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Thermal Intelligence for Large-Scale Facilities

Nationwide Aerial Infrared Thermography

Aircraft-based thermal mapping and infrared surveying of large-scale facilities, such as Universities, Military Bases, Cities, School Systems, Hospitals and other large complexes that cannot afford to have energy loss and other waste. We find the condition of underground heating and cooling systems, water & sewer systems, flat roofs, solar fields, and various other systems.
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37+ Years

of Infrared Expertise

50 States

Including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico

Highest-Quality

Thermal Imaging

Engineered

for Facility Decision-Makers

Capable Aircraft-Based Infrared Surveys for Large-Scale Facilities

AITscan operates fixed-wing aircraft equipped with research-grade infrared sensors for large-area thermal inspection. Aircraft-based infrared surveys are well suited for campuses, municipalities, school districts, utility networks, commercial roof portfolios, solar fields, and other geographically extensive assets where consistent coverage and efficient data collection matter.

A single flight can cover entire university campuses, military installations, multi-school districts, or city-wide utility networks within a coordinated survey window. The combination of proper altitude, sensor wavelength, survey timing, and decades of infrared experience allows AITscan to turn large-scale thermal imagery into actionable information for engineering, maintenance, and capital-planning teams.

AITscan works with facilities directors, plant managers, engineers, energy managers, and infrastructure leaders responsible for complex assets and systems. Our aerial infrared thermography helps these teams identify thermal anomalies, prioritize follow-up investigation, and make better-informed maintenance and capital-planning decisions.

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AITscan fixed-wing aircraft used for aerial infrared thermography surveysAircraft-mounted infrared survey platform used by AITscan for facility and infrastructure inspections

Why Use Aircraft for Aerial Infrared Surveys?

Different infrared inspection methods serve different project needs. For campuses, municipalities, utility networks, commercial roof portfolios, solar fields, and other assets spread across broad areas, aircraft-based infrared surveys can provide efficient coverage, consistent data collection, and access to specialized sensor systems.
Coverage Per Flight
A single flight can collect infrared data across multiple buildings, campuses, school districts, utility corridors, and other geographically distributed assets within a coordinated survey window. This can be especially useful for organizations managing extensive facilities or infrastructure portfolios.
Sensor Wavelength
AITscan uses aircraft-mounted infrared sensors selected for the thermal characteristics of the systems being evaluated. Sensor selection, acquisition altitude, survey timing, and experienced interpretation all play an important role in producing useful thermal data.
Survey Window
Infrared survey conditions can significantly affect data quality. Aircraft-based collection allows AITscan to efficiently cover broad areas during appropriate thermal windows while coordinating the survey around project requirements and site conditions.
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Core Aerial Infrared Services

AITscan provides specialized aerial infrared surveys for commercial roofs, underground steam and hot-water systems, utility-scale solar fields, municipal infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and other complex facilities and assets.
Aerial Infrared Roof Scanning
Identify thermal anomalies associated with trapped subsurface moisture across commercial flat roofs, campuses, school districts, and roof portfolios to support repair planning and capital decisions.
Steam Leak Detection
Locate thermal signatures associated with underground steam and condensate distribution systems across campuses, municipalities, and district energy networks.
High-Temp Hot Water Leak Detection
Survey buried hot-water and condensate return systems to help identify thermal anomalies, document system condition, and prioritize follow-up investigation.
Pollution & Sewer Leak Detection
Use aerial infrared imaging to identify thermal anomalies associated with outfalls, sewer failures, unauthorized inflows, and other environmental or utility concerns.
Solar Field Infrared Surveys
Survey utility-scale solar fields for thermal anomalies across modules, strings, and related electrical components to support O&M and asset-management decisions.
CityScan IR
Map thermal anomalies across municipal steam systems, underground utilities, and infrastructure networks to support maintenance and capital planning.
Wildlife & Animal Surveys
Conduct aerial infrared wildlife surveys across broad land areas for population monitoring, census work, and land-management programs.
Landfill Fire & Methane Detection
Identify elevated thermal zones and subsurface heat signatures across landfill sites to support investigation, monitoring, and operational response.
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Aerial Infrared Surveys Built for Facilities and Infrastructure

AITscan works with facility leaders, engineers, energy managers, and infrastructure teams responsible for complex buildings and systems. Our aerial infrared surveys are used across campuses, school districts, hospitals, military installations, municipal networks, and commercial property portfolios to support maintenance, inspection, and capital planning.

