Aerial Patrol
Advantages
- Good for quickly detecting obvious mechanical failures of larger components. For example, leaning structures, flashed insulators, damaged insulators, proximity of splices to structures, and bent, broken, or missing members or braces
- Identification of ROW encroachments
Disadvantages
- Difficult to maintain visual contact with the structures and conductor
- Minimal time for observations and data recording
- Inability to effectively scan entire structures and attachments
- Inability to observe and accurately record multiple defects
- Inability to evaluate all sides of structures
- Inability to reliably identify most worn, loose, or missing hardware
- Inability to identify internal and most small-scale external damage
- As patrol speeds are decreased the associated costs rise quickly
