The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted Delta’s application to use camera-based small drones to conduct visual inspections of its aircraft.
According to a Delta news release on Friday, Delta TechOps, the carrier’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) division, was given the go-ahead earlier this year to implement drone inspections into its maintenance processes.
“These conditional visual inspections will initially be used following lightning strike events, and the use of drone inspections has been added to the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) for Delta’s entire mainline fleet,” the release stated.
Delta is the first U.S. commercial operator to receive FAA Certificate Management Office approval for plans to use drone inspections across its fleet. The airline’s small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are semi-autonomous drones that can fly around an aircraft taking pictures without manual inputs from a pilot.
These images can be used by trained TechOps technicians and inspectors to determine airworthiness prior to returning the aircraft to service.
The release stated that the introduction of drones removes risks taken by technicians and inspectors working from heights while also improving inspection times.
“Along with reducing the risk of injuries, the technology will also help technicians and inspectors make decisions on aircraft conditions up to 82% faster,” the release stated. “Implementing drone technology enables aircraft to be returned to service more quickly and supports efforts to reduce delays and cancellations for our customers.”
In a post on LinkedIn about Delta’s FAA approval, Delta operations chief John Laughter said it was exciting to see drones inspecting an aircraft.
“If you are like me, nothing is cooler than watching a drone inspect an aircraft,” Laughter said. “Our two drones take hundreds of photos that our technicians can use to aid in analyzing potential aircraft damage, which also helps reduce the number of inspections our people do at heights and ensures we return the aircraft to service safely and more efficiently.”