Universities & Colleges
Campus-wide infrared surveys can support roof moisture assessment, underground steam and hot-water system evaluation, and broader infrastructure planning across multiple buildings and utility systems.
K-12 School Systems
District-wide aerial infrared surveys help school systems evaluate commercial roofs, identify suspected moisture, and prioritize maintenance or capital projects across multiple campuses.
Military Bases
Aircraft-based infrared surveys can efficiently evaluate geographically distributed buildings, roofs, utilities, and infrastructure across installations with complex operational requirements.
Hospitals & Health Systems
Aerial infrared thermography can help healthcare systems evaluate roof portfolios, underground utilities, and other facility infrastructure while minimizing disruption to daily operations.
Owners/Operators of Large Commercial Roofs
Aerial roof moisture surveys help owners, consultants, and facility teams identify suspected moisture across multiple commercial roofs and use the findings to support repair, replacement, and capital-planning decisions.
ThermalMapIR Catch-All
For facilities and infrastructure that fall outside a standard survey category, Thermal MapIR provides customized aerial thermal mapping based on the asset, geographic scope, and inspection objective.
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How an Aerial Infrared Survey Works

AITscan follows a structured process from the initial project conversation through flight planning, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Each survey is scoped around the facility, infrastructure, and decisions the client needs the thermal data to support.
01
Initial Project Conversation
We begin with a short conversation to understand the facility, the systems being evaluated, the project scope, and the questions your team needs the survey to help answer.
02
Technical Net Meeting
AITscan meets with the appropriate facility, engineering, maintenance, and planning stakeholders to review the survey methodology, project requirements, expected deliverables, and how the findings will be used.
03
Flight Planning & Aerial Survey
The survey is scheduled around the thermal conditions required for the application. AITscan coordinates flight planning, site requirements, and data collection so the appropriate areas can be surveyed during the selected thermal window.
04
Analysis & Engineering Report
Collected infrared imagery is processed, georeferenced, and analyzed for relevant thermal anomalies. The final report provides location-specific findings and supporting imagery that facility and engineering teams can use for follow-up investigation, maintenance planning, and capital decisions.
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How Aerial Infrared Surveys Support Maintenance and Capital Planning

Small infrastructure failures can become expensive when they remain undetected. For example, an underground steam leak can contribute to substantial annual energy loss, while moisture trapped beneath a commercial roof can increase the scope and cost of future repairs if affected areas are not identified before reroofing or replacement decisions are made.

Depending on steam pressure, leak size, operating hours, and energy costs, even a relatively small steam leak can represent tens of thousands of dollars in annual energy loss. In some operating conditions, a 3/8-inch steam leak may cost approximately $30,000 to $50,000 per year.

AITscan uses aerial infrared surveys to help facility teams locate thermal anomalies across underground steam networks, commercial roofs, solar fields, and other infrastructure so follow-up investigation can be focused where it is most needed. Across campuses and facility portfolios, finding even one significant issue may materially affect maintenance priorities and capital-planning decisions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Aircraft-mounted infrared sensors capture thermal imagery of roofs, utilities, infrastructure, and ground conditions during carefully planned survey windows. AITscan then processes, georeferences, and analyzes the imagery to identify thermal anomalies that may indicate moisture, heat loss, equipment issues, or other conditions requiring further investigation.
Aircraft-based infrared surveys are particularly well suited for campuses, municipal systems, utility networks, commercial roof portfolios, solar fields, and other assets spread across broad areas. Aircraft can efficiently collect data across multiple buildings or extensive infrastructure within a coordinated survey window while carrying specialized infrared sensor systems.
Infrared thermography identifies thermal anomalies rather than physically confirming every leak or defect on its own. When surveys are performed under appropriate conditions and interpreted by experienced thermographers, the findings can help facility and engineering teams identify areas that warrant targeted follow-up investigation.

Depending on the application, aerial infrared surveys can identify thermal anomalies associated with subsurface roof moisture, underground steam and hot-water systems, condensate return lines, sewer or pollution discharges, solar modules and strings, landfill heat sources, and other infrastructure conditions.

The financial impact varies based on steam pressure, leak size, operating hours, fuel costs, and system conditions. Under some operating scenarios, even a relatively small underground steam leak can result in tens of thousands of dollars in annual energy loss. AITscan helps facility teams identify thermal anomalies so follow-up investigation can be focused on suspected problem areas.
Survey time depends on the size, geography, and type of assets being evaluated. A university campus or multi-building facility may be collected during a single survey window, while municipal systems, multi-site portfolios, or geographically distributed projects may require additional flight windows.
AITscan works with universities, K-12 school districts, hospitals, military and government facilities, municipalities, commercial property owners, roofing consultants, solar asset operators, landfill operators, and other organizations responsible for complex facilities or infrastructure.
Yes. Infrared imaging is a passive, non-contact method that measures thermal radiation already being emitted from surfaces and systems. The imaging process does not require physical contact with the buildings, roofs, utilities, or infrastructure being surveyed.

Most clients run repeat surveys on a 1–5 year cycle depending on the system being monitored. Aging steam networks and large roof portfolios typically benefit from more frequent inspection cadences.

Each engagement concludes with an engineering-grade report including thermal imagery, location-specific findings, recommended follow-up actions, and supporting documentation your team can use for repair scoping and capital planning.

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Tell us about your facility. We’ll set up a working session with the right people on your team and walk through how an aerial infrared survey would apply to your specific systems.