A visual inspection apparatus for use in inspecting an industrial equipment article defining a target substrate, said visual inspection apparatus comprising: a two dimensional image sensor and imaging optics for focusing images of said target substrate onto said two dimensional image sensor; image processing circuitry for processing image signals representative of light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; at least one processing circuit board carrying at least one component of said image processing circuitry; a light source bank for illuminating a target substrate; at least one temperature sensor; a display for displaying image representations corresponding to light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; a hand held housing encapsulating said at least one processing circuit board and said light source bank and said at least one temperature sensor, said hand held housing having disposed thereon said display; and an elongated inspection tube adapted to transmit light generated by said light source bank so that said light generated by said light source bank can be directed to said target substrate, said elongated inspection tube extending from said hand held housing; wherein said visual inspection apparatus is adapted to initiate at least a first cooling procedure and a second cooling procedure for cooling an interior of said hand held housing responsively to a temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor; and wherein said visual inspection apparatus is adapted to maintain the first cooling procedure in an active state for an entire time a temperature is sensed to be above a threshold and if the temperature is sensed to be above a threshold for a timeout period the visual inspection apparatus is adapted to activate the second cooling procedure. a two dimensional image sensor and imaging optics for focusing images of said target substrate onto said two dimensional image sensor; image processing circuitry for processing image signals representative of light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; at least one processing circuit board carrying at least one component of said image processing circuitry; a light source bank for illuminating a target substrate; at least one temperature sensor; a display for displaying image representations corresponding to light incident on said two dimensional image sensor; a hand held housing encapsulating said at least one processing circuit board and said light source bank and said at least one temperature sensor, said hand held housing having disposed thereon said display; and an elongated inspection tube adapted to transmit light generated by said light source bank so that said light generated by said light source bank can be directed to said target substrate, said elongated inspection tube extending from said hand held housing; wherein said visual inspection apparatus is adapted to initiate at least a first cooling procedure and a second cooling procedure for cooling an interior of said hand held housing responsively to a temperature sensed by said at least one temperature sensor; and wherein said visual inspection apparatus is adapted to maintain the first cooling procedure in an active state for an entire time a temperature is sensed to be above a threshold and if the temperature is sensed to be above a threshold for a timeout period the visual inspection apparatus is adapted to activate the second cooling procedure.