Tanks • Boilers • Chimneys • Reactors • Silos • Ships – we inspect where conventional methods are too costly, too dangerous, or simply impossible. Operating across Germany since 2017.
The Flyability ELIOS 3 – our primary system for interior and confined space inspections.
Kopterflug specialises in inspection scenarios where classical access methods reach their limits. The drone enters – your team stays outside.
Kopterflug works with refineries, chemical plants, power stations, shipyards, and other industrial operators throughout Germany. From refineries in Hamburg and Karlsruhe to chemical parks in Leverkusen and Ludwigshafen, power stations in Mannheim, and steelworks in Duisburg – we inspect industrial assets nationwide. Our clients include TUV-affiliated inspection bodies, DEKRA, and independent expert assessors who rely on our drone data to support their findings.
Depending on the task, we select the optimal system – indoors, outdoors, or underwater.
Collision-safe inspection drone for tanks, boilers, chimneys, and confined spaces without GPS – 4K camera, thermography and LiDAR in a single deployment. No scaffolding, no human entry.
Learn more about the ELIOS 3 → | English page →
Industrial drone for exterior inspections: 4K zoom, thermography and laser measurement for facades, pipe bridges, tank farms and hard-to-reach external areas.
Learn more about industrial drone inspection →
Inspection of water-filled tanks, sprinkler tanks, clarification basins and harbour basins without emptying and without divers – camera-guided, safe and efficient.
Learn more about underwater inspection →
Spontaneous 3D measurement without a tripod. Distances, diameters and heights directly from the point cloud. Complements ELIOS 3 LiDAR for complete facility capture.
Learn more about industrial LiDAR surveying →
What is eliminated – and what you get instead:
| Benefit | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Up to 80% cheaper than scaffolding | No scaffold erection, no human confined space entry – up to 60–80% cost advantage versus scaffolding, rope access or extended shutdowns, depending on baseline situation. |
| No human entry – no entry risk | No risk at height, no entry into hazardous areas – the ELIOS 3 takes on the risk while your team remains safe. |
| 4K + LiDAR centimetre-accurate + thermography | 4K camera, LiDAR 3D survey and optional thermography – clear data for damage assessment with reliable documentation. |
| Report for BetrSichV inspections | Detailed inspection reports with 4K footage, 3D models and finding localisation – aligned with BetrSichV/DGUV requirements (German Industrial Safety Regulation / statutory accident insurance) and your documentation standards (project-dependent). |
| Since 2017 – hundreds of inspected assets | Long-term experience in Confined Spaces – we know the challenges of tanks, boilers and shafts from hundreds of deployments. |
| Nationwide, short-notice appointments | Operating across Germany – rapid scheduling and reliable execution with the latest ELIOS 3 technology. |
Structured. Safe. No additional burden on your operations.
The two-person team is our standard: pilot and assistant with defined roles. This ensures maximum control, safe procedures and a smooth deployment – even in tight or complex plant environments. For individual assignments we also work as a three-person team.
We work with standardised, field-tested procedures that we adapt to your plant. No experimentation, no improvisation – reproducible results every time.
Kopterflug operates with its own safety concept (Sicherheitskonzept). You are welcome to observe, but you do not need to provide any personnel or organisational resources.
No entry into confined spaces, no escort required, no additional coordination – you receive the inspection without operational burden.
Long-term experience in critical infrastructure and production facilities:
Our focus is on Remote Inspections – inspections in which hazardous, confined or hard-to-access areas are examined without direct human access. We work on the principle of hybrid inspection (Hybridinspektion): the drone performs the initial inspection, a human only intervenes where truly necessary – e.g. for contact testing or non-destructive testing (ZfP – Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung). This saves scaffolding, personnel and downtime.
In Confined Spaces such as tanks, boilers or chimneys, the ELIOS 3 navigates using SLAM navigation (SLAM – Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) – entirely without GPS. In the process, a digital twin (digitaler Zwilling) of your plant is created in real time: a centimetre-accurate 3D point cloud that you can measure, compare and integrate into your CAD/BIM system.
