Heights - 2024

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Moving into the Future

A small Texas photogrammetry company adopted UAVs and is now taking its business to new heights.

Modular Drone Sensor Payloads

The goal was flexibility. How Balko Technologies developed a truly modular solution that can evolve with the technologies and help keep drone data capture firms competitive.

Get RID of Your Worries

xyHt writer Jeff Salmon provides a step-by-step guide to understanding the FAA’s new UAV remote identification regulations and how to easily comply with them.

The Human Element

Using a drone processing service can make firms, large and small, more competitive, but it is essential to keep the human element in the loop.

To the Rescue

Upgraded avionics and new smaller cameras have injected new life into old airplanes that were considered obsolete for traditional photogrammetry.

Bathymetric Lidar Survey Yields Pivotal Data Along 342 miles of Lower Colorado River

THE COLORADO RIVER IS THE LIFEBLOOD of the Southwest, providing drinking water and electrical power to 40 million residents across seven states. A lengthy, severe drought and overuse of water are threatening the river’s health and viability, leading the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to understand the Lower Colorado River’s capacity for water storage better.

The Bureau needed to characterize, quantify, and monitor the river’s morphology. This was no easy task since the Colorado River winds through deep canyons, varying in depth from more than 100 feet in reservoirs to shallow shorelines and exposed floodplains.

The Bureau and its partner River Restoration.Org (RRO) opted for a full bank-to-bank bathymetry of the river bottom and all reservoirs from the

Hoover Dam to the Southern border with Mexico. But the river’s unique characteristics made it impossible to acquire all bathymetric data by boat. RRO contracted NV5 to collect 342 miles of shallow water bathymetry via airborne remote sensing. This approach provided pivotal lidar data for designing an efficient and safe sonar collection plan for deeper waters.

NV5’s bathymetric lidar survey was complex, requiring significant coordination with project partners to address dam release schedules, flow controls, and ground control fieldwork. Surveys were flown when river flow was low, and water clarity was high. Over 10 days, NV5 collected

data to support the largest comprehensive mapping project for a non-navigable river in U.S. history.

At collection time, water clarity enabled laser depth penetration of up to 4.5 meters (~15 ft). The lidar collection exceeded the expected results. The average first return point density was 57 points/m2, bathymetric ground point density 8 points/m2 (for bathymetric surfaces mapped), and topographic ground point density 19 points/m2 (combined topographic surfaces).

NV5’s bathymetric data underwent rigorous post-processing, correcting the data for light refraction through water and evaluating the

impact of water clarity and surface reflectivity to derive an accurate, seamless 342-river mile bathymetric surface model. The combined topobathymetric lidar digital elevation model was accurate to within 6.4 cm of true ground, exceeding United States Geological Survey (USGS) vertical accuracy requirements of 18 cm or less. Contributing to the larger project areas, where lidar sensors could not reach, were accurately identified so the sonar teams could collect data at higher flows.

NV5’s lidar survey provides a thorough understanding of the river’s bathymetry, allowing water managers to accurately calculate stage capacity curves for the Mohave and Havasu reservoirs. Stakeholders also can study, model, and monitor the river to mitigate better the impacts of climate change and water use on its capacity to provide water and energy. The lidar data is being integrated into USGS’s 3D Elevation Program and will be available publicly for other applications.

The Lower Colorado River project is a prototype for comprehensive bathymetric mapping, demonstrating the effectiveness of airborne bathymetric lidar for surveying shallow water zones of lengthy river systems. When used to pinpoint where more expensive vessel-based methods are necessary, airborne bathymetry facilitates achieving wall-to-wall bathymetric coverage in a cost-effective manner.

COMPANY PROFILE

NV5 is a global leader that provides geospatial solutions, services, and software to solve mission-critical challenges. From data acquisition to analytics to enterprise GIS solutions and software development, NV5 applies geospatial science to deliver end-to-end solutions and insights to mitigate risk, plan for growth, better manage resources, and advance scientific understanding. We leverage the widest array of advanced remote sensing technologies and apply today’s most sophisticated analytic AI frameworks, including proprietary deep learning, computer vision, and predictive analytic models tailored to our clients’ needs. We empower our clients to enact meaningful change across enterprises, communities, and the world through off-the-shelf and fully customized solutions.

NV5 & 3DHP

Regarding hydrography and 3DHP, NV5 is once again leading the way. NV5 has worked closely with USGS to streamline the creation of 3DHP datasets from lidar and IfSAR (in Alaska) data. Our datasets meet all 3DHP quality requirements and standards.

We also understand that each client and landscape is different. So, building on the 3DHP framework, we can add elements that answer key questions that support state and local decision-making. Working with individual clients, NV5 has developed 3DHP data across 12 states and Washington, D.C., with 24 contracts covering 264,315 square miles. Contact us (3DHP@NV5.com) to learn more and get your 3DHP program started on the right path.

Corporate Office Information:

NV5 Geospatial, St. Petersburg

10033 MLK Street N., Suite 200

St. Petersburg, FL 33716 • 727.576.9500

North American Offices:

Anchorage, AK – 907.272.4495

Corvallis, OR – 541.752.1204

Dulles, VA – 703.471.4510

Lexington, KY – 859.277.8700

Newport, NC – 252.247.5785

Portland, OR – 503.505.5500

Sheboygan, WI – 920.803.5832

Vancouver, BC – 604.789.6866

Nadir Oblique from to

EYES on the FOREST

(and the $10M prize)

DESPITE EFFORTS TO REDUCE ITS DESTRUCTION, trends in data over the last decades reveal incessant loss of tropical rainforests. The latest report available from the University of Maryland and the World Resources Institute (WRI), a not-for-profit research organization, showed that the tropics lost 4.1 million hectares (10 million acres) of rainforests. That’s 10 percent more in 2022 than in 2021. WRI’s Global Forest Watch platform says this is equivalent to losing 11 soccer fields of forest per minute.

Aside from being habitats of the world’s remaining biodiversity, tropical rainforests are sinks that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus making them important in reducing the negative impacts of a changing global climate. Keeping them lush and healthy is vital, yet monitoring vast tracts of forest lands can be extremely difficult and expensive.

The Xprize Foundation thinks it can help find the solution. The non-profit, known for holding incentivized public competitions to bring about “breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity,” is offering $10 million to anyone who can use innovative autonomous technologies to speed up the monitoring of tropical forests.

