Blog · Field notes from the tarmac

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Insights on drone-based airport inspection technology, PAPI light testing, ICAO compliance, and aviation safety innovations. Stay updated with the latest developments in automated airport infrastructure verification.

17 POSTS
When Runway Lights Drift Out of Tolerance
CLOUDED LENS · OVERCAST
Featured · Safety When Runway Lights Drift Out of Tolerance Runway lights do not fail suddenly. They drift. What moves a fixture out of tolerance, why nobody sees it happen, and how a measured baseline catches it.
TarmacView Team 2026-08-15 9 MIN READ
What a Regulator Actually Accepts as Evidence
Safety What a Regulator Actually Accepts as Evidence Regulators rarely name an accepted instrument. What they accept is a dated, traceable record showing that the aerodrome's own agreed procedure was followed.
2026-08-15 8 MIN READ
Runway Surface Inspection: What a Drone Scan Actually Sees
Airport Operations Runway Surface Inspection: What a Drone Scan Actually Sees What a drone pavement scan resolves on a runway, what it cannot, how ground sample distance sets the smallest measurable crack, and how a scan becomes a rating.
2026-08-15 11 MIN READ
Runway Edge Light Inspection: What ICAO Requires and How It Is Measured
Airport Operations Runway Edge Light Inspection: What ICAO Requires and How It Is Measured What ICAO Annex 14 requires of runway edge lights, what it leaves open, and how intensity, colour and coverage are actually measured in the field.
2026-08-15 9 MIN READ
Pavement Condition Index Explained
Technology Pavement Condition Index Explained What PCI is, how ASTM D5340 turns observed distress into a 0-100 number, what the deduct-value step does, and what the index cannot tell you about a runway.
2026-08-15 9 MIN READ
Obstacle Limitation Surfaces: Surveying the Approach
Safety Obstacle Limitation Surfaces: Surveying the Approach What obstacle limitation surfaces are, which ones matter at a regional aerodrome, and how the approach gets surveyed to prove nothing has grown into it.
2026-08-15 10 MIN READ
Inspecting Between Movements: Low Visibility and Slots
Airport Operations Inspecting Between Movements: Low Visibility and Slots The runway belongs to the traffic, not to the inspector. Where inspection windows come from, what a short slot changes, and when night beats day.
2026-08-15 8 MIN READ
How a Drone Measurement Becomes Evidence
Airport Operations How a Drone Measurement Becomes Evidence Why a number off a drone camera can stand up as evidence: what the sensor records, how it becomes an angle, and where the uncertainty is bounded.
2026-08-15 8 MIN READ
From Surface Distress to Foreign Object Damage
Technology From Surface Distress to Foreign Object Damage Most runway FOD is not dropped, it is shed by the pavement. How raveling, spalling and joint failure make debris, and which distress to seal first.
2026-08-15 9 MIN READ
Centimetre Accuracy: RTK, Datums and Why Coordinates Disagree
Technology Centimetre Accuracy: RTK, Datums and Why Coordinates Disagree Two surveys of the same runway disagree by more than either claims as its accuracy. Usually the instruments were fine and the reference frames were not.
2026-08-15 8 MIN READ
Approach Lighting System Inspection
Safety Approach Lighting System Inspection What an approach lighting system does for the crew, what Annex 14 asks of it in service, and why 900 metres of array off the airport is hard to inspect.
2026-08-15 10 MIN READ
ALSF, MALSR or PALS: Choosing an Approach Lighting Configuration
Safety ALSF, MALSR or PALS: Choosing an Approach Lighting Configuration What really decides an approach lighting configuration, why the ICAO and FAA vocabularies do not map onto each other, and what each layout costs to keep serviceable.
2026-08-15 10 MIN READ
What ICAO Annex 14 Actually Requires of Your PAPI
Safety What ICAO Annex 14 Actually Requires of Your PAPI The tolerances behind a PAPI protocol, what an authority looks for in the evidence, and how often the system has to be verified to stay certifiable.
2026-07-22 3 MIN READ
Inspecting an Airfield With No Internet At All
Technology Inspecting an Airfield With No Internet At All Capture, processing and the finished report can all happen on a laptop on the airfield, with nothing leaving the airport and no connectivity needed.
2026-06-30 3 MIN READ
What a PAPI Inspection Actually Costs
Airport Operations What a PAPI Inspection Actually Costs What drives the cost of a drone-based airfield inspection, why we quote per airport instead of publishing a rate, and what the real comparison is.
2026-06-11 3 MIN READ
No More SD Cards: the Field Hub Explained
Technology No More SD Cards: the Field Hub Explained Footage moves off the drone over the airfield network automatically, so processing starts while the crew is still packing up instead of hours later.
2026-05-20 2 MIN READ
The Operational Benefits of Drone-Based PAPI Inspection: A Game-Changer for Airport Maintenance
Airport Operations The Operational Benefits of Drone-Based PAPI Inspection: A Game-Changer for Airport Maintenance Discover how drone technology is revolutionizing PAPI light inspection with superior efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional flight inspection aircraft.
2025-11-19 9 MIN READ
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