Easy Jet to use drones to cut costs.
 

...how ? (and yes I read the article)

Somewhat more sensible report from the BBC:

BBC News - Easyjet develops flying robots to inspect aircraft

Collaborative project with Bristol University and UWE.

Damn! just thought of this two days ago, and was thinking that a DJI Phantom Vision2+ would be ideal for inspections.....oh well, maybe this time next year i'll be a millionaire ;-(

F/o

Maybe if they have one hovering off each wingtip it will help to avoid taxying accidents!

How will they manage to control gusts of wind that might cause damage to said Easyjet or god forbid another company's aircraft close by ? Perhaps workable with a hangar environment if the engineers wear helmets :hmm:

Indeed, good luck to them in getting approval and insurance to operate said drones airside.

I like the idea, can't see how it can possibly go wrong...

At least I suppose you can send up a 2nd drone to inspect the damage when the 1st drone flies into the aircraft :ok:

EasyJet has been using drones, developed at Nursling, for years.......

Come on you are bringing engineering reality into it. A little jet wash from a taxiing aircraft and you have some damage to inspect with another UAS. Or perhaps an unexpected gust of wind and you watch what happens when a high bypass engine swallows a quadricopter. I cannot see any ramp manager allowing this there are too many things that can go wrong. And unlike a line engineer on a lift finding something strange a UAS cannot check the area to see if its just a dirty mark or a crack.

Then you have the question - as a pilot would you accept an aircraft that had been signed off after only being inspected remotely through a video camera bouncing around in the wind?

It's not a video camera that inspects the aircraft but a series of infrared and ultrasound sensors (I believe) which scan the whole aircraft and creates a full 3D image.

So if anything this will be a lot more effective at picking up dents/cracks/damaged rivets than the human eye. Certainly faster, a brilliant idea.

http://static.electronicsweekly.com/...EASYJET-08.jpg

Spot the large structure, with walls and a roof, around the aircraft. It's called a hangar.

Except the article mentions Tel Aviv and Sharm, in neither of which does Easyjet have access to hangers.

Not sure if the Israelis will really like this drone hovering around which is not in their control.

Hmm I cant see this taking off...
However if it can locate and map damage according to stringer/frame location,bang a new rivet in AND make the tea I'm in.

No, the reference to TLV and SSH is talking about the proposed VR technology, nothing to do with the inspection drones:

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...8_74699347.jpg