Pre-flight Identification of vertical obstructions

[MavicMapper]

I am planning to fly some urban road alignments next week. I am curious if anyone knows of a good way to identify any vertical obstructions before a flight? I’m talking about overhead utilities, signs, vegetation, etc. Are there any resources to identify hazards like these? I have looked at GE streetview extensively but am not able to make measurements within streetview

 

[R.P..R]

I am planning to fly some urban road alignments next week. I am curious if anyone knows of a good way to identify any vertical obstructions before a flight? I’m talking about overhead utilities, signs, vegetation, etc. Are there any resources to identify hazards like these? I have looked at GE streetview extensively but am not able to make measurements within streetview

You can try the good o'l scouting method, I usually prep and take notes of my environment, and form a strategy a day or hours before I fly a mission. Do you have a surveyor drone? I use my M2P.

 

[Fred Garvin]

You can try the good o'l scouting method, I usually prep and take notes of my environment, and form a strategy a day or hours before I fly a mission. Do you have a surveyor drone? I use my M2P.

X2....location scout....I use my Mavic Air for these.

 

[MavicMapper]

I am also using the M2P. The problem is that the site is several hours away. I’ll be traveling down for the day to do a scan. So scouting it in person is not an option unfortunately

 

[MapMaker53]

I had to take a trip out to Montana last year and did some preliminary scouting via GE. The site was huge and had many types of overhead wires and towers crossing it at various locations. Even with careful review of the aerial and highlighting the dangers on a printout, I missed a few lines of wire. I got there early enough to drive the site and noted the items I had missed before flying. There's no substitute for on-site recon. btw.. I went out of my way to contact the regional power authority to inquire as to the height of their transmission towers that crossed the site. What a can of worms that opened! Never again.

 

[Fred Garvin]

..... overhead wires and towers crossing it at various locations......

Man I hate those locations. Those dang guy wires are invisible.

 

[R.P..R]

Man I hate those locations. Those dang guy wires are invisible.

[emoji23] the “oops.. I really thought I had cleared that”

 

[Fred Garvin]

When I was stationed in Germany, the most desired and valued gift from departing pilots was their map book with accurate wire strikes.....(UH-1H Crewchief)

 

[BigAl07]

I am also using the M2P. The problem is that the site is several hours away. I’ll be traveling down for the day to do a scan. So scouting it in person is not an option unfortunately

PreFlight inspections (even only minutes before a flight) is prudent. So many "obstacles" don't appear on any maps etc what so ever. If you can't pre-scout then there is no way you can fly with any degree or certainty/safety unless you remain well above any possible obstacle heights.

 

[R Martin]

I am planning to fly some urban road alignments next week. I am curious if anyone knows of a good way to identify any vertical obstructions before a flight? I’m talking about overhead utilities, signs, vegetation, etc. Are there any resources to identify hazards like these? I have looked at GE streetview extensively but am not able to make measurements within streetview

The short answer is visually on-site which you should be doing before every flight as part of your preflight process. It may require you to do so from a vehicle in you are covering a large area but you need to see the obstructions in person and adjust your flight path to clear the highest obstruction for the complete flight. Your RTH altitude should be programmed to exceed your max obstruction height by even more.

 

[R.Perry]

I was a crop duster for many years. One thing I did learn, know your terrains and obstacles and your aircraft limits, you drones longevity depends on it.
When I first started the job on on now, we had three cranes, the peak of each was 226 feet, I learned those the first day on the job, I also leaned the altitudes of all the remaining structures.
Take a high altitude flight over the area you will be working and get a good fix on the elevation of all the obstacles, them plan you flight above the highest.

 

[BigAl07]

I was a crop duster for many years. One thing I did learn, know your terrains and obstacles and your aircraft limits, you drones longevity depends on it.
When I first started the job on on now, we had three cranes, the peak of each was 226 feet, I learned those the first day on the job, I also leaned the altitudes of all the remaining structures.
Take a high altitude flight over the area you will be working and get a good fix on the elevation of all the obstacles, them plan you flight above the highest.

Anything less would be irresponsible

Well done sir.