About
Donecle is an AI-powered drone inspection platform built for the aviation industry — serving airlines, MROs, military operators, business jet operators, and OEMs. Traditional aircraft visual inspections have remained largely unchanged for 40 years: time-consuming, difficult to access upper fuselage areas, and limited in repeatability and traceability. Donecle addresses all of these challenges with its proprietary Iris system, which combines 100% automated drone flight (no pilot or GPS required — powered by laser technology) with sophisticated computer vision algorithms that analyze the entire aircraft surface automatically. Key products include Iris GVI (General Visual Inspection), which has received authorization from Boeing and Airbus for inclusion in their Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, and Iris dentCHECK, focused on dent and damage detection. A complete exterior inspection is completed in under one hour — roughly 10 times faster than manual methods — generating standardized, objective reports covering defects, lightning strikes, paint wear, and placard checks. All inspection imagery and reports are stored in Donecle's cloud platform, building a digital aircraft history and enabling a fully paperless maintenance workflow. The solution integrates with multiple job cards from a single drone flight, improving efficiency across both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events. Donecle is trusted by commercial airlines, military fleets, and business aviation operators worldwide.
Key Features
- Pilotless Automated Drone Inspection: Iris drones use laser-based navigation — no pilot or GPS required — to autonomously scan the full aircraft exterior surface with consistent precision.
- AI-Powered Defect Detection: Computer vision algorithms analyze captured images to automatically identify defects, dents, lightning strikes, paint wear, and placard compliance issues.
- Authority-Approved & AMM-Listed: Iris GVI is authorized by aviation authorities and officially listed in Boeing and Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Manuals, making it compliant for certified maintenance operations.
- Digital Reports & Cloud History: Inspection data, images, and reports are stored in a cloud platform to build a full digital maintenance history, enabling paperless workflows and long-term traceability.
- Multi-Use-Case Single Flight: One drone flight can generate data for multiple inspection types and job cards simultaneously, maximizing the efficiency of each inspection event.
Use Cases
- Airlines and MROs using Donecle to perform rapid general visual inspections (GVI) between flights, reducing aircraft-on-ground time and accelerating turnaround.
- Military operators inspecting combat and transport aircraft quickly and safely without requiring scaffolding or access equipment for upper fuselage areas.
- Business jet operators like Dassault Falcon Services enhancing the quality and repeatability of maintenance inspections for high-value aircraft.
- Aviation maintenance teams building a full digital history of aircraft condition over time using cloud-stored inspection images and AI-generated defect reports.
- MRO engineers generating multiple job card outputs from a single drone flight, reducing duplicate inspection efforts and improving overall maintenance efficiency.
Pros
- 10x Faster Than Manual Inspections: A complete aircraft exterior inspection is completed in under one hour, dramatically reducing aircraft ground time and increasing fleet availability.
- Objective & Repeatable Results: Automated image acquisition and AI analysis eliminate human subjectivity, delivering consistent, traceable inspection records every time.
- Regulatory Compliance Built In: Approval from aviation authorities and inclusion in Boeing and Airbus AMMs means Donecle integrates into certified maintenance programs without additional compliance hurdles.
- Versatile Across Fleet Types: The platform supports commercial airlines, military aircraft, business jets, and aircraft components — covering a broad range of aviation maintenance needs.
Cons
- Enterprise-Only Pricing: Donecle is a premium enterprise solution with no self-service or entry-level tier, making it inaccessible for smaller operators or independent MROs on tight budgets.
- Hardware Dependency: The solution requires on-site deployment of the Iris drone hardware, meaning it cannot be used purely as a remote or software-only service.
- Narrowly Specialized Use Case: Donecle is purpose-built for aviation inspection; it is not adaptable to other industries or general-purpose visual inspection tasks outside aerospace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Donecle drone require a pilot to operate?
No. The Iris drone uses proprietary laser-based navigation technology to fly autonomously without any human pilot or GPS signal, scanning the aircraft surface entirely on its own.
How long does a full aircraft inspection take with Donecle?
A complete exterior inspection typically takes less than one hour — approximately 10 times faster than traditional manual inspection methods.
Is Donecle approved for use in certified maintenance operations?
Yes. Iris GVI has been authorized by aviation authorities and is officially listed in Boeing and Airbus Aircraft Maintenance Manuals (AMM), making it suitable for certified airline and MRO maintenance programs.
What types of defects can Donecle detect?
The system is designed to detect structural defects, dents (via Iris dentCHECK), lightning strike damage, paint wear, and placard compliance issues across the aircraft exterior, landing gears, and engines.
What aviation segments does Donecle serve?
Donecle serves commercial airlines and MROs, military aircraft operators (combat and transport fleets), business jet operators, aircraft component manufacturers, and OEMs with tailored inspection workflows for each segment.
