Practical Applications for FPV?

[TowPilot]

Originally Posted by MonkeyKnight

I could see that, or inspection / observation on just about anything, pipelines, remote cabins, etc..


One fun thing to maybe add, would be competitions. Like airplane obstacle courses, races, bomb drops, and for helis, if you could get either a hook or other remote activated hoisting system you would be good for relay races.

Inspection of something that is localized to an area would work but to patrol pipeline or power line would be impractical other than re-inspecting a small section.

I flew pipeline patrol in a C-177, the assigned area was 2,450 miles. The route was to be flown every 2 weeks. Sometimes weather kept that from happening. I have to skip some segments. I would document each segment inspected after each pass. Each segment was defined as an area between mile maker X and mile marker XX.

RC could not compete with an airplane due to the labor involved and the cost of packs or fuel.

One airplane pilot could easily cover the 2,450 miles in less than a week. In 1985 the labor cost of the pilot was 7 cents a mile.

To hop forward to get the next area the RC plank or heli could be flown would take as long as simply driving the pipeline and the expense of the vehicle, driver, RC gear, well, it could never be covered within two weeks. Simply driving that distance would take up the two weeks.

Remember, the patrolling can only be done during daylight, roads to not follow the segments so driving to reposition would be much farther in some places than the line itself.

With the plane, there is down time for weather. No weather down time would be available for the RC FPV version.

Due to the support needed in labor, the slower speeds, the next competitor to flying it manned will be when UAVs are allowed that have the same range as a manned aircraft.

Even then, the problem with using a UAV will be that each airport would need UAV support to service the UAV for the next segment. The manned aircraft, the low paid pilot is there to babysit the plane (service with fuel and oil). It's hard enough now to trust an FBO employee to know if the plane takes 100LL or JP-4, which oil to use, how to connect to the nose gear and tow without wrecking it. Simply getting the locking fuel caps on correctly is something the pilot has to recheck before flight. The jobs don't pay enough to retain anyone for more than a few months at a time.

UAVs are a long ways off yet. De-conflicting traffic is hard enough visually when in the aircraft. I had to fly around balloonists, crop dusters, other pipeline and power line patrols, ultralights and birds.

It was like flying short final for 2,450 miles.

[Coburg]

Scottish & Sourthen Power here in the UK have now started to use something around a 6/700 size RC heli with a Thermal Image camera to inspect overhead power lines in place of a real heli. They are covering some 150 miles of cable per day.

Mike.

[TowPilot]

Originally Posted by Coburg

Scottish & Sourthen Power here in the UK have now started to use something around a 6/700 size RC heli with a Thermal Image camera to inspect overhead power lines in place of a real heli. They are covering some 150 miles of cable per day.

Mike.

I flew 100 miles of pipeline per hour.

I could fly 10 hours per day in good weather.

The states I covered were Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, parts of Kanas and Illinois.

To cover the same amount of line would require a number of crews

Mike

[Trnquill]

Originally Posted by TowPilot

I flew 100 miles of pipeline per hour.

I guess it comes down to precision. How big of a defect could you spot flying at that speed? A broken and badly leaking pipe, yes. A corrosion size of a thumbnail, no? My point is: nothing beats a real plane or a real heli when it comes to covering great distances. I guess no one would be stupid enough or have the time & the money to make a quick general inspecion of 2500 miles of pipeline or powerline with an RC helicopter. But when one needs to inspect - say - the insulators on a powerline for a few miles, an RC helicopter would do the job at less money, less noise and less risk. Wouldn't you agree?