Dronedesk
From one day per flight plan to 15 minutes: inspecting 22,000+ pylons across the UK's electricity network
The Challenge: A Full Day to Plan a Single Flight
National Grid is responsible for the UK's electricity supply. Their overland network includes over 22,000 towers and pylons plus 500 substations across approximately 350 sites. While helicopters handle most inspections, 25% of the network requires drone inspection where rotary aircraft can't reach.
The manual flight planning process was consuming the team:
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Full Day Per Flight: Cross-referencing internal mapping, Ordnance Survey maps, aviation charts, and manually documenting notification requirements
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Custom Infrastructure Data: 22,000+ assets with what3words addresses, coordinates, and grid references that no platform could import
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Strict Security Requirements: Critical national infrastructure demands software that meets the highest security standards
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Growing Team Demands: Eight pilots generating constant questions and support requests, with plans to expand further
The UAS Lead was responsible for flight planning, team management, equipment oversight, compliance documentation, and defect handling. With each flight taking a day to plan, something had to change.
The Operational Impact: What Dronedesk Delivers for Critical Infrastructure
Custom Asset Import at Scale
Other providers hesitated when asked to import 22,000+ tower locations with full metadata. Dronedesk imported everything: what3words addresses, latitude and longitude coordinates, six-figure grid references, all overlaid on the mapping system. Flight planning now starts with every asset already in place, eliminating hours of manual cross-referencing.
Enterprise Security Without Installation Complexity
Critical infrastructure operators often need standalone machines for third-party software to meet security requirements. As a web application, Dronedesk requires no local installation while maintaining the security standards National Grid demands. Access from any device, data security assured, no complex justification process.
Self-Sufficient Pilots, Freed-Up Leadership
With intuitive flight planning, the constant stream of questions stopped:
- New pilots trained on basic functions in 90 minutes
- Even new team members plan flights in 15 minutes
- Team calendar, equipment status, and renewal dates visible at a glance
- Leadership can step back from day-to-day planning
When demonstrated to senior management, the response was immediate approval. Feature-rich enough to impress leadership, priced competitively enough to relax budget concerns.
Measurable Outcomes
Time Reduction
Flight planning reduced from 8 hours to 15 minutes
Hours Saved Daily
Across the 26-pilot team at one flight per day
Assets Imported
Complete tower and pylon database with full metadata
Team Growth
Scaled from 8 to 26 pilots seamlessly
Utility Infrastructure Use Cases
Transmission Network
- Tower and pylon structural integrity
- Insulator and fitting inspection
- Conductor and cable assessment
- Vegetation encroachment monitoring
Substation Operations
- Equipment condition assessment
- Thermal anomaly detection
- Security and perimeter checks
- Defect documentation and prioritization
Why Critical Infrastructure Operators Choose Dronedesk
Custom Asset Integration
Where other providers hesitated at large datasets, Dronedesk delivered. Import thousands of custom locations with full metadata, overlaid on aviation and mapping data, ready for immediate use in flight planning.
Security-Compliant Architecture
Web-based access meets strict security requirements without standalone machine installations. Critical infrastructure operators can deploy Dronedesk across their teams without complex IT justification processes.
Feature-Rich, Competitively Priced
Every alternative either lacked features or cost significantly more. Dronedesk delivers enterprise capability with team management, equipment tracking, compliance documentation, and calendar visibility at a price point that satisfies procurement.
Outstanding Support
National Grid's UAS Lead has experienced dedicated support unlike anything from other software providers. When you're responsible for critical national infrastructure, responsive support isn't optional.
The Bottom Line
National Grid transformed drone operations from an administrative burden into a scalable, efficient inspection capability. Flight planning that once consumed a full day now takes 15 minutes. A team that generated constant support requests now operates self-sufficiently. And a pilot roster that started at eight has grown to 26 without proportional management overhead.
For utility and infrastructure operators managing large asset networks, Dronedesk delivers what others couldn't: custom data integration at scale, security-compliant deployment, and time savings that compound across every pilot, every flight, every day.
