While some drones have been oper-
ating BVLOS in the UK for several years,
these flights are primarily trials under tight
restrictions. The regulator’s new rules
open the door for more expansive and
innovative uses. This includes activities
where drones can remain at low heights
close to infrastructure or near buildings
where there is little or no potential for any
other aircraft to be operating, such as:
Ñ inspecting power lines for damage
quickly and at relatively low cost
Ñ conducting maintenance checks of
wind turbines, significantly reducing
the resources needed to manage
and repair green energy infrastruc-
ture and
Ñ deploying drones as “flying guard
dogs,” enhancing site security.
“As the potential for drone applications
continues to expand, our new policy
paves the way for new ways drones
will improve everyday life,” said Sophie
O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at
the CAA. O’Sullivan said this develop-
ment not only enhances the operational
capabilities of drones but also promises
widespread societal benefits across
different sectors.
“Our commitment is to protect people
and enable aerospace, and we will
continue to work with industry to main-
tain high safety standards as commercial
drones become increasingly common-
place,” O’Sullivan continued.
To ensure safety and scalability, the
CAA will initially collaborate with select
operators to test and evaluate the policy.
Among the first to benefit is sees.ai,
which is partnering with National Grid
Electricity Transmission (NGET) to help
maintain, upgrade, and expand its
energy infrastructure across England and
Wales, a network that currently includes
around 21 000 pylons and 7000 km of
overhead cable.
“This new policy paves the way for
sees.ai and National Grid Electricity
Transmission to conduct aerial inspec-
tion, survey, and rapid response work
from a central control room,” said John
McKenna, CEO of sees.ai. “This ground-
breaking innovation will help National
Grid fulfill its commitment to providing
clean, fair, and affordable energy while
enabling the energy transition.”
Kathryn Fairhurst, Overhead Line
Operations Director at NGET, echoed this
sentiment. “AAE is significant progress on
the way to deploying these technologies
at scale,” Fairhurst said. “BVLOS inspec-
tion and surveying will help us continue
to manage our assets safely and securely
while supporting the transition to a clean,
fair, and affordable energy network.”
This initiative reflects the CAA’s
ongoing development of policy and
regulations so that drone flights can be
fully integrated with other airspace users.
NIAR ANNOUNCES
INSTALLATION OF
CUSTOM BLADE
INSPECTION SYSTEM
FOR US ARMY
Wichita State University’s National
Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has
announced the installation of VISION,
an automated technology system
designed to revolutionize rotor blade
maintenance, repair, and training, at the
Mississippi Army National Guard Aviation
Classification Repair Activity Depot
(AVCRAD) facility in Gulfport, Mississippi.
The new system, a collabora-
tion between NIAR, the Mississippi
AVCRAD, and the Aviation and Missile
Command (AMCOM), was unveiled
in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on
3 December.
VISION is an advanced robotic
system for inspecting and repairing
UH-60 helicopter blades using thermal
shearography, thermography, and laser
profilometry.
In its inspection of military aircraft,
AVCRAD has long utilized tap testing—
involving a trained professional tapping
the surface of the blades with a special-
ized hammer and listening for sound
variations—to detect discontinuities that
typically indicate a void or delamination.
The new system modernizes the
helicopter blade inspection and repair
process by delivering faster, more
accurate inspections, enhanced safety
in blade maintenance, and detailed,
actionable repair reports. AVCRAD will
integrate the tap test with the new tech-
nology, improving the quality and accu-
racy of their inspections.
Developed at NIAR’s Automation
Research Center in Wichita, Kansas,
the VISION system was transported to
the AVCRAD facility in Mississippi. It is
currently capable of inspecting multiple
types of helicopter blades, with plans to
expand its capabilities to additional blade
models in the future.
ROSEN USA INVESTS IN
EXPANSION OF OHIO
TECHNOLOGY FACILITY
Driven by growth in the energy sector,
ROSEN USA is expanding its facility
located in Gahanna, Ohio, part of
the Columbus metropolitan area.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony held
on 14 November welcomed Turner
Construction, Gensler Architecture,
SCANNER
|
INDUSTRYNEWS
VISION, a state-of-the-art robotic system for helicopter blade inspection, is now in operation
at the Mississippi Army National Guard Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot facility in
Gulfport, Mississippi.
