Our mission
Document observable conditions before they contribute to outages.
We help utilities improve reliability, reduce downtime, and proactively maintain critical equipment by providing safe, efficient, and detailed aerial inspections. Our drone-based thermal surveys deliver actionable information without putting personnel in hazardous environments.
From routine substation scans to emergency outage investigations, every inspection is performed by an FAA-Certificated Remote Pilot trained in thermal imaging interpretation for electrical applications, with utility-focused reporting built into the deliverable.
Full Flight Day Minimum
Standalone and Additional Full Flight Days
Any standalone or additional full Flight Day outside an included annual allocation is priced at a minimum of $5,000 per operating crew for up to eight consecutive hours. Higher written pricing may apply. Included annual Tier Field Days remain bundled within the annual program fee.
Standalone and additional Full Field Days carry a $5,000 minimum per eight-hour Field Day. This minimum applies to one-time projects and to any Field Day added beyond a Tier's included annual allocation, unless a signed Scope of Work, change order, or written quote states otherwise.
Aerial Thermal Imaging
Sample thermal captures from utility inspections
Radiometric thermal imagery captured by Cox Aerial Solutions LLC during UAS inspections of electrical distribution and renewable-energy assets. Thermal palettes render relative temperature differences for observation purposes; interpretation of any documented pattern remains the responsibility of the customer’s qualified personnel.
Sample imagery shown for illustration of Cox Aerial Solutions LLC thermal capture capability. Apparent thermal patterns may be affected by load, weather, solar exposure, emissivity, viewing angle, and other conditions present at the time of capture.
Inspection limitations
Cox Aerial Solutions LLC provides remote, non-destructive aerial observations and informational deliverables based on conditions visible to the selected sensors during the inspection period. Services do not constitute professional engineering, electrical contracting, roofing contracting, code certification, structural certification, land surveying, repair instruction, or a guarantee that every defect or hazard will be detected. Final severity, cause, maintenance action, repair, shutdown, switching, and engineering decisions remain with qualified customer personnel.
Field Day Definition
A Field Day is up to eight consecutive hours of scheduled project activity by one Cox Aerial crew, measured from arrival at the first project site through completion of field collection and site closeout. Travel from and back to the Normal Operating Base is excluded unless the approved Scope of Work states otherwise.
Standalone and Additional Full Flight Days — $5,000 minimum
Any standalone or additional full Flight Day outside an included annual allocation is priced at a minimum of $5,000 per operating crew for up to eight consecutive hours. Higher written pricing may apply. Included annual Tier Field Days remain bundled within the annual program fee.
Standalone and additional Full Field Days carry a $5,000 minimum per eight-hour Field Day. This minimum applies to one-time projects and to any Field Day added beyond a Tier's included annual allocation, unless a signed Scope of Work, change order, or written quote states otherwise.
Full Field Days Only
Annual Utility Partnership Programs are based on Full Field Days. Cox Aerial Solutions does not apply half-day pricing, half-day credits, partial-day conversions, or prorated Field Days to annual utility Tier programs unless a signed amendment expressly states otherwise.
Facility Inspection Pricing
Substations, electrical facilities, and solar farms
Substations & Electrical Facilities
Custom Written Quote
Scope, access, and reporting requirements vary by facility
Included services may include
- Thermal scanning of electrical equipment
- Transformer and switchgear inspection
- Visual and thermal component observations
- Visual documentation
- Documentation of apparent thermal variations
Solar Farm Thermal Inspections
Custom Written Quote
Pricing based on total acreage, megawatt capacity, and inspection requirements
Included services may include
- Thermal panel scanning
- Documentation of apparent thermal anomalies
- Visual and thermal observations of inverter areas
- Visual documentation
- Inspection report
Custom Quote & Flight Day Minimum Notice
Starting prices apply only to limited, fixed-scope projects that are not sold as full eight-hour Flight Days. Any standalone or additional full Flight Day is subject to the $5,000 minimum.
Tier 6 partners receive separately scoped custom written quotes for facility and solar work purchased outside the included annual allocation. Separate facility charges are not applied to work performed within an included Tier 6 Field Day when the facility is within the signed Scope of Work.
Emergency Response Services
Rapid response when every minute matters.
Designed for outage investigation, suspected equipment failure, storm damage, or urgent inspections. Priority scheduling is available for contracted utility partners.
$600/hour
2-hour minimum per accepted Emergency Event
Emergency response access is a discounted billable benefit and is separate from the included Full Field Day allocation.
