Thanks to some other work in the area, the Low Altitude Services team created this video as a short promotional clip.  While this is not our normal type of project, it was fun way to take a break from inspection work for solar and other utility clients in the area as Spring goes away and Summer arrives in the Hudson Valley area of New York.

Feel free to reach out if you have other needs beyond those listed on our services offered page.

When fire and dry forest material combine, bad things happen.  October is National Preparedness Month and ensuring that we are aware of our local area is important to understand when it comes to potential disasters.

With dry conditions, fallen leaves and other forest debris make the risk of wildfires more possible.  On October 24th, the initial first signs of a growing wildfire were reported the in Plattekill section of Ulster County New York.

The below video was taken from about 5 miles to the east of the center of the wildfire.  

Local first responders working conjunction with state/federal agencies such as New York Department of Conservation (DEC), New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), State Office of Emergency Management (SOEM), US Forest Service, National Park Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service work together to reduce risk and spread of such disasters.

All agencies have certified drone pilots to help with observation and resource coordination to assist with fire fighting duties. Observing wind direction and surrounding areas help responders plan how to address such events.

According to Forest Rangers Division wildfires in New York State are caused by the following:

• 95% by humans.
• Lightning is responsible for 5%.
• Debris burning accounts for 33%.
• Incendiary fires account for 16%.
• Campfires cause 16%.
• Children are responsible for 4%.
• Smoking, equipment, railroads, and miscellaneous causes contribute to the remaining 25% of wildfires.

Please be safe while outdoors when particulate from wildfires are airborne during what is otherwise a very nice time of year to spend outside before winter seasons enters the region.  Please contact Low Altitude Services with any questions related to drone based  observation services related to wildfire observation.

Here are 5 reasons why its a good idea to include drone capabilities in work site safety goals.

#1 - Pre-Planning - Before working at a site, having a top down view may be helpful for some unexpected planning to account for when positioning vehicles, materials or equipment not seen from ground level.

#2 - Liability - Should there be a need to provide proof about something that happened on a job site which may have created impacts in unfavorable ways, a video recording from a different angle may help with setting safety roles and potential insurance impacts.

#3 - Training - On the ground it is not always easy to see everything taking place at a work site. All workers can benefit by viewing work site footage after which may prompt some discussions about training.  This training may come in many ways, but the key thing is that it opens a discussion to create potential better communications and efficiencies.

#4 - Marketing Value - Any commercial organization may benefit by having footage of a work site to show how professional they are. Content like this may help win business over competitors.

#5 - Security - Having an extra set of eyes is a great security measure. While work sites may not always need this, sometimes it could be helpful to get ahead of a potential risk before it happens.

Across the Hudson Valley following the first major snow fall of 2024, heavy rain followed a few days later.   Between some areas having over one foot of snow followed by three or more inches or rain, everything is pretty wet right now!

As weather permits for safe flying conditions, now is a great time to do some basic analysis of properties to see where water paths naturally follow the land contours.

Here is a very short still image taken from 200ft AGL of Low Altitude Systems founder's property. It is easy to see from above where water runs through a row of brambles from the street down to the pond.  Other areas where pond overflow is present are also easily spotted. 

During the late summer of 2023 following a storm which knocked down a large tree, neighbors were quick to act to remove additional at risk trees.  While the majority of the water shown below is common, this will be the first year without natures large plant life storing some of the ground water.

Please take this opportunity now to inspect your property with or without the help of aerial hydrology monitoring to plan ahead for the coming Spring time maintenance season, especially if you are considering making any landscape changes involving the removal or addition of trees, large plants or topsoil. ​

As the harsh winter months finally descend across the Hudson Valley, communication site managers are scrambling to schedule crews for  one last preventive maintenance or installation project before conditions become more complex and unsafe.
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It is also critical for the drone operator to be aware of what is being inspected on the tower from possible high power microwave links may interfere with certain drones communication links for the remote pilot (RPIC). 

Most importantly, a drone based tower inspection increases not only the overall safety for ground crews below from potential inspection tool mishaps, but can be accomplished much faster than a traditional climber.