Last year, 13 teams from around the world competed in Singapore to showcase their proposed technologies, but only six finalists were chosen to move closer to the prize pot. What’s the common denominator among the front-runners? Drones.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are useful in routine tree monitoring activities, providing a better bird’s eye view of jungles by hovering above canopies and flying over wide distances. And when equipped with specialized sensor payloads such as lidar and multispectral cameras, drones can effectively measure tree health, track wildlife locations, and provide highly detailed plant inventory maps and animal counts.

Team “Welcome to the Jungle,” one of the six finalists, is using drones to deliver and retrieve sensor packages inside rainforests as well as collect data for 3D mapping. Their specially designed sensors can identify species of birds using audio and visual data, while the 3D maps can be used to measure forest vegetation and tree species diversity. Members of the Welcome to the Jungle team come from Illinois Tech, Purdue University, Natural State, and the Morton Arboretum.

“Working collaboratively, our team has been

able to obtain crucial insights about the health and biodiversity of the rainforest,” said Jinha Jung, assistant professor of civil engineering at Purdue. Jung took the lead on aerial surveying.

The other groups are just as innovative. One team used drones with artificial intelligence to automatically monitor biodiversity in real-time at multiple levels of canopy, while another relied on drones to collect biological samples in locations inside the rainforest that are otherwise difficult to reach.

“We cannot effectively protect what we cannot accurately measure and understand,” said Peter Houlihan, executive vice president of biodiversity and conservation for XPRIZE. “I’m extremely encouraged by the advancements these teams have made to develop new, more rapid ways of measuring biodiversity that can improve conservation efforts worldwide. We look forward to seeing how they further refine their approaches during finals testing.”

The finals, which will be held at the end of the year, will pit the teams against each other where they must survey 100 hectares of tropical rainforest in 24 hours and produce the most impactful real-time insights within 48 hours.

— Marc M. Delgado, PhD (marc.delgado@xyht.com)

Nadir Oblique from to

Grasping the Latest EUROPEAN UAV RULES

EUROPE, WHICH HAS SEEN AN UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH IN DRONE SALES and services year on year, is now the third biggest UAV market after the U.S. and Asia Pacific. By 2030, its commercial drone sector is estimated to reach €14.5 billion while generating thousands of jobs. But could a new set of UAV regulations derail its growth?

Not so, according to officials of Europe’s Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Since January 1 of this year, a fresh European Union (EU) directive for flying drones in the old continent has been in force and it aims to boost a more vibrant UAV market while promoting safer drone operations in the 27 countries that belong to its economic club (excluding the UK).

This strategy, according to EU Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean, not only widens Europe’s capacity to pursue large-scale commercial drone operations, but also offers new opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises.

EU directives, however, can be droning as well as complex. And this new regulation is no

exception. So here are some important things that UAV operators may need to consider before getting their flying gizmos off the ground:

Check your drone class: According to the new EU rules, drones should now be marked with a Class Identification Label based on their weight, capability, and potential risk to the public. There are seven classes, starting from the lightest and the least risky (C0) drones such as the DJI Mini 4 Pro (249 grams), up to the heaviest flyers (C6) like the Aerobotic Agri X4 (15 kilos). Each class label is unique and must be attached to the drone’s body.

Know your drone category: Another addition to the new regulation is how it defines different categories of drone flight distances or heights. In general, drones may fly up to 120 meters (393 feet) high, but they should always be within the operator’s visual line of sight (VLOS). And depending on the drone’s weight, certain restrictions apply. For example, drones that weigh less than 900 grams cannot fly over a crowd of people, but can fly over buildings (Category A1). Heavier drones weighing less than 4 kilos must

maintain a horizontal distance of 30 meters from uninvolved people and structures (Category A2), while heftier ones weighing less than 25 kilos must maintain a flight altitude below 120 meters above ground level and not fly over uninvolved people (Category A3).

Install remote identification: One of the most advanced, if not stringent, rules in the latest regulation is the implementation of a digital system that allows observers to identify important information about the drone and its operator from afar. Direct Remote Identification (DRI) uses Bluetooth or wifi technologies to wirelessly send to authorities and the public the drone’s serial number and location, as well as the registration number of the operator and their position on the ground while remotely piloting the drone. Why use DRI? The EU says it’s mainly for security reasons, especially if drones are used for illegal activities, or if they pose risks to safety, security, and privacy.

Still need more information? Visit the EASA website to check the latest on the 2024 drone rules.

— Marc M. Delgado, PhD (marc.delgado@xyht.com)

Nadir Oblique from to

GLOBAL TRENDS IN DRONE DELIVERIES

WHEN THE CEO OF AMERICA’S BIGGEST RETAILER DELIVERS THE KEYNOTE SPEECH at the world’s most important event for cutting-edge tech innovations, something exciting must be brewing.

Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, announced in January during the CES 2024 in Las Vegas that the retail company is amping up its drone delivery capacity in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. By pushing to distribute their merchandise via aerial means, their new UAV delivery scheme will cover some 1.8 million consumers in the area. It is the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer to date.

“The underlying principle is that we should use technology to serve people and not the other way around. This path enables people to do things in more efficient and enjoyable ways,” McMillon said during his speech in what might just be one of the biggest UAV news that welcomed the New Year.

Walmart deliveries will be provided by U.S. drone makers Wing and Zipline, both of which have Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stamp of approval to fly their drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Together with Walmart, the two companies have been conducting drone delivery

trials for the past two years, completing over 20,000 safe dispatches.

“Our first few months delivering to Walmart customers have made it clear: Demand for drone delivery is real,” said Wing CEO Adam Woodworth. “If this milestone is any indication, we believe 2024 is the year of drone delivery.”

So, will it be the year when drone deliveries finally take off?

It might be too early to tell. Ever since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos proclaimed on TV that delivery drones are the next big thing more than a decade ago, the use of UAVs to transport consumer goods has been pulled back by technical and regulatory snags. For instance, it took the FAA a long time to allow BVLOS operations, while drone makers tinkered for years to perfect the technology to make safe out-of-sight flights possible.

