CEC was one of the first companies in the Pittsburgh region to receive a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Section 333 Exemption in 2015. CEC now operates under the new FAA Part 107 regulations for the purpose of conducting aerial data acquisitions.
CEC uses unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to conduct site inspections, topographic surveys, construction site monitoring, stockpile and landfill volumetric calculations, vegetation analyses, optical gas imaging, and other similar projects.
Data acquisition via UAS enables improved safety as well as significant economic efficiencies, such as reductions in the number of field personnel required and time required for both data acquisition and review. UAS provide a cost-effective, low-environmental-impact solution that optimizes the quality and value of collected data.
Inspectors, regulators, and clients sometimes request live video of the items most important to project closeout, permits, or structural integrity of components. In conjunction with a physical site inspection by a registered Professional Engineer, CEC uses UAS to record and live-stream real-time data to inspectors and clients in their 
offices. CEC’s remote inspections can visually investigate:
- The structural integrity of low-pressure towers, absorber towers, glycol dehydration units, condensation tanks, flare stacks, compressors, produced water tanks, valves, couplers, emergency pressure relief valves, etc.
- Right-of-Way (ROW) encroachments, emergency response, and situational fugitive emissions leaks; and
- Visual vegetative health and coverage.
The inspectors can then make recommendations based upon real-time data to facilitate equipment maintenance and repair, assure ROW safety, and close out permits.