Whether corrosion monitoring (Korrosionsmonitoring) via thermography, damage progression tracking via LiDAR comparisons, or integration into your turnaround management – we deliver not just images, but reliable data for inspection organisations, insurers and your maintenance planning. And at significantly lower costs than conventional inspection methods involving scaffolding or rope access.
Christian Engelke and Dipl.-Ing. Karsten Lehrke – founders and your direct contacts for inspection projects.
Long-term experience in industrial inspection and collaboration with inspection associations and certified assessors. Specialised in Confined Spaces, power stations and chemical plants – with our own safety concept and hundreds of deployments since 2017. The two-person team is our standard – for individual assignments we also work as a three-person team.
We deploy different systems depending on the task: Flyability ELIOS 3 for interior and confined spaces (collision-protected, LiDAR, thermography, GPS-free navigation), DJI Matrice 30T for exterior inspections (zoom, thermography, long range) and underwater drones (ROV) for filled tanks and underwater areas. What matters is not the drone itself, but the right technology for the job.
The Flyability ELIOS 3 is one of the most capable collision-protected indoor drones for Confined Spaces – tight and hazardous spaces such as tanks, boilers, shafts, chimneys and reactors. It is fully collision-safe via a carbon protective cage, navigates GPS-independently via SLAM navigation (FlyAware™ Engine) and features a 4K camera, 16,000 lumen LEDs and optional thermography + LiDAR. With 2025/2026 upgrades: high-capacity battery (up to +50% flight time), tether option for unlimited flight time, colorization for colour 3D models and Smart Return-to-Home. The ELIOS 3 enables hybrid inspection – the drone performs the initial inspection, humans only intervene where contact testing is required.
The ELIOS 3 is specifically designed for Confined Spaces: Tanks & vessels (steel, concrete, without human entry), boilers & chimneys (interior, after cooling <50°C), refractory linings (industrial furnaces, combustion chambers), reactors & columns (chemical, oil & gas), shafts & channels (from 50 cm opening, large profiles ≥150 cm diameter), silos & high-bay warehouses, mining (galleries, shafts, post-blast), wind turbines (rotor blades, interior). Wherever human entry is dangerous, burdensome or impossible.
We deploy the DJI Matrice 30T for exterior inspections with good visibility: chimneys externally, pipe bridges, flares, roofs and load-bearing structures, wind turbines externally. Important: In poor visibility (dust, steam, fog) the informational value is limited – in such situations we switch to more appropriate methods.
Yes. Using ROV systems we inspect sprinkler tanks, fire water tanks, process vessels and cooling water systems – without emptying, without divers and without interrupting fire suppression readiness. More information: Underwater inspection with ROV.
The on-site inspection duration varies depending on plant size, access situation and the sensor package commissioned. A pure 4K video inspection is completed significantly faster than a combined deployment with LiDAR 3D survey and thermography – the latter require more flight passes and higher resolution. Overall effort is still considerably less than conventional methods involving scaffolding or access equipment (Befahrungstechnik). Precise estimates are only possible after clarifying your specific boundary conditions – please contact us and we will assess your concrete case.
That depends on the plant. For interior inspections, shutdown is usually required (dust, gases, visibility, occupational safety, explosion protection). However, use of the ELIOS 3 drastically reduces the duration – often from weeks to days or hours – since no human entry, no scaffolding and no extensive DGUV confined space entry measures (German statutory accident insurance regulations) are required. Particularly in turnaround management, drone inspection significantly shortens the critical path. We clarify the specific boundary conditions with you in advance.
In many cases, the use of the ELIOS 3 eliminates the need for extensive DGUV confined space entry measures (DGUV Rule 113-004), since no human entry is required. The drone takes on the risk – your personnel remain at a safe distance. Gas-free measurements (Freimessungen) and safety measures are still required, but significantly reduced. We clarify the specific requirements with you and the responsible authorities in advance.
