Free utility drone pilot training. Real utility work on the other side.

Detect Data Quality Program - free utility drone pilot training

The Data Quality Program is Detect's free, self-guided training for pilots who want utility inspection work: an online course, then a pass-or-fail field test scored by an automated quality report. Graduates join the partner network and fly the work Detect wins.

From the team behind 2,600-structure utility inspection campaigns.

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Utility inspection work is won on data quality

Utilities changed what they buy on. The data standard is graded at QA, and the evidence trail decides who keeps the contract.

Re-flights are the margin killer

15-25% of deliverables get re-flown when nobody hands the pilot a shot sheet. With the spec confirmed before leaving site, it is 3-7%.

The bar moved from flying to data

The hard part was never the flying or the software. It was data quality and shot sheets - exactly what this program trains.

Most utility RFPs sit behind paywalls

A single shop cannot justify the subscriptions, so the work goes to whoever saw it. Detect's partner network pools that visibility for its graduates.
See what re-flights cost you
Detect Data Quality Program

What re-flights cost you

Drag the sliders. The 15% default is the low end of what flying without a shot sheet typically runs.

200
15%
$800

Estimated Annual Loss

$288,000

Annual savings with the spec confirmed before leaving site

$192,000

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What the course teaches

The course teaches the why behind every shot: what the utility needs each image to prove, and what QA checks when the data comes back.

Structure Identification

Master the fundamentals of line design and structure types to ensure accurate asset association.

Component-Level Awareness

Train pilots to spot critical defects in power and support components during the mission.

Standardized Hardware Assessment

Establish a baseline for assessing support hardware and vegetation, ensuring high-value data capture every time.

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Got it. We review every application the same day and reach out to the operators who fit.
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How the Data Quality Program works

Free and self-guided from the first module to the field test, with one human touchpoint at the end.

Level 1 - the online course

Self-guided modules you can start anytime, with a certificate at each step. Open to anyone, no commitment.

Level 2 - the field test

Fly one of three pre-built shot sheets - a car, a light pole, or a distribution pole - manually, then upload to DetectOS through the course walkthrough. Pass or fail.

The report and the walkthrough

An automated quality report grades every shot against the shot sheet and shows what each image can prove. Then a 30-minute call, your certificate, and partner registration.

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Questions pilots ask

The short answers. The program is free, self-guided, and ends in a pass-or-fail field test.

What is the Data Quality Program?

A free, self-guided training program from Detect for drone pilots who want utility inspection work. It has two levels: an online course and a field test scored by an automated quality report, pass or fail. Graduates join Detect's partner network.

Do I need access to utility infrastructure?

No. The field test offers three pre-built shot sheets - a car, a light pole, or a distribution pole. Fly real infrastructure if you have permission; the car or light pole if not.

What happens after I pass the field test?

You get an automated quality report on every shot plus a sample analysis report, a 30-minute walkthrough with our team, a certificate, and registration as a partner - the pool Detect picks from when it wins utility projects.

How much does the program cost?

Nothing. The course, the field test, the quality report, and the walkthrough call are free. Detect runs the program to build the bench of partner pilots it hands projects to.

What kind of work do partners fly?

Utility inspection projects that Detect wins and primes. Detect holds the utility relationship, the MSA, and the Ts&Cs; partners fly to the shot sheet. Deal flow runs both directions - partners bring projects to Detect too.

When does the program open?

Level 1 opens with Detect's platform refresh in July 2026. Applications are open now and get a same-day review.

Apply to the program

Fly utility inspection work as our partner

The Data Quality Program is the way in - free, self-guided, pass or fail. Applications get a same-day review.

Apply to the program