Hey everyone,
I’m trying to help my brother-in-law find a good drone. He needs something made in the US with a top-notch infrared/thermal camera for inspecting roofs at his roofing company. I’m used to flying DJI drones, so I’m not familiar with other brands. The budget is pretty high, over $20K, so they’re looking for the best quality. Any suggestions? Appreciate the help!
Thanks. I’ve heard of Skydio before, but I don’t know much about their drones. Hoping someone here can recommend specific models.
Morgan said:
Thanks. I’ve heard of Skydio before, but I don’t know much about their drones. Hoping someone here can recommend specific models.
You should probably skip Skydio and look into Freefly. They’re more expensive, but the quality is top-notch.
@Zeke
The main thing to consider with Freefly is their size. If you don’t mind carrying a bigger drone and have a lot of open space, then it’s a solid choice. But keep the size in mind depending on where you’ll be flying.
@Zeke
Totally agree. If the budget allows, Freefly is worth the investment for sure.
Amari said:
@Zeke
Totally agree. If the budget allows, Freefly is worth the investment for sure.
Exactly. You get what you pay for, and it’s worth the business expense for sure.
Have you thought about trying a South African-made drone? It’s not US-made, but it’s a great option and definitely not Chinese. Just a thought, and remember, your brother-in-law will need a Part 107 license for commercial drone work.
@Storm
Thanks, I’ll look into it as well.
I’ve used the Skydio X2D for work. I don’t have a ton of experience with it, but I’ve noticed it can be buggy for the price. It struggled with connectivity around large metal objects, like ships, and the thermal camera’s resolution isn’t great, it tends to get washed out. That said, I haven’t used it for roof inspections, so maybe there are settings that work better for that. Just sharing my experience.
@Micah
Appreciate the insight, thanks for sharing!
You might want to check out the Teledyne SIRAS. Since Teledyne owns FLIR, they’re known for their thermal imaging. I’ve also tried the Skydio X2 in the past, but its range is limited, and the thermal camera wasn’t the best. Take a look at the ‘US BLUE UAS List’ for all the available options. Let me know if you need more details.
@Sage
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check out the list.
I’d avoid the Teal Golden Eagle and Parrot Anafi (which is French). The Teledyne SIRAS has decent thermal capabilities with FLIR, but it’s been unpredictable and even fell out of the sky for us. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but it’s not something I’d recommend using around people.
Skydio has its pros and cons, and yeah, there’s a lot of heated discussion about them because they lobbied against other drone brands in the US. But if you go with the Skydio X10E, you’ll get a great thermal camera.
@Storm
I really wish DJI could be used here… This whole situation is frustrating 
@Storm
I’ve had a good experience with the FLIR SIRAS. They keep updating the firmware, and the new payload has a better RGB camera and thermal sensitivity. It’s a bit bigger, but if you’re fine with that, it’s a solid choice.
@Zariah
Glad it’s working for you. The software felt unfinished to us, and we couldn’t risk another incident, especially around a lot of people.
If you’re looking for the best infrared camera, the Skydio X10 or X10D is probably your best bet. They’re the latest models and have solid specs for thermal imaging. There’s a lot of debate on Skydio, but they still lead the market for US-made drones.
@Bea
Yeah, I’ve seen some discussions online about the DJI ban and Skydio’s role in it. Hoping things work out better than what I’ve been reading.
FYI, the Department of Homeland Security is switching to the Skydio X10D.
Come back in 15 years, lol. DJI is miles ahead of everyone else. But if you need something right now, maybe check out Skydio. It’s super expensive since they only sell to businesses.