Drone Industrial Surveys.
No verified pilot profile currently lists this exact service. Submit a brief and we will review and source current availability manually.
Compare quotes from specialist UK drone operators for refineries, chimneys, flare stacks, and cooling towers — no shutdowns, no scaffolding, no rope teams over live plant.
“For every verified profile, we record the insurance and CAA credentials supplied at the time of review.”
Peter Leslie · Founder & GVC Drone Pilot
Trusted by site managers & agencies across the UK
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Drone industrial survey specialisms
Safe, no-access-required inspection for plant, assets and live industrial sites.
Plant & asset inspection
Close-visual inspection of tanks, pipework and structures without permits-to-work.
Get plant inspection quotesStack & chimney survey
Tall-structure inspection covering chimneys, flare stacks and flues.
Request stack surveyYard & roof mapping
Full-site orthomosaics covering roofs, laydown yards and hardstanding for asset records.
Get yard mapping quotesThermal process imaging
Radiometric thermal capture of process equipment, heat exchangers and insulation.
Get thermal process quotesShutting down plant just to look at it is unsustainable.
Reliability engineers, TAR planners, and HSE managers burn days of production every time a stack needs eyeballing. Drones put an inspection inside a single running shift.
Lost Production Cost
Pulling a flare offline or stopping a cooling train can cost six figures in a single day. Drones survey externals while the plant runs, so the unit only goes down when NDT confirms it has to.
ATEX & DSEAR Exposure
Any access plan across Zone 1 or 2 areas has to clear DSEAR and ATEX scrutiny. Drones with ignition-source analysis and tethered options sit comfortably inside a standing permit envelope.
Rope & Scaffold at Height
Putting an IRATA team on a 120m chimney or tank roof creates working-at-height and confined-airspace exposures that most SHEQ managers would rather avoid. A drone removes the climber entirely.
COMAH sites are not a place to learn on the job.
By Peter Leslie, Founder & GVC Drone Pilot
Connect on LinkedInFlying around live refineries, COMAH sites, and power stations means hot-work permits, DSEAR assessments, and tight congested-airspace controls. An off-the-shelf hobby drone pilot will not make it past the gate.
Every industrial survey through this network is flown by drone operators with bespoke CAA Operational Authorisations, DSEAR-aware method statements, £5M public liability (often extended to £10M for COMAH sites), and documented ATEX Zone 2 flight procedures.
The result is a survey that your site safety lead, reliability manager, and HSE auditor can all sign off without argument.
COMAH & DSEAR Aware
Bespoke OA & £5M+ Liability
Outputs your reliability engineer can actually use.
Our industrial specialists deliver survey-grade outputs tailored to asset-integrity workflows, TAR scoping, and insurance audits.
Chimney 3D Model
A dimensionally accurate 3D model of the full height of the stack — measure lean, verticality, banding corrosion, and liner displacement straight from the model in browser.
Flare Stack Defect Log
An indexed defect log covering tip burners, windshield, riser, and supports — each defect classified by severity and cross-referenced to high-resolution and thermal imagery.
Tank Roof Survey
Orthographic mosaic of fixed or floating roofs showing corrosion, pitting, pontoon failures, and seal condition — ideal for API 653 planning without sending climbers up the stairway.
Book your industrial survey in 3 steps.
We connect you with drone operators who have already flown inside COMAH fences and live process plants.
Describe the Asset
Tell us the asset type (stack, flare, tower, tank), height, ATEX zoning, and whether you need RGB, thermal, or both. We handle confidentiality from the first message.
Compare Specialists
We review the brief against relevant verified profiles and current availability. If listed supply is limited, we will say so and source availability manually. Any pilot introduced must confirm equipment, permissions, timing and deliverables for the actual job.
Fly & Report
Your drone pilot attends site induction, flies under PTW, and delivers a packaged report with 3D model, defect register, and radiometric thermal imagery where specified.
Industrial Survey FAQ
Technical questions on ATEX, thermal capability, and confined-airspace planning.
Can you fly inside ATEX Zone 1 or Zone 2 areas?
Are your drones thermal-capable, and what resolution?
How is confined airspace around stacks and structures planned?
What file formats are delivered?
Ready to keep the plant running?
Post one structured brief so relevant profiles and current availability can be reviewed.
Start Your Industrial Survey Brief
Add the service, full project postcode, timing and project details so we can review a useful brief.
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