10
M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5
2502 ME Feb.indd 10 1/23/25 1:21 PM
CREDIT:
NIAR/WICHITA
STATE
UNIVERSITY
ating BVLOS in the UK for several years,
these flights are primarily trials under tight
restrictions. The regulator’s new rules
open the door for more expansive and
innovative uses. This includes activities
where drones can remain at low heights
close to infrastructure or near buildings
where there is little or no potential for any
other aircraft to be operating, such as:
Ñ inspecting power lines for damage
quickly and at relatively low cost
Ñ conducting maintenance checks of
wind turbines, significantly reducing
the resources needed to manage
and repair green energy infrastruc-
ture and
Ñ deploying drones as “flying guard
dogs,” enhancing site security.
“As the potential for drone applications
continues to expand, our new policy
paves the way for new ways drones
will improve everyday life,” said Sophie
O’Sullivan, Director of Future of Flight at
the CAA. O’Sullivan said this develop-
ment not only enhances the operational
capabilities of drones but also promises
widespread societal benefits across
different sectors.
“Our commitment is to protect people
and enable aerospace, and we will
continue to work with industry to main-
tain high safety standards as commercial
drones become increasingly common-
place,” O’Sullivan continued.
To ensure safety and scalability, the
CAA will initially collaborate with select
operators to test and evaluate the policy.
Among the first to benefit is sees.ai,
which is partnering with National Grid
Electricity Transmission (NGET) to help
maintain, upgrade, and expand its
energy infrastructure across England and
Wales, a network that currently includes
around 21 000 pylons and 7000 km of
overhead cable.
“This new policy paves the way for
sees.ai and National Grid Electricity
Transmission to conduct aerial inspec-
tion, survey, and rapid response work
from a central control room,” said John
McKenna, CEO of sees.ai. “This ground-
breaking innovation will help National
Grid fulfill its commitment to providing
clean, fair, and affordable energy while
enabling the energy transition.”
Kathryn Fairhurst, Overhead Line
Operations Director at NGET, echoed this
sentiment. “AAE is significant progress on
the way to deploying these technologies
at scale,” Fairhurst said. “BVLOS inspec-
tion and surveying will help us continue
to manage our assets safely and securely
while supporting the transition to a clean,
fair, and affordable energy network.”
This initiative reflects the CAA’s
ongoing development of policy and
regulations so that drone flights can be
fully integrated with other airspace users.
NIAR ANNOUNCES
INSTALLATION OF
CUSTOM BLADE
INSPECTION SYSTEM
FOR US ARMY
Wichita State University’s National
Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) has
announced the installation of VISION,
an automated technology system
designed to revolutionize rotor blade
maintenance, repair, and training, at the
Mississippi Army National Guard Aviation
Classification Repair Activity Depot
(AVCRAD) facility in Gulfport, Mississippi.
The new system, a collabora-
tion between NIAR, the Mississippi
AVCRAD, and the Aviation and Missile
Command (AMCOM), was unveiled
in a ribbon-cutting ceremony held on
3 December.
VISION is an advanced robotic
system for inspecting and repairing
UH-60 helicopter blades using thermal
shearography, thermography, and laser
profilometry.
In its inspection of military aircraft,
AVCRAD has long utilized tap testing—
involving a trained professional tapping
the surface of the blades with a special-
ized hammer and listening for sound
variations—to detect discontinuities that
typically indicate a void or delamination.
The new system modernizes the
helicopter blade inspection and repair
process by delivering faster, more
accurate inspections, enhanced safety
in blade maintenance, and detailed,
actionable repair reports. AVCRAD will
integrate the tap test with the new tech-
nology, improving the quality and accu-
racy of their inspections.
Developed at NIAR’s Automation
Research Center in Wichita, Kansas,
the VISION system was transported to
the AVCRAD facility in Mississippi. It is
currently capable of inspecting multiple
types of helicopter blades, with plans to
expand its capabilities to additional blade
models in the future.
ROSEN USA INVESTS IN
EXPANSION OF OHIO
TECHNOLOGY FACILITY
Driven by growth in the energy sector,
ROSEN USA is expanding its facility
located in Gahanna, Ohio, part of
the Columbus metropolitan area.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony held
on 14 November welcomed Turner
Construction, Gensler Architecture,
SCANNER
|
INDUSTRYNEWS
VISION, a state-of-the-art robotic system for helicopter blade inspection, is now in operation
at the Mississippi Army National Guard Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot facility in
Gulfport, Mississippi.
10
M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5
2502 ME Feb.indd 10 1/23/25 1:21 PM
CREDIT:
NIAR/WICHITA
STATE
UNIVERSITY
