That’s starting to align with west coast work. Mandatory minimum equipment level, client “onboarding” client specific policy and procedure training, operator certification by the client, etc. The flight test is timed and exacting, including all the required safety protocols.
If towers were inspected similarly, each tower has four corners, each corner has a specific number of shots and segments, heights, and angles, essentially a straight on and two oblique images along with the same angles but shot in an ascending and descending view to capture under and over. Add a central top down and each base mount and the shot count gets pretty high. Works out to 9 shots per insulator, 4 to 6 insulators per tower, along with structural shots averaging 4 per leg. Aspect ratio of each shot has to be as near identical as possible, with overlaps minimized and consistent. You end up using a minimum of two batteries per tower, and the client sets a mandatory minimum battery depletion level.
It’s good work but it’s not quick and easy. Anyone doing 10 towers a day can’t possibly be obtaining clear images suitable for review by the inspection engineers. I got to see what they look at in their environment and I can tell ya they are picky. And they should be as public safety depends on their assessments. I have a hunch the contractor will be getting bit on the butt by the client due to pilots rushing through towers. He’ll be doing a lot of free reshoots or see his money hung up for non completion.
Most of the people I worked with were more than 250 miles from home so lodging and meals were a necessity. At $130/tower, by the time you took a room, meals, auto expenses, equipment expenses, and insurance out of the compensation there wouldn’t be much left. What I was doing didn’t cover the vehicle but did take care of the pilot, VO, lodging, and per diem whether they could fly or not. No fly days were reduced rate. Aircraft provided by the contractor. We got all our shots the first time, every time and were awarded 100% satisfaction from the client. As mentioned, there is no post processing done by the operator or the client. You get the angles, the distance, focus and lighting right the first time. It’s a good image or it’s not, end of story.
Just an FYI, market rate for disaster relief work is $500/day, a meal/lodging per diem using government area rates, partial vehicle compensation, and a stand by rate for days weather prevented flying. That rate has been in every disaster relief contract I’ve seen.