But drone companies and retailers are not letting up. According to Mordor Intelligence, a market intelligence and advisory firm based in India, the global size of the delivery drone market is growing and in 2024 is estimated at $2.81 billion. By 2029, it is expected to reach $16.63 billion, with

North America holding the largest market share, followed by countries in the Asia-Pacific.

Two Southeast Asian countries, for example, are riding the upswing trend. Malaysia’s Aerodyne Group and Singapore’s DroneDash Technologies have recently introduced cross-border deliveries by drones. Both companies have agreed to operate drone delivery services between their two countries to boost the regions logistics efficiency and delivery and supply chain capabilities.

“Drone deliveries are transforming the speed and reach of logistics operations, and they can help reach remote areas where traditional air and sea freight are unable to access.” said Mudzakkir Hatta, CEO of Aerodyne. “They also add to the creation of a revitalized and vibrant logistic sector through job creation in operating and maintaining the drones.”

Europe is also catching up in the delivery drone race. Customers of Amazon in Britain and Italy will soon receive their packages via drones as the company continues to expand its airborne delivery program. In Norway, drone deliveries by start-up Aviant will now reach the ski resort town of Lillehammer.

Once fully operational, Aviant will provide the longest-range drone-based delivery in the world of 17 kilometers (10 miles) even in the harshest Norwegian winter climate. Their drones will also emit 95 percent less carbon dioxide than an electric car.

“Delivery by drones is no longer considered a gimmick limited by distance and climate, but a means to support businesses and people whilst slashing emissions,” said Avian CEO and cofounder Lars Erik Fagernæs.

Aviant’s greener drone technology could help retail companies to entice more consumers to shift to drone-based deliveries. However, customers living in far-flung zones might not be enticed to order goods when drone flight distance is still limited by battery capacity. Breakage and theft of packages can also happen when recipients do not have safe drop-off or landing areas.

A recent study in Germany published in the European Transport Research Review, a scientific journal, revealed that customer acceptance toward drone use in their airspace is still low due to worries from noise and visual disturbance, even if they also value the quick and flexible timing offered by UAV deliveries. If conveyance by drones doesn’t fly with consumer attitudes, demand for their service might fizzle out, even if it is faster and more convenient.

Changing the Way We Gather Data FROM THE SKY

CARBONIX, RIEGL, AND PHASE ONE HAVE JOINED FORCES TO FLY THE RIEGL VUX-12023 laser scanner and Phase One’s iXM 100 medium-format camera on Carbonix’s fixed-wing Ottano X. The combination of these sophisticated pieces of equipment is used in the field of remote sensing and geospatial data collection, serving critical applications across the linear infrastructure and mining sectors.

The potential of this combined sensing platform has been proven in Australia and the U.S., covering more than 12,000 hectares in a single mission. The ability to capture detailed large scale

colorized 3D models of the infrastructure and terrain is an outstanding result of this combined technology.

The Carbonix platform paired with RIEGL lidar technology, and Phase One camera enable users a multitude of benefits including:

• High-density data, including superior resolution and colorization, crucial for precise analysis and insights.

• Operational efficiency, including the ability to deploy multiple sensors in a single flight, streamlining the data collection processes mission.

• Extended endurance flight resulting in substantial cost reductions of up to 80 percent.

• Vast coverage, with a scanning capacity of more than 12,000 hectares or a linear distance coverage of up to 400 km per single.

“This collaboration is a big step forward for how we gather data from the sky, bringing us closer to a future where aerial surveys can be done with less risk to operational personnel, greater mobility, and increased frequency,” said Glenne Blyth, managing director of RIEGL Australia.

Nadir Oblique from to

Innovative GPS Alternative BEATS JAMMERS AND SPOOFERS

THE RISE OF GPS JAMMING AND SPOOFING TECHNOLOGY AND ITS USE FOR ILL INTENT HAS STARTED A HUNT FOR ALTERNATIVES.

A team competing in the 24-hour El Segundo Defense Tech Hackathon earlier this year has developed one innovative approach. The team used a 3D printer and less than $500 to build a UAV that calculates its GPS coordinates without a signal by using an AI algorithm that matches satellite images from onboard Google Maps to images from its camera.

The prototype has similarities to the Raytheon Tomahawk cruise missile’s terrain contourmatching guidance system (known as Tercom) but

was created at a fraction of the cost and time.

The beauty of the guidance system is that it does not need to carry and process a colossal database of satellite images to be feature-matched continually against the UAV’s camera view. Rather, it can be trained on the relationships between certain GPS coordinates and local terrain features using a deep learning model called a large vision transformer.

Since onboard terrain contour matching technology takes GPS out of the equation, jammers and spoofers are no longer effective.

The California-based three-person team

has formed a company, named Theseus, to push for further testing and commercialization of the technology. Ukrainian government-connected accelerator funds, special forces divisions, and ground troops have reached out.

“There are some Ukrainian three-letter agencies that have directly emailed us,” says team member Ian Laffey, a software engineer.

Although the prototype was UAV borne, similar systems could easily be adapted to crewed aircraft as well, an important consideration giving the rise in GPS jamming and spoofing, especially conflict areas such as Ukraine and the Red Sea.

Strategically located to mobilize anywhere in the Continental US

MIDWEST AERIAL

PHOTOGRAPHY is growing to meet our customers' needs.

Celebrating 35 years in business this year, we are capable of deploying a highly-skilled airborne data collection crew equipped with industry leading digital acquisition technology to any location in the United States and much of Canada on short notice.

We take pride in our ability to capture high-quality airborne imagery and LiDAR data on tight schedules, even in complex airspace, with rapid turnaround. We do it right the first time, meeting the exacting standards of your most demanding photogrammetric

mapping projects—at any size, scale or altitude.

The Midwest Aerial Photography headquarters in Central Ohio; our flight operation centers in Charlotte, NC, Daytona Beach, FL, Bay Area, CA, and the Metro DC area, provide bases for an expert team with more than 100 years of experience capturing and processing precise aerial digital aerial imagery and LiDAR datasets. We now feature a fleet

of 10 mapping aircraft, five Z/I imaging DMC II large-format digital-mapping cameras, two airborne Optech Galaxy Prime LiDAR scanners co-mounted with Phase One medium format digital cameras, and a PhaseOne 280 camera system. With the passion for accuracy and precision, we have become the "go- to" aerial acquisition partner for private photogrammetric, survey, engineering, and energy firms, as well as government agencies at all levels.