Emergency response is separately billable. Emergency calls, labor, and Emergency Response Hours are not included free in the annual program fee. Annual partnership benefits provide access to the applicable discounted emergency-response rate during the active Annual Utility Partnership term. Each accepted Emergency Event is invoiced separately at the applicable hourly rate and two-hour minimum.
Emergency operations remain subject to pilot, crew, and aircraft availability; FAA requirements; airspace authorization; weather; visibility; site access; traffic; safe operating conditions; customer coordination; and Remote Pilot in Command authority. Acceptance of an annual agreement does not guarantee that every emergency request can be accepted, launched, or completed.
Unused preferred-rate events or hours expire at the end of the active Annual Utility Partnership term. They have no cash value, Field Day value, credit value, or rollover value.
Annual Utility Partnership Program
Thermal Drone Inspection & Infrastructure Reliability Services
Proactive Aerial Intelligence for Electrical Infrastructure
Cox Aerial Solutions LLC provides UAS inspections conducted by an FAA-Certificated Remote Pilot, utilizing advanced thermal imaging technology to support electric cooperatives with preventative maintenance planning, asset monitoring, and infrastructure reliability awareness.
Our annual partnership programs provide scheduled aerial inspections, thermal analysis, detailed reporting, and priority response capabilities to help support earlier awareness of observable conditions that may warrant evaluation.
Inspection Coverage Estimates
Coverage estimates are based on normal operating conditions and are intended for planning purposes only. Actual inspection production may vary based on:
- Terrain
- Vegetation
- Weather conditions
- Airspace restrictions
- Access requirements
- Asset configuration
- Customer inspection requirements
Annual Utility Partnership Program
Annual investment, included Full Field Day allocation, and approximate planning cadence by partnership tier.
| Partnership Tier | Annual Investment | Included Full Field Days | Approximate Planning Cadence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation Reliability — Tier 1 | $27,000 | 6 | approximately every 60 days |
| Infrastructure Monitoring — Tier 2 | $35,100 | 8 | approximately every 45 days |
| Preferred Utility Partner — Tier 3 | $51,300 | 12 | approximately every 30 days |
| Advanced Reliability — Tier 4 | $74,925 | 18 | approximately every 20 days |
| Complete Infrastructure Assurance — Tier 5 | $121,500 | 36 | approximately every 10 days |
| Dedicated Utility Operations Partner — Tier 6 | $324,000 | 120 | 14-calendar-day minimum routine scheduling notice |
Annual fees include the listed Full Field Day allocation and the selected Tier’s included planning, field operations, data processing, reporting, quality control, delivery, and program-management services.
Included Field Days are not separately invoiced at Cox Aerial’s standard Full Field Day rate.
Additional and Standalone Full Flight Day Minimum: Any standalone or additional full Flight Day purchased beyond a Tier’s included allocation is a minimum of $5,000 per operating crew for up to eight consecutive hours, or higher as stated in the signed Scope of Work, change order, or written quote. Tier 6 additional Full Field Days are $6,250 per standard additional Full Field Day, with a preferred rate of $5,000 per Tier 6 preferred additional Full Field Day. No half-day, partial-day, or prorated additional-day pricing applies.
Production estimates are planning references only. Actual mileage, asset counts, facilities, and megawatt coverage vary based on terrain, vegetation, weather, airspace, access, asset configuration, operating conditions, safety requirements, reporting detail, and finding volume.
Planning Cadence Notice: Planning cadence is an estimate and may be grouped or adjusted for asset loading, thermal conditions, operational efficiency, customer priorities, weather, access, and lawful flight requirements.
Full tier schedules, covered services, and emergency-response allowances are outlined in the program guide.
Emergency-Response Allowance Terms
Emergency-response allowances provide access to the listed partnership rate and reserved scheduling consideration. Emergency-response events remain separately billable and are not included as free service calls unless expressly stated in a signed agreement.
Emergency-response allowances represent the maximum number of annual response events eligible for the listed partnership rate. Each response is billed separately at the applicable hourly rate and minimum charge. Unused response allowances have no cash value and do not roll over unless stated in the customer's signed agreement.
Emergency response is separately billable. Emergency calls, labor, and Emergency Response Hours are not included free in the annual program fee. Annual partnership benefits provide access to the applicable discounted emergency-response rate during the active Annual Utility Partnership term. Each accepted Emergency Event is invoiced separately at the applicable hourly rate and two-hour minimum.
