Member Article

Lc Building Consultants launches Ascent

Lc Building Consultants, the Chartered Building Surveying practice which is part of The Livingcity Group of Companies, has launched Ascent - its brand new and innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) service. The announcement follows the news that Robert Barnes, the firm’s Senior Building Surveyor, has gained his remote pilot qualification and obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to fly a UAV (drone) on a commercial basis. To Lc Building Consultant’s knowledge, Robert is the first practising Chartered Building Surveyor to gain this approval.

Clients will be able to use Ascent to accurately survey all building elevations in real time including areas where access would otherwise prove difficult or prohibitively expensive. It provides a unique perspective for Condition Surveys, Dilapidation Surveys, Roof Surveys, Defect Inspections and Specification Compliance jobs and is a cost effective alternative to existing access options such as scaffolding and cherry pickers. It also removes health & safety issues associated with people working at height.

Robert has been liaising closely with his colleagues across The Livingcity Group of Companies to develop the service over the last few months. The cutting edge quad-copter, camera and gimbal system takes HD quality video at 60 frames per second which can then be converted into high quality stills.

Ascent is not only suitable for professional surveys as it can also be used for marketing/ promotional videos and photography as well as for any other corporate requirement that demands an aerial capability.

Each flight will be planned in advance and will strictly adhere to the guidelines set out by the CAA, including rigorous pre-flight checks. Relevant notifications are also made to neighbourhoods where Ascent is being used.

Robert Barnes said: “I’m delighted that Ascent is now live as it’s a pioneering solution that I think adds real value and choice – both in terms of its adaptability and cost. The popularity of UAVs has soared over the past 12 months but Ascent is not a toy; it’s a professional service so it was imperative that we launched it with the approval of the CAA. The examinations and flight assessment that I went through were tough but the process was worth it. I’m now looking forward to rolling Ascent out to clients across the UK.“

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by ConkerPR .