Thermal Imaging - it's a science, not a look for the bright spot concept.

🚨 The High Cost of Bad Data: Why Thermal Certification Isn't Optional

You hear it all the time: "It will never happen to me." And then, one day, it happens.

The subject? Liability arising from non-compliant thermal and aerial data.

Anyone can buy a drone and a thermal camera and advertise services—for solar farms, roof inspections, or pet searches. But here is the critical point: without a proven knowledge of thermal science, there is a likely chance you are capturing data incorrectly.

This creates a dangerous domino effect: the analyst receives bad data, the client receives a flawed report, and the client takes costly action based on flawed findings.

The Litigator’s Edge: Why Experience Matters

A civil litigation notice arrives citing damages that trace back to incorrect services. Everyone scrambles to prove innocence, but the plaintiff hires a forensic sUAS thermal expert—preferably one with litigation and courtroom expertise—to review everything from the start.

I know the litigation game. Having conducted both criminal and civil depositions across two decades in law enforcement (specializing in crash reconstruction), I can assure you there’s no comparison. I would do ten criminal depositions before one civil deposition. The process is brutal and designed to expose any weakness.

The biggest liability in these cases is the lack of contemporaneous documentation, certified training, and clear expertise.

When that expert witness fields plaintiff's counsel with pages of hyper-specific questions about your flight settings, weather, FFC records, and gimbal angles, your memory won't save you.

Protect Your Practice and Your Reputation

Thermal imaging is not a "look for the bright spot" concept; it is a specialized science. When done incorrectly, the outcomes are catastrophic.

Protect yourself!

If you are the Operator/Analyzer: If clients ask you to capture thermal data outside of accredited standards, decline or provide them with a letter of liability. Document every single flight parameter. Decide if the project risk is worth the potential civil exposure.

If you are the Client/Engineer: Make absolutely sure that anyone you contract for thermal services is certified, trained, and demonstrably competent—these are three different standards of proficiency.

Documentation is your lifeline. 

Respect the science, or you risk the liability.