As a certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE) with large business capabilities, and an unparalleled access to industry

partners to assist in completing large, complex projects with tight time schedules, Midwest Aerial Photography understands that personal service, reliability, and quality matter. For your next aerial acquisition mapping project, give (MAP) Midwest Aerial Photography a call!

Ken Scruggs

Midwest Aerial Photography

1199 US 40 London, OH 43026

1-614-853-2902

ken@midwestaerialphoto.com

www.midwestaerialphoto.com

Nadir Oblique from to

Topobathymetric Lidar Tackles Great Lakes Coastal Mapping Project

THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE IS AN EFFORT TO PROTECT AND RESTORE the largest system of fresh surface water in the world—the Great Lakes. As a part of this initiative, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has an ongoing effort to update all its bathymetric maps in the Great Lakes region, including advanced maps of the marine environment.

This requires acquiring accurate digital elevation models (DEMs) and reflectance data. The updated information will aid in enhancing the understanding of the Great Lakes hydrography and ecosystem.

Tetra Tech, Inc., a provider of advanced

consulting and engineering services, acquired a Teledyne Optech CZMIL SuperNova Topobathymetric lidar system to provide data for this effort. Tetra Tech chose the CZMIL SuperNova system for its superior depth penetration and high-density mapping capability.

Topobathymetric lidar enabled mapping of the lakebed to a maximum depth of 31 meters. The intensity raster product, constructed with input from NOAA, served as a valuable tool for benthic (lake floor) habitat modeling and the full waveform data will contribute to further research questions. At the end of the project, Tetra Tech delivered classified

point clouds and gridded products.

“The CZMIL SuperNova enabled Tetra Tech to exceed the project’s density requirements, achieving approximately five points per square meter for bathymetric bottom density and an impressive 89 percent bathymetric bottom coverage across the area of interest,” said Renee Walmsley, vice president for Tetra Tech Geomatics and Remote Sensing. “Tetra Tech is dedicated to continuous improvement and innovation in bathymetric lidar technology and is enthusiastic about exploring diverse environments worldwide, leveraging the CZMIL SuperNova system’s capabilities.”

Exyn Technologies — Transforming 3D Mapping & Surveying Workflows

E

XYN

TECHNOLOGIES IS PIONEERING ROBOTIC AUTONOMY for mapping and surveying workflows through our flagship product, the Exyn Nexys. This advanced autonomous mapping and navigation system is designed to capture highly accurate, colorized 3D point clouds in dynamic, dangerous, or otherwise inaccessible environments. Its application spans multiple industries including construction, mining, aerospace, civil engineering (AEC), and geospatial sectors, offering an unparalleled combination of precision, efficiency, and safety for capturing critical datasets.

The cutting-edge technology at the heart of Nexys leverages a robust Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) algorithm to autonomously navigate and precisely map data-rich areas of interest effortlessly. Real-time data collection enables swift decision making in the field, while the integration of AI and machine learning ensures a robust post-processing pipeline to

quickly create feature rich 3D models for stakeholder evaluation and input.

Its modular design allows for multiple deployments to meet specific project needs and seamless integration with existing robotic systems. The payload can be quickly and easily switched between a variety of configurations, giving you the flexibility and cost efficiency to use one device in any mapping environment.

For companies striving to stay ahead in their industry, Nexys not only presents a solution to traditional surveying challenges but also equips them with a modular autonomous robotic solution to meet any future data capture needs.

Exyn Technologies’ commitment to enhancing autonomous mapping not only sets a new standard for BVLOS data capture, but also promises significant advancements in how spatial data is captured and utilized in the future.

Contact Information

For questions about our modular autonomous drones, visit our website at www.exyn.com email us directly at hello@exyntechnologies.com

Trust Your Position with Trimble’s Applanix Solutions

F OR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, TRIMBLE’S APPLANIX

PRODUCTS have offered complete and customized mobile mapping solutions while championing the technology revolution that allows pinpoint positioning in any condition. Trimble Applanix is the standard for organizations that depend on accuracy, quality, and value of experienced partners.

Our turnkey and OEM GNSSInertial solutions are designed for pinpoint accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use, supporting applications for aerial survey and remote sensing, land-based mobile mapping, and

autonomous vehicles. Whether you require a complete airborne mapping solution for generating directly georeferenced lidar data or guidance and Advanced Driver Assistance Solutions for vehicles, Trimble’s Applanix has your solution.

We put our 30 years of experience to work for you. Our engineers are recognized as industry-leading experts who understand every component of the systems required to

provide the most accurate positioning data from the air, land, and sea. They’re available to help orient you and your business to achieve the most reliable and accurate results. Our industry leadership is hard-earned.

Our R&D teams are constantly pushing the limits of what can be obtained through almost any sensor in ever more challenging environments and developing practical, user-friendly, and powerful

software solutions to provide fast and efficient results.

With Trimble’s Applanix, you can Trust your Position.

Visit: www.applanix.com.

Contact Information

Trimble Applanix

85 Leek Crescent, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3B3 Canada

T +1-289-695-6000, info@applanix.com

Moving into the Future

A small Texas photogrammetry company adopted UAVs and is taking its business to new heights.

BY JUAN B. PLAZA

In all my years as a geodesist, land surveyor and photogrammetrist, I have had to adapt to radical changes in my profession at least four times. First, it was the introduction of the personal computer in the 1980s where all of my calculations previously done by hand were now massified into a PC and processed in record time.

Then came GPS in the 1990s, and the entire land surveying industry changed again. The third and important milestone was portable navigation and the ability for anyone to walk around with a moving map and a GPS locator linked to a civil address database. My profession was mainstreamed and everyone drove his/her car following instructions from a machine that knew a lot about geodesy and satellite positioning.

Now we come to the fourth change of my professional career: photogrammetry aircraft without pilots on board, also known as drones. My first encounter with uncrewed

Austin Butts with Red Wing Aerials’ Cardinal airplane and one of its photogrammetry drones.

photogrammetry came in 2013 when I joined Trimble Navigation as sales manager for geospatial products, and one of those products was an aircraft, the now retired Trimble UX5, my first cartographic drone.

