Latest progress photos of M56 upgrade project taken by professional aerial photographer 360photosurvey.com. This short video shows an extract from our latest photoshoot, with high resolution photos taken at regular 25-50m intervals along both sides of the project in under 5 minutes (800 individual photos), providing the project team with an invaluable progress record of the project each month.
We`ve been undertaking regular monthly aerial progress photos of this project for Galliford Try and National Highways from our full size fixed wing real aircraft (not a drone) with 2-man crew on board (pro pilot + photographer with high powered cameras). During each flight, we fly in two legs, first Westbound (North of the M56) from junction 6 (Manchester Airport) to junction 7 (Lymm/Altrincham), and then return Eastbound (South of the M56). Providing the project team with very high resolution images along the full length of their project.
Being right next to Manchester Airport runway, we have the necessary permit to operate our aircraft in such close proximity, and are in constant direct communications with Air Traffic Control throughout the operation whom know we`re professional and efficient and safe ensuring no disruption to airport commercial operations. On completion back at junction 6, we`re cleared to cross the airport and onto our next site – the Poynton Bypass project for Graham Construction and Cheshire East Council.
Why do we use full size real aircraft rather than drones? Under CAA drone regs it`s illegal to operate a drone over a live motorway, and as the route also passes over a live railway too (CAA drone regs + Network Rail regulations), that`s illegal too. With the length of the project, would mean that under the CAA drone regs, a drone can not be flown more than 500m from the ground based pilot, which means the pilot has to repeatedly relocate position, with all the costs and time associated. Whilst drones are a great asset, drone operators would be pushed to photograph more than 1-2 sites in a day – prior to getting to the M56 project, we`d already photographed a dozen projects for clients, and then onto more projects, including further highway and railway projects in addition to lots of construction projects and commercial sites for our estate customers.
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY UNDERTAKEN PROPERLY – PROFESSIONAL – EFFICIENT – SAFE