R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com R E L I A B I L I T Y S T A R T S A T T H E T O P Serving Southern British Columbia Since 1976 COR Safety Certified P: 250-492-7985 • F: 250-492-7781 • E: interiorroofing@shaw.ca • www.interiorroofing.com www.rcabc.org  l  11 COVER property manager wanted to avoid safety concerns and potential damage caused by foot traffic from a crew. Upon completion of the flight, the drone’s high-resolution cameras provided images which determined that the blemishes on the statue thought to be bird droppings were actually the base metal showing through the gold leaf. “I flew the drone around the (Legislature) building to get a better idea of how bad the damage was, and it was successful,” Carlos explained. “The property managers were able to make informed decisions as to what they should do based on the high-resolution photographs provided by the drone. Additionally, I didn’t have to climb up on the roof and we didn’t have to erect scaffolding towers to do the inspection. All we had to do was fly the drone up there and it provided the necessary data.” All of the data collected by VAP drones is downloaded onto a cloud-based program. According to Carlos, this easy-to- access program can also process the information and stitch it together to provide all the tools necessary for clients to make informed decisions. “In addition to the full report, clients also have access to all of the raw stills that make up the 3D map/ animation of the specific roof that was photographed,” he said, adding that sometimes the quantity of these images easily extends into the hundreds. With over 1,000 flight hours under his belt and fully-certified by Transport Canada, Carlos said that no one is allowed to operate a commercial drone without a Special Flight Operator Certificate (SFOC), which is issued by Transport Canada. “You can’t just go to Best Buy or Staples and buy one of those ‘consumer-friendly’ machines, and put it to work doing things other than personal recreation and fun,” he said. “If it is considered to be commercial work, you must have an SFOC. Transport Canada is really clamping down hard and handing out fines up to $25,000 for those caught flying without SFOC licensing.” In addition to being one of the few multi-rotor pilots in the province, Carlos said he is currently working with Transport Canada and other key industry players to create training programs focused on making drone operation safer and avoiding potential dangers to the public. “Just like other areas of aviation, there are many parallels between the manned and unmanned aviation worlds,” Carlos explained. “There is specialized training for all aspects of drone operation whether it is delivering cargo or conducting photo- graphic operations.” In addition to high resolution photography and video, drones can also provide roof dimensions, measurements and infrared/thermal imaging. According to Carlos, the technology will continue to evolve and grow well into the future. In fact, he is currently training a PhD student from South Carolina who is studying a possible merge between UAVs (Unmanned Aviation Vehicles) with structural engineering. “This student is currently developing unique tech- nology which will combine structural engineering with In addition to high resolution photography and video, drones can also provide roof dimensions, measurements and infrared/thermal imaging.