Can you inspect after a lightning strike?

Yes. Post-strike inspection is one of the most common reasons clients deploy drone blade inspection — visual evidence of receptor damage and downconductor pathways.

Drone close-up of wind turbine blades capturing leading edge erosion, lightning strike damage, and composite delamination from a safe standoff position

Core Service

Wind Turbine Blade Inspection

Detect leading-edge erosion, lightning strikes, and composite delamination on wind turbines with HD drone photography. Cut downtime and rope-access risk.

Overview

Wind turbine performance depends on aerodynamic blade integrity. Holmes and Watson uses drones equipped with high-zoom optical sensors to inspect blades for erosion, cracks, and lightning damage — eliminating the need for rope-access technicians for routine visual inspection and dramatically reducing downtime and safety risk.

Why Choose Drone Wind Turbine Inspections

A drone blade inspection completes in a fraction of the time of a rope-access crew, with no climbing risk and a typical downtime measured in hours rather than days.

When to use it: Use drone blade inspection for annual condition surveys, post-lightning-strike checks, prior to rope-access repair (so technicians know exactly what they're climbing for), and end-of-warranty acceptance inspections.

What We Inspect

Leading edge erosion and pitting
Lightning receptor damage and conductor continuity
Structural cracks and composite delamination
Trailing edge separation
Nacelle and tower exterior condition
Hub, root, and pitch bearing condition

Our Process

Positioning

Turbine is stopped and locked in the standard inspection position (Y-shape) with rotor brake engaged.

Inspection

Drone navigates each blade, capturing high-resolution overlapping imagery of all four sides per blade.

Review

Images are compiled, defects sized and located by distance from the root, and severity classified.

Reporting

Defect report with photos, severity classification, and recommended repair priority.

Deliverables

High-resolution image dataset organized by blade and side, defect severity report, blade condition assessment, and prioritized maintenance recommendations.