Emergency operations remain subject to pilot, crew, and aircraft availability; FAA requirements; airspace authorization; weather; visibility; site access; traffic; safe operating conditions; customer coordination; and Remote Pilot in Command authority. Acceptance of an annual agreement does not guarantee that every emergency request can be accepted, launched, or completed.
Unused preferred-rate events or hours expire at the end of the active Annual Utility Partnership term. They have no cash value, Field Day value, credit value, or rollover value.
This is a general summary. The executed Annual Utility Partnership Agreement or Scope of Work controls if any inconsistency exists.
What the Annual Fee Includes
The annual program fee includes the selected Tier’s Full Field Day allocation and the routine services required to plan, perform, process, document, and deliver the contracted inspections.
- Scope confirmation and customer coordination
- Airspace and regulatory review
- Mission and route planning
- Weather assessment
- Aircraft and equipment preparation
- Visual and thermal collection when applicable
- GPS-referenced documentation
- Normal field setup, battery changes, and data checks
- Data processing and quality control
- The selected Tier’s included reporting
- Digital delivery
- Routine program and account management
- Historical comparison when included by Tier and supported by comparable prior data
Included Full Field Days and included routine services are not separately billed at the standard Full Field Day rate.
Charges That May Still Apply Separately
The annual program fee does not automatically include:
- Field Days beyond the Tier’s annual allocation — $5,000 minimum per operating crew for each standalone or additional full eight-hour Flight Day (Tier 6: $6,250 standard, $5,000 preferred)
- Separately approved emergency response
- Customer-caused standby
- Excess mileage
- Outside-territory per diem
- Lodging, airfare, rental vehicles, tolls, permits, and approved pass-through expenses
- Cancellation or remobilization charges
- Specialized subcontractors
- LiDAR, licensed surveying, or professional engineering
- Nonstandard GIS exports
- Raw or editable project files
- Custom analytics
- Expedited deliverables not included in the selected Tier
- Work outside the signed asset categories, service territory, or Scope of Work
Additional work must be authorized through a written quote, Scope of Work, change order, or amendment.
Standard and Advanced Thermal Reporting Comparison
Deliverables comparison between Standard and Advanced thermal reporting tiers.
| Feature | Standard | Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection summary | Included | Included |
| Thermal images | Included | Included |
| Visual images | Included | Included |
| GPS locations | Included | Included |
| Temperature readings | Included | Included |
| Observation-based priority categories | Basic | Detailed |
| Temperature differential analysis | Limited | Included |
| Suggested areas for qualified customer follow-up | Limited | Included |
| Historical comparison | Not included | Included |
| Asset tracking | Limited | Included |
| Executive summary | Basic | Included |
| Observation-based priority categories for customer evaluation | Not included | Included |
Additional Services
Standalone and Additional Full Flight Days
Any standalone or additional full Flight Day outside an included annual allocation is priced at a minimum of $5,000 per operating crew for up to eight consecutive hours. Higher written pricing may apply. Included annual Tier Field Days remain bundled within the annual program fee.
Tier 6 additional Full Field Days: $6,250 per standard additional Full Field Day; preferred rate $5,000 per Tier 6 preferred additional Full Field Day. No half-day, partial-day, or prorated additional-day pricing applies.
Specialized Reporting Services
Available upon request:
- Asset database development
- Detailed thermal analysis
- Observation-based priority categories for customer evaluation
- Historical inspection comparison reporting
Emergency Response Terms
Emergency response services are subject to:
- FAA airspace availability
- Weather conditions
- Safe operating conditions
- Regulatory restrictions
- Aircraft availability
Cox Aerial Solutions LLC maintains final authority regarding whether emergency flight operations can safely and legally be conducted. Emergency response does not guarantee immediate flight completion due to FAA restrictions, weather limitations, or unsafe operating conditions.
Why Choose Our Services
Certified, insured, and ready to respond.
Inspection limitations
Cox Aerial Solutions LLC provides remote, non-destructive aerial observations and informational deliverables based on conditions visible to the selected sensors during the inspection period. Services do not constitute professional engineering, electrical contracting, roofing contracting, code certification, structural certification, land surveying, repair instruction, or a guarantee that every defect or hazard will be detected. Final severity, cause, maintenance action, repair, shutdown, switching, and engineering decisions remain with qualified customer personnel.
Investment in Reliability
Improve reliability with actionable aerial intelligence.
Drone-based thermal inspections provide utilities with the information needed to support earlier awareness of observable conditions that may warrant evaluation, and build a stronger, more resilient grid.
Thank you for the opportunity to support your preventative maintenance and infrastructure reliability programs.
Schedule a thermal inspection