I could not believe that such a small and lightweight device could do what I had been doing for decades with Cessnas and Lear Jets. The engineers at Trimble invited me to the Colorado desert and proved me wrong. I made the

transition, mentally, from skeptic to firm believer after just one flight.

Today, many traditional aerial photogrammetry companies around the world are going through the same evolution from skepticism and disbelief to adopters and believers. We set out to find the perfect example of this transition in a company in the U.S., and we found it.

Red Wings Aerials is a traditional aircraft aerial photogrammetry company with offices in San Antonio, Dallas, and

now Houston. I admit that my initial contact with them was due to a specific need for a flight in Southwest Texas Their response was fast, the pricing was reasonable, and the attention to my needs exemplary.

I reached out to Kevin Butts, CEO and founder of Red Wing Aerials and he put me in contact with his son, Austin Butts, the manager of the Houston office and the person who is taking their drone operations into the future.

An orthomosaic of the San Antonio Airport International (KSAT) using images taken from a Cessna Cardinal.

“The company started with fixedwing aerial photography for real estate marketing purposes and construction progress photos in 2006,” Austin Butts told me. “A few years later, my father be -

days when time in the air makes the difference between profit and loss.

“Then came 2016 and the need to enhance our real estate services with drone imagery, in the same niche market of real estate photography,” Butts said.

gan experimenting with photogrammetry and turning those photos into cartographic products such as ortho-mosaics and other mapping deliverables that soon became very popular, and we found a niche segment and a need for mapping updates in the Texas market.”

All these jobs were initially done using traditional fixed-wing aircraft, and Red Wing Aerials has a fleet of Cessna Cardinals at the San Antonio and Dallas offices. The Cardinal is a reliable single engine aircraft that offers stability and an incredible range, allowing for long photography sessions on those rare cloudless

“Initially, we used a DJI Phantom IV Pro to capture basic videography and real estate photographs to help developers market their projects, but the possibility of using drones for photogrammetry opened a new door for the company.”

It is useful to remember that drones and the software that is used to turn aerial images into cartographic products followed two very different development paths and the availability of the first was not closely followed by the second. Affordable photogrammetry programs took a while to become mainstream, and it is only in the last five years that software such as Pix4D and others have become affordable enough to justify the transition from traditional photogrammetry to drone imagery.

“In 2019/2020, we officially added drone photogrammetry, but this time we used the more advanced Mavic II Pro and the business simply took off,” Butts said. The final challenge in the transition from exclusive traditional aircraft to a mixed bag of airborne resources was,

and still is, the selection criteria. In other words, what standards are in place or what parameters determine if a job is to be performed with the Cessna or the drone?

“Well, for us, it is not a geographical issue,” Butts said. “It doesn’t matter if the job is in a place near to one of the Cardinals or close to a location with an easily accessible drone. The most important parameters are the size of the job, location, and flight altitude restrictions. The Cardinal is great for large jobs that require high altitudes, but there are many jobs that require low altitudes that are small enough to justify using the drone.”

Suddenly, Red Wing Aerials found itself in the enviable position to be able to satisfy both ends of the photogrammetry spectrum, high and large or low and small with the correct aerial platform.

“Yes. It is a wonderful opportunity to distribute the workload accordingly, and now we have enough work to justify opening the Houston office, which is now my home base,” Butts said. “A new horizon has opened to us, and the opportunities for growth are incredible. We can now go after jobs that were too small for the Cardinal. Our portfolio in terms of geographical spread and tool availability has grown to a point where we are compelled to grow and expand.”

Adding a drone to a traditional photogrammetry company not only doubles the capacity in terms of flying hours, but also adds a different component in terms of scale and reach. It makes sense for traditional photogrammetry concerns to explore the possibility of adding an uncrewed platform that would allow the expansion into new markets.

Red Wing Aerials’ inventiveness and resourcefulness is an example for the entire industry. Their customers in Texas and surrounding states have the option of using either platform, and this company is poised for organic growth in the coming years. 

Juan B. Plaza is the CEO of Plaza Aerospace, a drone and general aviation consulting firm specializing in modern uses for manned and unmanned aviation in mapping, lidar, and precision GNSS.

Austin Butts of Red Wing Aerials testing drone equipment near the company’s headquarters.

A Balko Connectiv system, mounted under a DJI Matrice 600, for a customer near Montreal. – Source: Balko

MODULAR SENSOR DRONE PAYLOADS

The goal was flexibility. How Balko Technologies developed a truly modular solution that can evolve with the technologies and help keep drone data capture firms competitive.

By Gavin Schrock, PLS

Imagine your firm has been tasked with aerial data capture that your drone sensor package is not designed for. Let’s say it requires a higher grade of lidar than your gear can provide. Do you need to buy a new lidar unit at a top price? What if you could just buy the lidar head and simply snap it onto your existing sensor package. This is the type of system that Balko Technologies of Québec City, Canada, has developed.

While it is possible to mix and match components to build a bespoke kit, the level of integration that Balko has pioneered is the closest to a snap-on style toolkit for drone mappers. They currently have integrated six different lidar sensors, two different high-performance inertial units, and seven different cameras—84 combinations—with more in development.

THE BASICS

Each module is built into housings designed and produced by Balko in Canada, that snap together and connect via aligned data ports. The foundation is the computer/battery module. Next, there is the option for either an AP15 or AP20 INS (inertial navigation system; GNSS+IMU) module. For the camera module, that snaps onto the rear of the package, you can choose from the ADTI (24, 42, or 61 MP), Sony a6000 (24 MP) and a7R (42 or 61 MP), and the Multispectral MicaSense RedEdge-P. You could snap in one or two cameras. The lidar sensor choices are Velodyne Ultra Puck or Puck LTE, Hesai Pandar XT32 or XT32-M2X, and Riegl miniVUX-1 or miniVUX-3. Different configurations range between three and eight lbs. (1.5 and 3.5 kg).

The current generation of this modular system is called Connectiv. Balko has worked with the manufacturers of many popular UAV platforms. Connectiv integrates, for instance, with several models of DJI, as well as several North American-built UAVs, like Freefly Systems, Skyfront, and Inspired Flight.

Balko recognized that software for drone work can sometimes be a bit of a labyrinth that users need to navigate (especially when considering different sensors). “The choice of the flight planning software is really up to the customer,” said Maude Pelletier, owner and president of Balko Technologies. “UgCS from SPF engineering is a good choice. The lidar can be installed on any drone and the flight planning software depends on the drone they will use.”

