The sun barely peeks over the horizon and my day is already in full swing. I have already done a full weather check and checked for any NOTAMs, or any new hazards. With my loadout of the day, I travel with my drone equipment, already having pre-checked every battery, sensor, and my flight plans before heading to the construction and inspection sites scheduled for the day. Unlike what some may assume, this isn’t just a hobbyist with a drone snapping pictures, it’s a critical job ensuring quality control, safety, and efficiency. As Sacramento’s Drone Guy, I carry on with my day.
The Reality of Drone Operations on a Construction Site
Upon arrival to the site, I double check the weather conditions, and check for any new updates. I apply for any LAANC authorizations needed, and talk to any of the project managers, superintendents, or site contacts as needed prior to launching the drone in the air. Today’s missions? Capturing real-time progress updates and conducting an aerial inspection of a multi-phase commercial build. The goal is to identify discrepancies between design plans and actual work, track material stockpiles, and give a progress report by capturing a moment in time. Some days it is checking over the progress of entire developing communities, or providing flythroughs of buildings in progress. There are often multiple sites that need to be checked over in a day. This gives project managers, developers, and investors crucial data to know if the project is on time.
Setting up isn’t as simple as unfolding a drone and pressing launch. I conduct airspace checks, verify weather conditions, and assess potential hazards like cranes, power lines, and nearby flight restrictions. One day to the next, a crane may have gone up, or the structure is now 10 feet taller, which means I have to adjust the flight mission. One mistake could mean data loss, damage to expensive equipment, or worse, a safety hazard for workers on the ground.
Why Quality Control Matters
Once in the air, my drone captures high-resolution images that provide an unparalleled perspective of the site. These are geolocated and time stamped images that help with accountability and consistency. This is not just about getting a pretty picture; it’s about ensuring accuracy. A misplaced foundation, improper grading, or an unnoticed material shortage can cost a company thousands, sometimes millions of dollars. If there is an issue that arises later in construction, it can be referred back to with the photos and scans that have been taking place over the previous visits. Any mistakes caught later in the process can now be corrected with precision due to the previous documentation.
This is where an experienced drone operator is irreplaceable. Automated flights and off the shelf software can’t analyze discrepancies in the data gathered. There may be entirely automated missions that may miss a few photos or may take too many photos. At times it may fix the drone’s gimbal angle to an improper one that then ruins the maps and models that were meant to be built. There may even be an error in the obstacle avoidance or a fly away may happen due to a glitch in the programming. It takes a trained eye to spot issues and a professional to understand how to keep a positive control on their drone at all times.
To learn more about how a drone can help in your project visit:
How Drones in Construction Help Prevent Costly Mistakes
The Challenges No One Talks About
As Sacramento’s Drone Guy, I do make my job sound easy at times. Despite the technology, drone work isn’t always smooth sailing. Weather delays, site access restrictions, and data management challenges come with the territory. Operating near existing neighborhoods and communities raise privacy concerns or bring about an unfriendly passersby. The stakes are higher when operating near airports as there are now safety and regulatory challenges that may affect operations. Wildlife may become hostile to the drone flying in the air, or to the operator on the ground.
There are some operators who simply “buy a drone and do it themselves”. They then often realize too late that drone operations involve more than just flying or buying software that will handle both the flights and processing. Quality checking, processing, and backing up gigabytes, sometimes terabytes of photogrammetry data and integrating reports into existing workflows, aren’t things you pick up overnight. Neither is the troubleshooting of the data being gathered or troubleshooting the drone when it does not operate as intended.
The Future of Drone Work in Construction
With automation and AI advancing rapidly, some wonder if dedicated drone operators will become obsolete. The truth? The need for trained professionals has never been greater. While software can process data, it can’t interpret it with the same nuance as an experienced operator. Construction projects are high-stakes, and the consequences of poor-quality data can be catastrophic.
Drones are only as good as the person operating them. Having a dedicated drone professional on site ensures high quality deliverables, compliance with regulations, and a seamless integration into construction workflows. Experienced operators know how to troubleshoot and learn how to keep their drone up and running with little to no downtime. Simply put: investing in a professional drone operator isn’t an extra cost, it is a safeguard against costly mistakes and inefficiencies. Companies that rely on DIY drone operations often find themselves frustrated with inconsistent results, data mismanagement, and missed opportunities.
The construction industry values efficiency, and drones when operated by professionals offer an unmatched advantage. The future belongs to those who can combine drone technology with industry knowledge, providing actionable insights rather than just data. For those thinking of cutting corners on drone work: think again. The value of an experienced operator isn’t just in flying, it’s in the results that drive smarter, more informed decisions.
Want to follow more of the Sacramento Drone Guy’s adventures? Go to https://www.instagram.com/apollodronessacramento/ or to https://www.youtube.com/@apollodronesacramento
