WATCH: Drone helps council save money
Andrew McQuarrieIs it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a drone – and it’s being flown by the council.
Since April 2016, the local authority has saved “tens of thousands” of pounds on surveying buildings by utilising a drone equipped with a camera.
The hiring of scaffolding – which can run to hundreds of pounds or more – has been avoided on a number of occasions thanks to the remote-controlled aircraft.
Shetland Islands Council’s executive manager of estate operations Carl Symons said: “It does not just save costs on scaffolding. It also saves time and effort. There’s a whole range of benefits with it.”
A team of four is responsible for operating the aircraft. They are building maintenance officers Michael Leftwich, Ivor Jarmson and Richard Manson and 22-year-old joiner Scott Polson.
See the video below for footage taken by the team during an assignment in Scalloway.
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Christopher Johnston
Too bad SIC didn’t use the drone to survey North Ness before they occupied the building.