There is Balko e-LAS that fully integrates all of the module choices. With it the user can rapidly colorize and adjust point clouds, and camera settings, align flightlines, and calibrate viewing angles. Plus, there is a visualization tool.

“There is e-Connect to remotely operate the sensors,” said Pelletier. “Start and stop the recording, and access in real time all status of the INS, GPS, lidar, and cameras to make sure that everything is recording properly.” As the INS units are from Applanix, POSPac is among the choices for post-processing GPS/IMU positions.

REMOTE INSPIRATION

“The first time I thought about a drone was in the Yukon Territory,” said Pelletier. “I was studying the geomorphology of permafrost in the Yukon and Alaska. I needed aerial imagery that was up to date, which was not available. Most of what was available was from before 2000, and no up-to-date lidar that could show evidence of permafrost thawing, etc. I started thinking about a drone.”

Pelletier acquired a small DJI 250 with a GoPro camera. “I needed to be able to determine the morphology of the terrain pocket to see if there is sediment or a depression in the ground,” said Pelletier. “This small drone was a start. However, when I returned to Québec, I began writing this up as a PhD thesis, but later decided that I did not want to do a PhD and preferred to develop a business plan.” In 2016, Pelletier founded, and served as CEO of MVT Geo-Solutions, with a focus on lidar data collection using drones, helicopters, and mobile.

The idea for modular came from a time when she only had one lidar sensor. “I knew that I would need other sensors, but why do I need to buy new systems every time?” said Pelletier. “What if I only need a different lidar to improve the relative precision, but do not want to change the IMU, casing, or camera? Why can’t I do this?”

This conundrum inspired Pelletier to seek funding to start the new venture. There were opportunities for young entrepreneurs in Quebec and via Canadian National Research. Initial development for this very compelling idea looked promising and further investment was secured. Balko’s first system debuted in 2021. Pelletier says the name Balko relates to Falcon—swift, smart, and agile.

ADVANTAGES OF MODULAR

“Because a user can adapt, they can evolve,” said Pelletier. “I look at examples of different activities for sectors that have different requirements for accuracy, precision, and resolution for images and point clouds. When you want to respond to a tender, do I need to repurchase a whole new system?”

into it with a limited investment commitment. One choice is to buy a small, cheap drone and low-performing camera/lidar/ IMU. This can backfire. The sting of poor performance long outlasts the joy of a low price. The utility of a low-cost system might sour stakeholders on the capabilities of drone-based mapping and might not want

Flexibility is the key advantage, and it is not just about cost. As the technologies and/ or client needs evolve, you can adapt and upgrade. This is my own pure speculation, but say for instance when solid-state lidar matures further, or even quantum-sensor technologies (that could hit in five to 10 years), you could be ready to rock the new tech and stay competitive, with a specific, targeted investment.

Another advantage is in purchasing flexibility. There are certainly purchasing thresholds in the public where you would need to go to a formal tender. But if individual models are under such thresholds, it can enable staged purchasing, without drawnout processes. This can also be true of the private sector.

Similarly, a firm, city, state, or provincial agency might just be putting together a drone program and might wish to ease

to fund an entirely new system (folks tell me they have been through this very scenario). Another scenario is when a drone program upgrades by adding newer sensors, but they need to swap out say, the camera with the lidar and fly it twice.

With modular, you are only paying for a specific component upgrade. This is why Balko has a range of sensors with varying capabilities (and price points). This modular approach certainly caught xyHt magazine’s eye, and we included Pelletier in the “24 Young Professionals to Watch in 2024” earlier this year. 

Gavin Schrock is a professional land surveyor who writes on surveying, mapping, GIS, data management, reality capture, satellite navigation, and emerging technologies.

Balko has worked with the manufacturers of many popular UAV platforms. Connectiv integrates, for instance, with several models of DJI (shown), as well as several North American-built UAVs, like Freefly Systems, Skyfront, and Inspired Flight. – Source: Balko

Maude Pelletier, owner and president of Balko Technologies.

Canadian firm Balko’s modular Connectiv system can be configured with up to 84 combinations of cameras, INS units, and lidar sensors. From the left: a camera module, the core battery/ computer module, the INS, and examples of 3 lidar heads. Source: Balko

An Integrated Drone-to-CAD Solution

CARLSON SOFTWARE provides the land development industry with innovative software and hardware solutions built to work for the clients that depend on them every day. As a one-source solution, we provide CAD design software, field data collection, GNSS, UAV, and laser measurement products for the surveying, civil engineering, GIS, and construction industries.

Our wide product range for drone-to-CAD workflows includes

Carlson PhotoCapture for photogrammetry, UAV mapping, and LiDAR-photogrammetry integration, Carlson Point Cloud for powerful point cloud manipulation, combination, and feature extraction, UAVs that include photogrammetry, LiDAR, and bathymetric payloads, Carlson Precision 3D for engineering design in 3D, and solutions that include SurvPC data collection software, data collectors, GNSS receivers, robotic total stations, and laser scanners.

Carlson Software is proud to provide our customers with free technical support both online

and on the phone. The day-to-day users of our solutions constantly provide invaluable feedback from throughout the land development

industry that is used to ensure that we are constantly developing new innovative, helpful, customer-driven features and solutions.

Get RID of Your Worries

The original deadline for the FAA’s Remote ID (RID) rule was September 16, 2023. However, due to the limited availability of broadcast modules, a grace period pushed enforcement back to March 16, 2024. I was one of the UAV operators struggling to find a cost-effective compliance solution. Here’s what I learned along the way.

RID Options: There are two options to comply. The first is to simply purchase a new UAV with RID built-in (FAA uses the term “native”). The second is to add an RID module. If you’re just getting started as a Part 107 operator working on commercial missions, the first option is probably the best bet. However, many firms have legacy (pre-RID) UAVs that are perfectly functional and replacing them with newer RID-compliant units is cost-prohibitive. That’s where the FAA’s RID module option comes in handy.

