At 2:27 PM on a storm-lashed afternoon in July 2025, a small fishing boat capsized off the coast of Gulei, Zhangzhou.
Two men were thrown into violent waters. Winds howled at gale force. Waves surged
Project Overview
Jieyang Power Supply Bureau of Guangdong Power Grid has deployed the JOUAV VTOL Hangar System to advance remote UAV-based power line inspections in Guangdong, China.
Combining the JOS-C700 docking station, CW-15V UAV and JoCloud AI Command Center, the system enables remote mission management and automated UAV deployment for long-distance transmission line corridor inspections.
During the first two months of operation, the system completed 966.74 km of LiDAR-based transmission line corridor inspections, demonstrating its application in routine power grid maintenance.
The Challenge
Traditional power line inspections often require personnel to travel to locations near transmission lines to launch UAVs on site. For extensive line networks spanning remote areas and complex terrain, frequent field deployments and the limited endurance of multirotor UAVs can constrain inspection coverage and operational efficiency.
Jieyang Power Supply Bureau sought to explore a more efficient inspection model using fixed-wing UAVs and remote operations to cover longer stretches of power lines with fewer on-site launch requirements.
The JOUAV Solution
The JOUAV VTOL Hangar System integrates three components to support remote power line inspections.
JOS-C700 Docking Station: Provides a dedicated base for UAV deployment and unattended operations.
CW-15V VTOL Fixed-Wing UAV: Performs long-distance aerial inspections, combining vertical takeoff and landing with the extended flight capabilities of a fixed-wing platform.
JoCloud AI Command Center: Supports centralized remote mission management and UAV operations.
With this integrated setup, personnel can manage inspection missions remotely while the CW-15V autonomously takes off from the docking station to conduct planned patrols. The approach reduces the need for teams to travel to individual launch locations and supports broader inspection coverage across transmission line corridors.
The CW-15V UAV autonomously takes off from the JOS-C700 docking station.
Zhang Suli, General Manager of the Production Command Center at Jieyang Power Supply Bureau, highlighted the benefits of adopting fixed-wing UAVs for power line inspections: “With fixed-wing UAVs, a single flight can cover tens of kilometers of power lines, and missions can be managed remotely through a centralized platform. This approach significantly improves inspection efficiency compared with traditional multirotor UAV operations.”
Power grid personnel use the JoCloud in their offices to remotely plan and manage drone inspection missions.
Operational Results
During the first two months following deployment, the system recorded the following operational results:
| Performance Metric | Recorded Result |
| Cumulative LiDAR-based corridor inspection distance | 966.74 km |
| Longest flight distance in a single sortie | 104.46 km |
| Longest recorded flight duration | 89 minutes |
| Maximum straight-line operating distance | 45 km |
These figures demonstrate the system's use in operational power line inspections and highlight the CW-15V's ability to undertake long-distance missions. Combined with the docking station and remote command platform, the solution provides an alternative to conventional field-based UAV deployment.
Applications in Power Grid Maintenance
The JOUAV VTOL Hangar System can support a range of power line inspection tasks, including routine transmission corridor patrols, monitoring construction activities near power lines, wildfire prevention inspections and surveys in complex terrain.
For utilities managing extensive transmission networks, the integrated system offers a practical approach to remote UAV operations and recurring aerial inspections. The deployment in Guangdong illustrates how a docking station, VTOL fixed-wing UAV and centralized command platform can work together to support more flexible and scalable power grid maintenance.
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