When factoring in the time needed for a climber to prepare rigging, safety devices, tool belt fitment and what is going up with the climber, a drone based inspection is a cost effective way to minimize liability for infrastructure and climbers who are often short in number.

Do not hesitate to reach out to learn more about the services and schedule for Low Altitude Services.

It is always a fun adventure in naming a new organization.  With a name like "Low Altitude Services", this allows us to be flexible and focused at the same time which is a nice option to have.

What does Low Altitude Services offer?

Keep things simple. There are many ways to generate revenue by operating a drone or any other unmanned aerial vehicle. The most important thing is to do it legally and that is why we only employee FAA Part 107 license holders. 

This ensures that we are compliant with any regulations in the United States for operating equipment and any revenue that may result via the use of a drone. So far we have identified a list of different areas to focus on listed on our services page.

While we can only fly up to 400 feet above ground level in optimum conditions, this is more than enough to provide valuable services to our clients unless we have a special permit to go above this legal altitude limit.

Why the "Scattered Clouds" blog?

In a world where internet search engines help people find different things, having some details about what we offer is important.  Articles about what we offer and why will be released and expanded upon when we are not out providing services to our clients.

There will also be helpful information relating to our services to freely educate anyone who is interested in working with Low Altitude Services or maybe even partnering with us. Our blog will also be a source of information to help those interested in drones in general.

The name "Scattered Clouds" was chosen since its an official term used in weather observation and often makes for great flight weather.  Perhaps in time this blog will expand into some video content. 

Initial services offered (2023-2024)

To get "Scattered Clouds" underway, here is a basic summary and description of services offered and why. Look out for case study and deeper articles right here on our blog in the future.

Agriculture, watershed and hydrological analysis - Looking down from above on your environment can tell a lot about hydrological property conditions below.  From up to 400 foot above ground level, it is easy to see how the ground is changing as it relates to things related to water.  Blending real time monitoring along with photography every few months or years can be a huge help to those involved with farming, land management, live stock pastures and commercial or residential property management.   

Structural preventive maintenance imagery -  Being safe is important. Before climbing up on any structure with a harness, ladder or scaffolding, a drone can get up really close in a much safer way to do inspections of storm damage, roof conditions, or anything else where multiple angles can be captured and shared for real time or later review.  Low Altitude Services helps our clients be safer thanks to our team.

Communications infrastructure observation - Towers which provide communications to our community can not always be easily reached unless a certified climber is hired. A drone can easily provide inspection of hard to reach communications equipment and records can easily be compared for preventive maintenance.  Flying a drone up a support structure can also help a ground crew better prepare for what they carry up with them for repair work in sensitive areas where a rope and pully may not be a safe idea.

Property encroachment photography - Commercial and residential property lines are always an issue.  Who you think was a friend could be a later enemy when it comes to property line disputes.  Fences, trees and other natural phenomena  such as wild life trails or habitats make for great photography to be used in potential legal actions later. 

Court ordered short duration surveillance - Currently Low Altitude Services can only offer any type of surveillance if we are instructed via official legal means. There are no services we can offer than can be considered spying on people or property unless we are under strict official instruction to do so.  We operate a 100% ethical business and will refuse any project work which violates this rule.

State and Federal agency remote pilot services - While many agencies are helping existing staff to obtain FAA part 107 licenses to operate existing equipment purchased thanks to agency funding, remote pilots (RPIC) are sometimes not always available. Low Altitude Services can work with any agency to supply trained remote pilots familiar with leading drone platforms typically purchased by agencies. Low Altitude Services does not currently have a GSA schedule but will be working towards that in the future.

Residential site aerial survey work - Any residential property owner can contact us with potential projects requiring our services. Low Altitude Services offers rates for residential owners and is typically billed on hourly or project based goals. We can schedule repeat or one time visits that work for your schedule and availability.

Commercial site aerial survey work - Low Altitude Services offers very competitive commercial rates which are separate from any state or federal agency work we offer.  We can only work with property owners or land managers. We have a strict policy of not going were we do not have permits to operate from but can consider special circumstances based on your legal objectives and official capacity related to the project.