Here’s a stepby-step guide to the FAA’s UAV remote identification compliance via RID broadcast module

Types of RID Modules: There are basically two types of RID modules, self-contained and non-self-contained. Non-self-contained modules comprise just the circuit board and are the cheapest option—as low as $40. However, they require tying into your UAV’s power source and, depending on the model, possibly attaching an antenna. If you or a staff member are adept at electronics, or are working with a systems integrator, this could be a cost-saving route.

BY JEFF SALMON

Self-contained modules, as the name suggests, have their own power source and antenna. This plug-and-play ability makes them the most popular choice.

Choosing a RID Module: The first and most important selection consideration is FAA certification. Without this, an RID module is useless. The FAA maintains an online database at uasdoc. faa.gov/listDocs where you can verify whether the module you’re evaluating is certified. Even if the vendor is advertising certification, it’s best to verify.

The other considerations are cost, size, and weight. Cost is up to your budget but remember, Part 107 operators must have a RID module for every UAV, so depending on the size of your fleet that could add up. Size and weight aren’t a big deal as most of these units are around 30 grams and small, usually in the 40 mm-by-40 mm-by-30 mm range, which shouldn’t be a big deal for the larger UAVs used in commercial missions.

There are several vendors that provide professional-grade RID modules. (See the accompanying chart for makes, models, and pricing.)

After reviewing these, I opted to take a gander at what Amazon had on offer. To my surprise, I found an $89, small 3.9 cm-by-3 cm-by-1.3 cm and lightweight (14.3-gram) option in the Holy Stone RID1 module.

That’s fine, but don’t forget the whole reason you went the RID module route was to comply with the FAA’s rules. So, I logged into the FAA Drone Zone and registered the RID’s serial number with my existing registered drone. All the directions you need to tackle this simple task are on FAA website. Make sure you’re in the Part 107 Dashboard.

Initiating the module: Many of the units I’ve researched require no initialization—literally charge, turn on, and fly. My Holy Stone was an exception, but it only took a few minutes to sync it up via a free app.

Installation tips: My RID module came with Velcro and instructions on how to attach to my drone. Presumably, all manufacturers will provide instructions and attachment materials. Pro tip:

Try to attach the module around the center of gravity of your UAV (I used a metal ruler to balance the drone to determine the center of gravity) and

avoid attachment areas where it might it interfere with props or electronics internal to the craft.

That’s pretty much it. Make sure your module is on and broadcasting and you’re now in compliance with the FAA’s RID rules. 

The unit charges in 1.5 hours and has a five-hour battery life. It has 251 ratings with an average of 4.6 stars and most reviewers seem to be quite happy with it. I pulled the trigger.

Registering with the FAA: In the reviews and videos I watched, most folks went directly to initializing the module with their drone’s information.

Jeff Salmon edits xyHt’s monthly Located section. When he is not crashing his quadcopter, he helps firms with land-use, marketing, and freelance writing projects in Eastern Colorado at North Star Digital Marketing.

Credit: ZingDroneSolutions

Credit: DroneTag

Credit: DroneTag

DThe Human Element

Using a drone processing service can make firms, large and small, more competitive, but it is essential to keeping the human in the loop

By Gavin Schrock, PLS

rone-based aerial mapping and surveying has evolved over this first decade of adoption to include a significant amount of automation, including AI applications. However, the skill, experience, and judgment of humans all remain crucial elements.

Surveying, engineering, construction, and mapping firms of all sizes have adopted drones as a part of their standard kit. The hardware has become somewhat commoditized, and there is a lot of amazing software out there. One can easily plan and execute drone flights, and there is a plethora of software to process and manage data. In some ways, the flights are the easy part; mastered with a moderate amount of training. However, the processing phase can put a premium on training and experience. It is not a surprise that many firms are turning to drone processing services, tapping into a pool of experts at the ready.

An example is TD&H Engineering, a respected full-service engineering consulting firm. Headquartered in Great Falls, Montana, they have offices in several states across the country. “We use aerial mapping with our drone for about 60 percent of our projects,” said Darryl Witter, PLS, a survey project manager for their Spokane, Washington, operation. “These range from small design lot surveys, larger design projects, ALTA surveys, as-builts, municipal, energy, utilities, and more. Aerotas [a drone services provider] has been there for TDH over six years with support questions and answers for any type of issue I have come up against to obtain the best deliverables. They’ve supported us from purchasing equipment to planning and then ultimately the final deliverable for each request regarding the client’s requirements.”

Witter went on to explain that the combination of their in-house expertise in establishing project control, setting ground control points, planning aerial campaigns to meet their precision and accuracy needs, and flying the sites, followed by processing through a service has been very powerful. This workflow has even changed how they

The customer sets ground control, plans and executes the fights, then the drone services vendor does the processing – Source: Aerotas

Powerline classification and drafting from processed drone images. – Source: Aerotas

approach projects.

“If we are doing a project for a municipality, we often fly the whole city or town, have the orthophotos and planimetry created, and then we can use this on subsequent phases and new projects,” said Witter. He also noted that aerial data is a valuable tool in helping make determinations of adverse possession.

GROWING WITH THE MARKET

“We didn’t start with the goal of being a drone processing firm,” said Logan Campbell, CEO of Aerotas. “I started my professional education in statistics. I’ve always been an aviation enthusiast, and my hobby was building radio control planes. This led to building drones. The idea for Aerotas started with a graduate school project seeing if I could help businesses work with drones, looking at where I could apply my mathematical analysis background to the math and science of photogrammetry. We were a little early on in the arc of drone applications before the technology caught up with what we wanted to do.”

Campbell explained that the name Aerotas is a mix of “aero,” Greek for air, and “veritas,” Latin for “reality.” Just over a decade ago, drones were a new thing. The prospects of using the relatively primitive types of drones and software at the time and turning these into something that could produce accurate and reliable data seemed daunting to many. The original iteration of the company was focused on helping people use drones; training and providing support.

“In those early days of drone use, there was little drafting from the data,” said

Campbell. “The cameras and software weren’t as great, and lidar was prohibitively expensive. Many users simply wanted aerial images as a visual aid, to examine features and conditions on a site.”

Starting around 2014, as the adoption of drones accelerated and the tools improved, processing entered a new era. In particular, photogrammetry became the key. Campbell said that teaching photogrammetry to drone users was not easy, as there was an experience premium. A new focus for the company became processing the aerial data for the customers. And then things took off (no pun intended).

