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About Us

We are a fully qualified CAA commercial drone services supplier borne from deep experience of the construction and property sectors

We're excited..

Hovafly’s management team are all veterans of the construction and property sectors. In 2017 we started integrating Commercial Drone Services into our projects, and very quickly realised that UAV-based innovation had the power to significantly enhance workflow efficiencies and, in some cases, fundamentally change the way we approach surveying, construction and property challenges.

In 2020 we made the decision to prioritise our Commercial Drone Services, with the aim of collaborating with other construction & property professionals in order to better mobilise the UAS revolution. Hovafly was born.

The UAS industry is still comparatively young, and the rules and regulations that govern it are still being written. We believe the (hopefully not too distant) future will bring a number of regulatory progressions, such as accessible formal certification for BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) operations.

We also expect that some of the many airspace infrastructure software developers we’ve talked with over the last year will make effective monitoring of all drone flights a reality, which in turn will open up further possibilities. And then there’s hardware. It’s all very exciting!

So, taking part in, and helping to lead the aerial tech revolution as it relates to surveying, construction and property is what we’re all about. Below are just a handful of the projects that have helped us realise that..

Commercial Drone Services

THERMOGRAPHIC AERIAL SURVEY

Commercial, Woking

DECEMBER 2021

A thermographic aerial survey of all exterior elevations of a 100m tall new-build hotel in order to determine overall insulation consistency and identify any other construction defects.

Due to site complexity and after-dark data capture neccessity, a three man aerial thermography team was required in order to ensure both safety and successful data capture.

Commercial Drone Services

ROOF, FRONT & REAR ELEVATION SURVEY, REFURBISHMENT

Supported Living, Ilfracombe

MAY-OCTOBER 2020

A roof and exterior elevation survey was carried out utilising multi-rotor drone equipment. Tight public walkways and a very steep incline made traditional access methods hazardous.

Aerial data capture revealed significant degradation of the original iron gutters that run along the entire terrace front elevation roof line.

A full interior and exterior refurbishment was undertaken, ensuring exterior decoration remained sympathetic to the building’s heritage.

Commercial Drone Services

ROOF REPAIR, MECHANICAL HEATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT

Supported Living, Sheffield

December 2019 - January 2020

A grade II listed building with significant roof defects. A roof survey was carried out utilising multi-rotor drone equipment to determine a detailed schedule of works. Internally the property suffered from extremely poor mechanical heating provision.

Due to fragility of the roof, a traditional roof inspection (to include a hidden valley) would likely have caused further damage prior to instruction.

A set of four Viessmann Vitodens 222-F 32kW Storage Boilers were installed to replace the four standard combi boilers. The roof was refurbished ensuring that as much original roofing as possible was kept.

Drone Surveys London

STRUCTURAL REPAIR, EXTERIOR & INTERIOR REFURBISHMENT

Supported Living, Ilfracombe

March-October 2018

Situated on a steep bank close to the North Devon Coast, this property presented a number of structural and access challenges.

A roof and exterior elevation survey was carried out utilising multi-rotor drone equipment. The steep drop-off of ground level at the rear elevation made traditional inspection treacherous and expensive. Aerial data capture revealed a number of significant structural defects.

A full interior and exterior refurbishment was undertaken, which included hacking off and re-rendering of the entire gable end elevation.

UNUSUAL RESIDENTIAL NEW-BUILD

Residential, London

February-December 2017

A 5-storey residential new-build on a tight plot. Multi-rotor drones were used in order assist with mid-project construction defect identification, and also with final snagging.

The build incorporated a basement together with toughened safety glass access to the ground floor, as well as a front elevation also constructed mainly from glass, making traditional access methods difficult and likely to cause damage to the installation.

NEW-BUILD ECO-DEVELOPMENT

Residential, London

August 2014 - October 2015

Four high-performance houses built on a back-land site. As both client and contractor we were able to design, together with extremely talented architects, for maximum sustainability.

Using super-insulated prefabricated timber frames reduced development impact on the locality. This combined with triple glazed windows/doors, a heat recovery ventilation system and Bio-diverse carbon-capturing roofs to achieve a high level of sustainability. The houses are built to a Passivhaus standard and achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes level 4.

Winner – 2016 Brick Award, Best Small Housing Development