In today's economic climate, it is crucial for manufacturing plants to run smoothly and with as little disruption as possible. With regular inspections imperative in maintaining the health and safety of workers, this can be difficult. There is, however, another way of doing things that goes far beyond traditional inspection techniques. By using remotely operated aerial vehicles (ROAVs) tall and hard-to-reach structures can be accessed safely and without disruption. Until now, the primary use for these miniature flying vehicles has been visual inspection of assets using HD video and HD still cameras, where the highly detailed images are ideal for understanding maintenance and repair issues. The ROAV technique leaves plants fully operational during the inspection. There is no disruption to output, which creates a major commercial as a well as a health and safety advantage, as an asset can be inspected live.