Business South August 2021

| 29 Drone technology has plenty to offer T T Richard Loader GCH UAV operates its drone services throughout the country and internationally. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Marlborough - GCH Aviation W ith helicopter and fixed wing aircraft operations in Christchurch, Grey- mouth, Nelson, Wellington, Fiji and Vanuatu, GCH Aviation Ltd delivers a diverse range of services. Always prepared to adopt new technol- ogies, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) — otherwise known as ‘drones’ — were the new frontier in aviation. In 2017 following a somewhat chance encounter between CFO Daniel Currie, Darryl Hodgson — then GCH’s IT Manager — and passionate drone operator Colin Aitchison, GCH UAV was born, adding further diversity to GCH’s extensive range of aerial capability. “I was fortunate to discover drones quite early on,” says Colin. “Starting out as a hobbyist in 2011, I quickly became aware of the opportunities a flying camera offered and started operating in Queenstown commercially in 2014. I enjoyed 10 amazing years in Queenstown but it never felt like home to me. I’d always loved Marlbor - ough, having family in Picton and holidaying in the Sounds growing up, so when the opportu - nity arose to join forces with GCH Aviation and establish a drone operation based in Blen- heim, I could not resist.” Blenheim was chosen for a number of rea- sons, but key was the amount of vineyards. “I’ve been involved in multispectral imaging of vineyards since 2015, which is the process of aerial mapping using a specialised sensor that captures separated wavelengths of light. “When performed correctly it paints a valua- ble picture of crop vigour and stress, amongst other uses.” Although based in Blenheim GCH UAV oper - ates nationwide. Pre Covid the company had regular work in Australia along with bookings in Fiji and Vanuatu. “We offer a variety of services to a wide range of clients. Around half of the business is comprised of filming and photographing events, real estate and promotional videos both from the ground using handheld camer - as and the air using drones. “The other 50% is made up of industrial applications like asset inspection, aerial map- ping, survey and other specialised applica - tions.” Having the right tools and experience to get the job done is critical to success and GCH UAV utilises different drones with different capabilities and roles from smaller size pho- tography drones with high resolution cameras through to a 2-metre wingspan vertical take- off and landing fixed wing aeroplane that can map up to 1000ha per day. “Aerial mapping for the viticulture sector is an effective tool at multiple levels from pro - viding a simple birds eye view to help identify issues like irrigation leaks through to using multi-spectral data as an input for variable rate fertiliser application, which is great for the environment and cost reduction. “Inspection work that we carry out of infra - structure such as powerlines and substations greatly reduces the risk associated with work - ing at heights and provides a precise, efficient monitoring and condition assessment tool. “And we help a diverse range of businesses tell their story by creating high quality promo - tional video and imagery to best showcase the products or services they are offering. Looking to the future Colin says as the technology matures he predicts automated integration into airspace will be the next logi - cal step. “It will unlock a range of applications which aren’t possible under current regula - tions and pave the way for beyond line-of- sight operations, which is critical for things like automated delivery services.” “Aerial mapping for the viticulture sector is an effective tool at multiple levels from providing a simple birds eye view to help identify issues like irrigation leaks through to using multi-spectral data as an input for variable rate fertiliser application…” Harewood Aviation Park | 4/25 Aviation Drive P O Box 39 144 | Christchurch, 7676 | NZ E-mail: info@helimaintenance.com David Ives CEO - 027 528 5121 James McNutt Chief Engineer - 027 2803160 Pip Ives Director - 0277336982 Independent Helicopter Maintenance Company www.helimaintenance.com 82 Vickerman St, Nelson | Ph: 03 548 7942 | e: info@hampidjan.co.nz 110 Fraser St, Timaru | Ph: 03 688 0037 | www.hampidjan.co.nz • Helicopter cargo lifting nets • Longlines and high visibility protective covers - other options available including fire bucket longlines • Hardware and lifting slings • Inspection, testing and recertification services