Drones allow you to inspect infrastructure without having to shut the power down. This contributes towards operational excellence and also a better consumer experience. Substations are usually a challenge for power utilities in such cases. 

Case 4: Disaster Response

A city like Karachi is prone to floods after heavy rains especially during the monsoon season. This leads to infrastructure damage and people getting electrocuted with the high voltage lines. At times, even towers get damaged.

Drones allow you to assess the situation better from the air than on foot. And rather than deploying a team on foot through kilometers of land to assess the damage, you take the drone and examine the region. The photographs can further be uploaded and stitched together with photogrammetry using the appropriate software, resulting in a single unified map for disaster response.

You can examine the line of devastation and the affected regions, allowing you to organize recovery measures swiftly and efficiently.

And there’s more when it comes to use cases. There are several uses for having a UAV (unmanned aircraft vehicle) and a qualified pilot for transmission and distribution. Throughout the industry, there are instances where the drone serves as an extension of oneself. Drones are merely another tool in the toolbox, just a little more efficient than others in some cases.

Where DroneServ comes in

Drones are a complex technology which requires an experienced crew to do the job effectively and efficiently. To ensure the safety of the operating crew and the equipment itself, DroneServ comes in as a drone solutions and service provider.

Not only does DroneServ provide the services covered in the use cases above, DroneServ also provides the industry with the option of transfer of technology. Transfer of technology means that we procure a fleet of drones and equipment for you to operate with a skilled crew that we help train for your inspection needs. 

Why Choose DroneServ

DroneServ consists of a team with over 25 years of experience in UAV technology which not only includes commercially off the shelf drones  but customizations, autopilots, fault identification, sensor technology and the applications of drones to meet the demands of the consumer.

Have something to add to this post? Feel free to leave it in the comment section.

UAS Laws – General rules for flying drones in Pakistan

The Pakistani agency responsible for drone safety, PCAA, has provided a number of details on flying a drone for fun or for work. The highlights are enumerated below. For more details go to the link above.

Are drones allowed in Pakistan?

According to PCAA, drones are allowed in Pakistan, subject to PCAA regulations. Read on for details.

Here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Pakistan

Pakistan is currently in the process of developing its Drone regulations. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) will have responsibility for administering the new law.

The current draft addresses manufacturing, import, purchase, usage, licensing, security clearance, regulations, and export of a UAS.

The draft regulations differentiate UAS systems according to their maximum take-off mass (MTOM) or maximum take-off weight (MTOW).

Five categories fall within these classifications, as listed below:

Class-I – less than 250 grams

Class- II – Between 250g and 2kg

Class III – Between 2 kg and 50 kg

Class IV – Between 50 kg and 150 kg

Class V – More than 150 kg

UAS of Class-I and Class-II are subject to specific restrictions, including that an operator cannot fly the drone more than 200 feet above the ground, the UAS may only be flown over the operator’s property; they may not be flown within a 10-nautical-mile (NM) (approximately 18.5-kilometer) radius of an airfield, within two kilometers of the national border, or above or near a sensitive area, such as a nuclear power plant, correctional institution, police station, or court.

The Class-III, Class-IV, and Class-V drones are required to obtain a Certificate of Airworthiness (CoA), Remote Pilot Operator License (RPOL), and follow the rules of the air.

Furthermore, public roads as a take-off and landing ground are not permitted unless the relevant local authority has given its approval.

Restrictions apply again to fly the aircraft near or around sensitive areas.

The policy document states that the new rules will apply to individuals, businesses, private organizations, government entries, foreign nationals, and international organizations.

The minimum age required to operate a UAS has been set at fourteen years. Meanwhile, operators over the age of 16 will be required to register with the PCAA.

The maximum elevation above ground level that an individual over 18 can fly is 400 feet.

While these rules are under development, we encourage you to contact the PCAA directly for updates before flying.