A Bird’s Eye View
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A Bird’s Eye View
Tip written by: Infraspection Institute
When performing infrared inspections of large structures or systems, it is often difficult to see “the big picture”. For some systems, performing an infrared inspection from an aircraft may provide a solution.
Large structures such as industrial roofs, buried steam systems and pole-mounted electric power lines can be difficult and time consuming to inspect from the ground. Often, a thermographer’s field of view is limited to a small portion of the subject system making qualitative comparisons more difficult. For systems spread over a wide geographic area, maneuvering over the ground can require a considerable amount of time.
An alternative to ground-based infrared inspections is to perform them from an aircraft. Airborne infrared inspections provide a macro view of the subject system and can reduce inspection time by eliminating ground-based obstacles.
Both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters can be used as platforms for conducting an aerial infrared inspection. Infrared inspections may be conducted utilizing a hard-mounted infrared imager or, in some cases, a portable imager aimed through an open window or doorway. When selecting an infrared imager for a specific project, keep the following in mind:
- Amount of resolution required for clear imagery at altitude
- Compatibility of imager with aircraft type
- Imager’s ease of use from within an aircraft. For lengthy projects, remote-controlled, fixed-mount imagers provide less stress for a thermographer.
Due to the logistics and costs associated with aerial infrared inspections, one may wish to consider hiring an experienced consultant who specializes in aerial infrared inspections.
Performing infrared inspections from aircraft is one of the many topics covered in the Level I Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographer® training course. For information on open enrollment classes or our Distance Learning program, visit us online or call us at 609-239-4788.
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