Global Drone Services Provider Benefits From Heliguy Rental

• Global drone services provider, CG Labs, is benefiting from renting from heliguy™;
• CG Labs says the advantage of renting allows them to reduce upfront costs, easily and flexibly scale their fleet, and access 'the latest technology to keep ahead of the competition';
• heliguy™ Rental gives you access to state-of-the-art equipment and a range of value-added services;
• CG Labs is utilising DJI drones from heliguy™ in numerous ways, including for inspections, surveying, mapping and thermography.

A global drone services provider is renting from heliguy™ to reduce upfront costs and 'offer clients the latest technology to keep ahead of the competition'.

CG Labs, formerly IRIS Group, is building its rental package around the DJI M200 series and says that the scheme lets them benefit from instant access to state-of-the-art equipment without a long-term commitment - ideal for quick adoption and ensuring they aren’t burdened with surplus kit.

CG Labs is utilising drone technology across a range of sectors, including inspection, surveying, and mapping, resulting in increased efficiency, more accurate data, and financial savings.

In this heliguy™ Insider blog post, we take a closer look at CG Labs' drone programme and how the company will benefit from heliguy™ rental.

Why Rent A Drone?

heliguy™'s drone hire service changes the way you access drones, and is available to commercial and recreational pilots.

There are multiple benefits of hiring a drone from heliguy™. These include:

• Save Money: Significantly cheaper than purchasing the equipment outright.
• Dynamic Scaling: Have the equipment only when you need it, without making a long-term hardware commitment.
• Access The Latest Technology: Hire the latest equipment. When the technology changes, it doesn't negatively impact your company or drone programme - simply rent the newest gear.
• Try Before You Buy: Test on a hire basis, before deciding to buy.
• Less Risk: Don't be lumbered with redundant kit or equipment you use infrequently - having paid a large sum to buy it. This also ensures you do not suffer depreciation of your assets.
• Stress-free Rental: Each rental drone benefits from regular service intervals. If you do crash the drone, don't panic - faults and repairs are outsourced back to us.

As one of DJI’s largest European enterprise channel partners, heliguy™ is recognised as a Gold Partner, certifying that we can provide expert knowledge and services to our growing list of major enterprise clients, which include Balfour Beatty, National Grid, Network Rail, BP, Sellafield Sites, Greater Manchester Police, the BBC and the University of Cambridge.

Why Rental Was The Perfect Solution For CG Labs

A truly international firm, CG Labs has bases in the UK, Dubai, Norway, South Africa and Saudi Arabia.

Having already purchased equipment from heliguy™, the company decided that renting was the solution for them, offering flexibility, access to the latest gear and helping to solve logistical complexities.

Mike Hibberd, Services & Middle Eastern Manager for CG Labs, said: "As technology advanced, our existing equipment was beginning to show its age despite working faultlessly and in some harsh environments.

"Due to work commitments in various parts of Europe, we were having to ship equipment between countries and this was time-consuming and expensive so the decision was taken to start purchasing new equipment to leave in each country.

"Our Norwegian operation was the first business to benefit from this with a recent purchase of a DJI M210 RTK, X7 camera, and XT2 thermal system. It made perfect sense to us to go back to a supplier we have an excellent relationship with and who we can trust to provide us with the correct advice and fantastic service.

"Heliguy's Business Development Manager, Ruairi Hardman, explained rental and we were keen to go down this route.

"It allows us to prepare accurate budgets for equipment with a great support service behind it and it provides the equipment we need.

"Technology is advancing so fast at present that buying equipment, especially the type of drones we require, can often leave you with outdated equipment that has little resale value. We have seen some of the second-hand values of Falcon 8 and they’ve become almost worthless in a matter of years.

"By renting, we can offer our clients the latest technology which allows us to keep ahead of the competition. In the coming months, we will be expanding our M210 fleet and rental is the preferred route for us."

Embracing DJI Technology

As a DJI Gold Partner, heliguy™ is the perfect drone provider to work with when it comes to supply and support.

CG Labs has previously used drones such as the Aeryon SkyRanger and Ascending Technologies Falcon 8, but recently the company has changed direction and opted for DJI tech.

Mike said: "We have moved away from these platforms and as DJI has matured its enterprise products we feel that they are almost a go-to manufacturer.

"Having pilots fly different systems but all with a similar interface is a huge benefit for us as it allows greater efficiency and better safety amongst operators.

"The M210 system will be used in a multi-role capacity. Inspections, surveying, mapping and thermography projects are already in the pipeline for the M210 and it was flying on a project within a few days of arriving in Norway. "

Why Did You Choose Heliguy?

Every good drone services company needs a great drone supply company, and this is where heliguy™ comes in.

Over the years, CG Labs has worked closely with heliguy™, utilising many facets of the business, including our vast stock pool, industry expertise, post-purchase support and research and development department.

Mike said: "Heliguy has an established reputation and understands the commercial market in which we operate.

"They were one of two suppliers we looked at a couple of years ago and our requirements meant that they were really the only supplier that could offer what we required going forward.

"Heliguy's research and development department has worked on our Wind series of drones, which required quite a lot of custom 3D printing before being deployed and this was a seamless process with final support happening onsite in the South of England.

"The prospect of having to integrate some of our payloads via SDK means that we need a partner with the in-house expertise to do this - and heliguy™ offers the perfect solution.

"In terms of our relationship with heliguy™, we have previously purchased an M600 Pro for Saudi Arabia, and two Wind 4s and two Wind 8s for use on a research and development project. We also have two Mavic Airs.

"However, as we realign our operations we have moved towards the DJI M210 platform on a rental basis."

How Does CG Labs Benefit From Drone Technology

CG Labs has utilised drone technology on a range of jobs, including search and rescue, offshore inspections, mapping, surveying, utility inspections and for a project with the Norwegian national rail operator.

Mike added: "The equipment has also been deployed for extensive powerline inspections as well as mapping and inspection work from the UK to south-east Asia.

"The powerline inspections were carried out in Norway and allowed the utility companies to greatly increase the number of pylons and poles inspected and allowed for a much more detailed photographic record to be kept of the condition of the installation.

"Following our rebranding, drones form just one part of our data gathering capability and we have expanded into more sectors and offer more services as we work with other companies within our Group. It is probably now more important than ever that we always have the right drone for the task in hand."

To sign up for heliguy™ Rental, contact us by phone or email.