The ELIOS 3 captures comprehensive data: 4K videos and photos (3840×2160, 30 fps, low-light optimised), LiDAR 3D point clouds as the basis for a digital twin of your plant (centimetre-range precision, .las/.e57 format, CAD/BIM-ready), colour 3D models (since 2025: colorization for photorealistic visualisation), radiometric thermography (optional) for corrosion monitoring (Korrosionsmonitoring), hotspots and CUI detection, georeferenced data for precise damage mapping. You receive a detailed inspection report with condition documentation, damage capture and systematic findings overview – oriented to relevant industrial inspection standards.
Costs depend on asset size, complexity and individual requirements. Compared to conventional inspection with scaffolding, rope access or extensive entry measures, savings of up to 80% are possible – primarily through eliminating access equipment and shorter downtime. Contact us for a project-specific quote.
Whenever scaffolding, climbing teams or human confined space entry would classically be required. Specifically: for tanks, boilers, chimneys, silos and other hard-to-access structures. Also worthwhile as a rapid preliminary assessment – with photos, dimensions and a short findings description, the scope of further measures can be planned much better. We provide short-notice, free feasibility assessments.
The ELIOS 3 is specifically designed for tight and hazardous spaces: Collision-protected via carbon cage structure (can touch walls; autonomous recovery on flip), GPS-independent SLAM navigation with real-time 3D live map for precise positioning, 16,000 lumen LEDs for optimal visibility in dark environments, IP44 protection against dust and water (LiDAR payload IP68), Smart Return-to-Home (since 2025) for autonomous return on signal loss. The drone has been proven in thousands of inspections worldwide and is regarded as the industry standard for confined spaces.
The two-person team (Zweierteam) is our standard: one certified pilot controls the drone, a second monitors the live feed, safety and documentation. This ensures maximum control, safe procedures and a smooth deployment – even in tight or complex plant environments. DGUV regulations require a safety watch for work in confined spaces – our two-person team automatically fulfils this requirement without you needing to assign your own personnel. For individual assignments – e.g. particularly large or complex plants – we also work as a three-person team.
Yes. We hold EU drone licences (for outdoor deployments) and long-term practical experience in industrial environments – confined spaces, power stations, chemical plants, oil & gas. Indoor inspections with the ELIOS 3 are permit-free and do not require a drone licence. Drone flights in industrial confined spaces have specific requirements: tight spaces without GPS reference, coordination with safety officers, gas-free measurements, ATEX protocols. We have brought this experience from hundreds of deployments since 2017. Inspections are carried out as standard with a two-person team – pilot and safety watch – and as a three-person team for individual assignments.
No. We work with our own team and coordinated safety concept – pilot and safety watch are included. You do not need to assign your own personnel. For preparation (gas-free measurement, access, plant clearance) we coordinate in advance with your responsible officers.
Yes. A live image from the drone is available on site – many clients use this for direct coordination with their specialists or inspectors. This allows conspicuous areas to be discussed immediately and specifically reflown.
We deliver the detailed report with 4K footage, 3D models (if LiDAR was booked), thermography analyses and a systematic findings overview promptly after the inspection. For time-critical projects we offer accelerated processing. Initial raw footage can often be made available on the day of inspection itself – please speak to us about your time requirements.
We operate nationwide across Germany – north to south, east to west. With long-term experience (since 2017) and hundreds of inspected assets, we know the challenges of the most varied industrial sites. Contact us for rapid scheduling – we flexibly align appointments with your shutdown and maintenance plan. Regular tours through all federal states (Bundesländer).
In operation since 2017. Hundreds of inspected tanks, boilers, chimneys and confined spaces. Two-person team with its own safety concept – operating nationwide across Germany. Fill out the form below and we will get back to you within 24 hours.