by Jewel Pickert

[email protected]

_e hail storm on July 9th struck quite a few roofs in Hastings. We had the option of checking our condo roof with a drone.

Drone operator Treya Olson from Parkway Custom Construction did just that.

_e 12” x 14” gray drone type she used can be purchased for recreational use, also. But an operator needs a drone pilot license to y it commercially.

_is drone sports red and green lights, a lens on the bottom, and auto-optical avoidance sensors on the sides to prevent collisions.

As I watched it in action, more than one curious bird ew up close, but no harm was done.

Treya estimated the drone to weigh about 3-5 pounds. _e battery is the heaviest part.

Her drone gets 25-30 minutes of ight time per battery. _at amounts to about 1-1/2 – 2 buildings per battery.

Rather than wait for her car to recharge a battery, Treya takes 12 batteries with her at all times, so she always has spares.

_e drone is connected to GPS and uses Google Maps. Toward the end of an inspection, she pilots the drone via manual override. For this, she uses the controller.

Typically, it takes 100 or more photos with GPS and 35-100 additional manually.

_e drone starts taking pictures high up to get an overview and then ies in a lawnmower pattern, crisscrossing the roof area in a grid formation.

No one has to worry about any window peeping.

_e drone emits a buzzing sound that reminds me of cicadas in the trees.

Flying the drone is weather-dependent. It can only be own up to certain wind speeds. If a roof is wet, the pictures aren’t as good either. Of course, the drone takes the winter o

A_er it’s done, the photos are reviewed for, in this case, hail damage. When the review is completed and the damage marked, a report with high-resolution images is sent to the property owner.

Parkway Custom Construction primarily uses the drone for property inspections of exterior maintenance and for weather-related damage. _e drone can be used for associations, which, by law, have to have a preventive maintenance plan.

Arik Connell, co-owner of Parkway Custom Construction and Treya’s dad, said the drone saves them time and reduces wear and tear on roofs.

He noted the drone’s photos are based on indisputable facts, not subjective opinions.

Treya has yet to name her drone. She said she’s never had altercations with any animals. She has never lost a drone, because she has to keep it within sight at all times.

Within certain ight zones, she needs FAA authorization.

With the drone so_ware she uses now, she hasn’t experienced any glitches or malfunctions.

She doesn’t get bored, because she likes the technology.

Originally, Treya was trained as a pediatric nurse. When she had her son, she moved to an on-call status to take care of him at home.

When Arik Connell discovered a drone opportunity, he invested in it, but had no one to y it. He asked Treya what she thought of it.

She studied for two weeks, took an exam, and then went through 8-10 more hours of drone and program learning.

_e license has to be renewed every two years.

For anyone interested in becoming a drone operator, there are all types of training available. You might want to Google it.

As for our condo roof, it didn’t sustain enough hail damage to warrant a replacement at this time.

As for Parkway Custom Construction, you can check it out at www.pcc-mn.com for further information.