25/08/2026
This roof inspection was a little different… ✈️🏠
This week I was inspecting a property in Wilmslow, but because of its proximity to Manchester Airport, I couldn't simply turn up and put the drone in the air.
The property is within the airport's restricted airspace, so the inspection required additional planning and the appropriate permission before the flight could take place.
Once permission had been granted, I also had to contact Air Traffic Control before starting the operation and let them know again once I'd safely finished.
It's something people probably don't immediately think about when booking a drone roof inspection.
Sometimes getting the photographs is the easy bit!
The roof itself was really interesting too.
There was a clear divide between some relatively recent roofing work, which generally looked very good, and the considerably older sections of the property.
The older roof had plenty of moss, leaves and debris, particularly in the valleys and gutters, and the rear section was showing more wear and previous repairs than the rest.
Does that mean it all needs replacing?
Not necessarily.
My advice was to clean it first, clear and check the gutters and valleys, repair the obvious defects and then physically inspect the older rear section once everything can actually be seen properly.
From there, the homeowner can make an informed decision about how much life remains in it.
That's one of the things I enjoy about these inspections.
I'm not there to sell somebody a roof.
I'm there to independently inspect what they've already got and help them understand what needs attention now, what can be maintained and what they should start planning for in the future.
And occasionally that means navigating airport-controlled airspace before we even get started!
