Swift Technical form drone partnership with Drone Pilot

Swift Technical has announced a partnership with US-based Drone Pilot to utilise the latter’s drone technology in the energy sector.

The deal with Drone Pilot will enable Swift Technical to support clients with unmanned inspection and detection services, where it is unsafe to send humans.

The unmanned services, especially in the oil and gas industry, could include pipeline or flare stack inspection and size and toxicity detection during oil spill events. These services and support will help reduce manual handling and increase safety.

Swift Technical is the services division of global energy solutions provider Airswift while Drone Pilot is an outsourced and insourced unmanned air, ground and maritime robotics services provider to the oil and gas industry.

The collaboration allows Drone Pilot to access Airswift’s global energy client base.

Swift Technical operations manager Jake Macey said: “We were drawn to Drone Pilot as a partner for two key reasons. One was their commitment to both external services and training, reflecting the flexibility that we pride ourselves on delivering to clients.

“The other was the company’s heritage in military and public safety applications.”

The drone tech could be used for inspecting corrosion and leakage in hazardous environments. It can also help assess asset management in critical environments.

Drone Pilot president John Buell said: “The energy industry is undergoing a technological transformation and is always receptive to innovations that can increase safety and efficiency.

“It is, therefore, a pleasure to team with Airswift to add unmanned aerial, ground and maritime training and services to the portfolio they provide within the energy industry.

“As Airswift is well-known for providing the people and workforce solutions behind that transformation, through our partnership, it can connect its clients with the right technologies too.”