Equipment and Data Handling Policy
Aerial thermography of a facility produces imagery that shows roof and envelope construction, mechanical and HVAC placement, access points, and the thermal signature of operations inside. A facility owner may not want all of that in circulation. This is how we handle it.
Aircraft
We fly NDAA-compliant, Blue UAS listed aircraft. The only exception is a client who requests a different aircraft in writing.
The Blue UAS Cleared List is maintained by the Defense Innovation Unit and represents systems vetted for U.S. government use. We restrict our fleet to that list because "NDAA-compliant" is a manufacturer's self-claim with no independent verification behind it, while Blue UAS listing is verified.
DJI aircraft have been on the FCC Covered List since December 23, 2025 and are designated by the Department of Defense under Section 1260H. We do not operate DJI aircraft on a client site except at the client's express written request.
Platform: Skydio X10 (designed, assembled, and supported in the USA; Teledyne FLIR Boson+ 640×512 thermal, ≤30 mK).
On request we will provide the make, model, serial number, and compliance status of any aircraft before it arrives on site.
Personnel
- FAA Part 107 certified remote pilots
- FLIR sUAS thermography certified (Infrared Training Center)
- Named personnel disclosed in advance for any site requiring it
- No subcontracted pilots without prior written client approval
Imagery and data
Capture. We record only what the scope requires: the roof and building envelope. Cameras are not run in transit to or from the flight area. If a client designates areas or directions that must not be imaged, we honor that and note it in the report.
Storage. Imagery is transferred from the aircraft to encrypted storage under our control and deleted from the aircraft and its media before leaving the site. All imagery is stored and processed within the United States.
Processing. Reports are prepared in the United States on our own equipment. Client imagery, roof plans, and site identifiers are never uploaded to any AI service. We may use AI-assisted tools to help draft report text, using no client data, and only services configured not to train on our inputs. Client imagery is never used to train any model and is never sent to analytics providers or data brokers. A client may require local-only processing — no third-party services of any kind — by stating it in writing, at no charge.
Access. Single-operator access by default. Any additional person with access is named to the client in advance.
Retention. Imagery and the delivered report are retained so year-over-year comparison is possible — by default for five years, on encrypted storage under our control. A client may set a shorter period in writing, or request destruction at any time, and we confirm destruction in writing.
Portfolio use. We use client imagery in marketing only with written permission. Anonymized use — no name, address, or identifying signage — is available on request, at any time, before or after a scan.
Third parties. We do not sell, share, or license client imagery or facility data to anyone. There is no data broker relationship, no analytics partner, and no advertising use.
Airspace and operations
- FAA Part 107 compliant; LAANC authorization obtained where required
- Airspace and TFR check on the day of every flight
- No roof access, no interior access, no entry to any building
- Liability insurance in force for every flight; certificate provided in advance, and the client can be named as additional insured on request
What this policy is not
This policy covers equipment provenance and data handling. It is not a security clearance, not a facility certification, and not a substitute for a client's own site security requirements. Where a client has stricter requirements, theirs govern, and we will accommodate them or decline the work.
Questions: Domenic Marseglia · dom@benchmarkthermography.com · 978-254-7311