Engineering Drone Video of the Year award goes to Spiracle Media/Aerial Buzz

Congratulations to Spiracle Media/Aerial Buzz for being the 2018 winner of the first annual Engineering Drone Video of the Year Award.

The Atherton Mill site is a unique area to the Charlotte community. It is located in the historic South End neighborhood and is home to the first Charlotte railroad line that connected the Queen City to Columbia and Charleston. Around the railroad, a booming textile industry formed. This area has now transitioned to a historical site with an open-area market, retail spaces, and apartments.

The biggest challenge for the construction company and the engineering firm is building their mixed-use development while maintaining the historical brick buildings. The project will consist of over 60,000 square feet of retail space along with 100 new apartments. The city light rail system has replaced the railroad line so it fits perfectly into the mobile South End area. It will also improve the rail trail making it more accessible to walk, run and bike.

As the UAV pilot working on this site, it is unique to work with a firm that is trying to maintain the character of the property while adding to a vibrant part of the city. I thoroughly enjoyed flying around the tall brick South End chimney and classic railroad line. My favorite part has been watching the property grow from the bare ground, to columns and structures in place, to finally a completed 6 level parking deck, completed stores and living spaces.