BAC Helicopters is the first manned aviation company in Durban to be fully certified by the SACAA to operate drones (RPAS) on a commercial basis throughout the country. We have integrated the use of drones alongside our helicopter aerial photographic and survey services in order to offer a complete imagery package for both new and existing clients. With all the right endorsements to operate within the city, inside of controlled airspace, along National roads, key points and public events amongst others and with highly skilled professional photographers, we believe that we are superbly placed to add some real value.

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Industrial Survey

The use of drones for industrial survey is fast becoming the engineering norm. Drones on engineering sites can drastically improve the design phase of your project, help monitor your build through up to date ortho-mosaics and are even starting to rival LIDAR in terms of accuracy for chainages and other civil operations. Accurate and realistic 3D models provide excellent information for Architects and design engineers and these outputs can fit seamlessly into your chosen design programme. The benefits of UAV photogrammetry seem endless, however strict legislation governs the use of any drone for commercial use and the SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority) is actively enforcing the new regulations. So let us handle the image acquisition and processing, while you focus on the job at hand, without exposing your business or clients to any unnecessary risks.

BAC unmanned is the smart choice for all your industrial survey applications including:

Mining surveys
Building inspections
Industrial inspections
Powerline inspections
Land management
Architecture
Urban planning
Lidar grade photogrammetry surveys
Chainages
Construction
Draw down monitoring for development bonds
Accurate stockpile volumes
Equipment and facility inspection
Insurance validations

Environmental Monitoring

UAV or UAS technology suits a wide range of conservation and environmental monitoring applications. Whether you need thermal imaging for animal counts, multispectral data for plant species identification or accurate cut and fill volumes for erosion monitoring, BAC Unmanned can tailor a solution for your needs

At the Helm of the Drone Operations: Andrew Martens

After completing a degree in mechanical engineering in 1998 at UKZN Durban, Andrew worked at a number of companies heading up their product design and development divisions. In 2009 he started focusing his design skills on developing aerial photography units using remote control helicopters and digital SLR cameras, and founded his company, Helicam Productions. The demand for these services grew rapidly and the fields of aerial video and 360 degree virtual tours were developed and added to the product offering. Since 2009 Andrew’s client base has grown considerably, and current clients include prominent property developers, events, hotels, resorts, corporates and SA’s leading private schools. Andrew has travelled extensively, with clients across South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, the DRC, as well as the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius, Madagascar and Rodrigues.

Andrew’s passion is to combine his technical roots of engineering with the creative opportunities that filming and photography offer to create world class photography, videography and virtual tours. Videos filmed and produced by Andrew have been chosen for several international film festivals and a recent tourism video for the Drakensberg won an international award at a Polish film festival in July 2016.

Aerial Photography

In this modern age, where social media and digital imagery are part of everyday life, aerial photography is a rapidly growing market and its application is endless.
In both its video and still form, the dynamic trend for aerial images in fields like tourism, sports, commerce, real estate, leisure, social media and art, amongst many others, are showing remarkable results.
If you’re going to take experimentation and creativity up a notch, what better platform than the highly advanced and versatile multi-rotor drone to redefine the boundaries?
In order to provide the best service for your unique needs, BAC Unmanned has partnered with some very experienced, specialist photographers.

One of our specialist capabilities is aerial filming. BAC Helicopters is already involved in the filming of major sporting events and has established partnerships with some of the best aerial photographers in the country. The incorporation of drones alongside provide our clients with a product that is better, more versatile and can be tailored to fit every budget.

Precision Agriculture

The next revolution in precision technology is here. By monitoring crops and livestock from the sky with a drone or RPA you can capture highly accurate maps of your fields, without the cost and hassle of manned services and at a far greater resolution.

Highly accurate contours for irrigation, crop health through NDVI from near infra-red sensors and even thermal heat maps can be available to your precision platform at the touch of a button. The understanding and application of this data is key to boosting yields

and cutting costs, thereby increasing your bottom line. Our operators have vast experience in not only developing plant health indexes, but also interpreting them, with specialised agricultural expertise in Sugar cane, Citrus and Forestry.