About Faltech

We fly a DJI Matrice 400 with a Zenmuse H30T payload: radiometric thermal at 1280×1024 and ≤50 mK NETD, 4K visual, 34× optical zoom and a laser rangefinder. Thermal measurement runs to 600°C as standard and to 1600°C with an IR density filter for flare and fired-equipment work.

Every finding located on a map, paired in thermal and visual, and ranked by severity with a recommended action. Standoff distance, emissivity settings and weather at the time of capture are recorded for each target. Reports are built for maintenance teams to act on and for asset records to keep — not a folder of raw images.

A drone operator captures images. A thermographer interprets them. Every Faltech dataset is reviewed by a Level II thermographer with 12+ years in industrial electrical systems, so a hotspot on a bushing is reported as a connection problem with a severity and a recommended action, not as a coloured picture. We're also clear about limits: thermal reads surface temperature, so it can't see inside metal-clad switchgear or a nacelle housing. Aerial thermography is screening that tells your team where to look closer — not a replacement for hands-on testing.

No. It needs to be running. Electrical faults only show up as heat when current is flowing, so substations, lines and balance-of-plant are surveyed under normal operating load, ideally 40% of rated load or more. No outage, no lockout, no lost production. Flares and fired heaters are surveyed live. The exception is wind turbine blades, which are screened with the rotor parked.

It depends on what we're looking for. Flat-roof moisture surveys are flown on the evening after a clear, sunny day, when wet insulation holds heat longer than dry. Heat-loss surveys run best in the cold months. Solar surveys need strong, steady sunlight, at least 600 W/m² per IEC 62446-3. Electrical surveys run whenever the equipment is under load. Rain, fog and high wind ground thermal work, so we confirm the weather window with you before every flight.

Thermographic interpretation is performed by a Level II thermographer certified per ASNT Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A. Electrical severity classification follows NETA Maintenance Testing Specifications (MTS). Solar PV inspection is aligned to IEC 62446-3 outdoor infrared thermography practice. RPAS operations are conducted under Transport Canada Advanced RPAS Pilot certification and internal operations procedures modeled on ISO 21384-3. Faltech is fully insured, with certificates available on request.