SERVICES

Customers provide Aerotas with the images, lidar if they have it, the ground control points, and GNSS/INS (inertial navigation system) data if applicable. Aerotas will process the images and/or lidar, post-process the GNSS/ INS (PPK), create orthophoto mosaics, and draft 2D or 3D planimetry, per standard or custom orders.

“Over time, we continued to expand our portfolio of deliverables,” said Campbell. “We added more and more projects from custom drafting to specific linework that can be imported into CAD and design software. We work with a lot of formats, and we now accommodate certain ultra-specific types of projects, like powerline surveys.”

Aerotas has a pool of highly skilled staff distributed across the country, each with a broad base of experience. They utilize a wide range of software—most of the standard packages—but also some they have developed in-house. They can choose from multiple packages to suit the project specifics, but often it comes down to the preference of their staff and/or the customer.

While many of the packages have incorporated elements of AI, for instance in point cloud classification, Aerotas does not over-rely on it.

“AI can be great, but it still misses too much,” said Campbell. “We, and our customers, have found that having the ‘human-in-the-loop’ is the best approach. We cost-effectively produce top products, with the key decisions made by a skilled

practitioner.” Campbell notes that the predominant type of data they process for customers is images.

ALTA Survey, as processed by Aerotas – Source: Aerotas

“There are many advantages to photogrammetry, as opposed to trying to use colorized lidar; there is so much more that can be seen,” said Campbell. “For example, lidar may not provide sufficient definition to detect a maintenance hole lid on flat pavement; whereas it is quite obvious with images.” Lidar can have advantages, like features in shadows or under canopy. Combining images and lidar can also be very powerful, but as Witter noted, they can do what they need to do with images alone for most projects.

You can order services online; some at set prices (e.g. orthophotos), and for other requests, they provide a cost estimate. “We are very big on the set price from a rigorous cost-estimate,” said Campbell. “We have a very complex matrix for developing estimates, that includes the computer time and human hands-on time. We set a fixed price that our customers can rely on.”

While they do have some international clients, Aerotas is focused on the U.S. market. Campbell says that the standards and regulations of a single country are much easier to master and accommodate, and he says there is plenty of room for growth within the U.S. There are few engineering and surveying firms that do not already have or are planning on adding a drone.

TRUST AND RESPONSIBILITY

A hot topic within professions like land surveying is “responsible charge,” a term often used when describing elements of activities that fall under a licensee’s direct supervision, and ultimately their responsibility for accuracy and quality. Someone on a professional surveyor’s field crew or office staff could be considered directly under their responsible charge. Would the same apply to a contracted service? Campbell has presented on this subject and has interacted with professional associations and boards of registration.

One way of looking at this is: Who is ultimately responsible? For example, a professional surveyor establishes control, sets GCPs, chooses an appropriate sensor payload, plans the flight height and speed to meet the accuracy requirements of the project, and flies the site. This all requires the professional judgment and skills of the surveyor. Unless the surveyor does all the processing themselves, they might have

otherwise handed the data off to office staff, working under their direction. This is the step in the workflow that a processing service can fulfill. Provided that the surveyor performs the appropriate QA/ QC steps, they maintain responsibility for the entire process.

“We do not want our customers to simply trust us,” said Campbell. “It needs to go beyond that. We urge customers to do quality checks. We are confident in our deliverables, but it needs to go beyond trust, to verification.”

“Do we use, for example, algorithms to try and intelligently classify ground versus nonground objects? Absolutely, we do. And then we have humans go through to run QA, run analyses, and make sure it’s

Campbell notes that they have built a lot of their QA/QC processes around meeting standards like the ASPRS (America Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing).

“The society is made up of professional photogrammetrists, and they have produced rigorous standards, specifically about aerial surveying accuracy. As someone with statistical roots, this speaks to me,” Campbell says. Aerotas provides customers with reports that help them, together with their own ground truthing, determine if standards are met.

Ultimately, the decision to use a drone processing service should be about the optimal use of resources. Large firms with enough projects often have the software and experienced staff to do all of the

good,” said Campbell. “Some projects might require minimal supervision and changes if it’s a relatively smooth dirt site that has nice clean contours and no objects that might take a lot of human QA.Whereas sites with a lot of objects, vegetation, hills, slopes, rock features, and noise—might take a substantial amount of human intervention to get it working. So, we are huge proponents of a blended human in the workflow. We have humans at every step, checking the data and fixing it as necessary.”

Independent verification is one of the central tenets of professional surveying. Aerotas processes a lot of ALTA (land tile survey) projects for customers and is familiar with how to meet those standards.

processing in-house, although with the present skills shortages, this can be a challenge for even the largest firms. Smaller firms could use a helping hand. If all steps of the workflow are handled with skill and diligence, using a processing service could make even the smallest firm more competitive in the market for drone mapping and surveying. 

Gavin Schrock is a professional land surveyor who writes on surveying, mapping, GIS, data management, reality capture, satellite navigation, and emerging technologies.

Ever-EXPANDING Options for Traditional Photogrammetry

By Juan B. Plaza

Over the past 25 years traditional aviation has seen one of the greatest technological expansions since the invention of the jet engine, and it has nothing to do with propulsion, wings, or fuselage. We are referring to avionics, a relatively unknown area of aviation that is mostly visible to pilots and mechanics, but not the public.

One company in particular, Garmin, is credited with this revolution beginning in the early 2000s when it began design and manufacture of beautiful pieces of avionics equipment that added color and tactical capabilities to instruments that have been in use, unmodified, for almost 100 years. In no time established avionics players such as Rockwell-Collins and others followed suit and today we have fully digital cockpits that are easier to read, follow, and program and can be accessed through tactile screens, just like a smart phone or a tablet.

With these beautiful and simple instruments added to cockpits, new aircraft companies entered the market with innovative designs that were aimed at attracting a new breed of aviators.

This avionics revolution coincided with another important component of the aerial photogrammetry industry, which is sensors or cameras, to be more precise.

Exciting new players like Phase One, Sony, and Canon entered the arena of photogrammetry cameras competing with legacy brands like Leica, Wild, and Zeiss, and the race was on. Miniaturization entered the equation, and soon we had high-resolution cameras capable of acquiring cartographic-grade images at a fraction of the price, the size, and the weight of traditional large-format instruments.

The cost also came down from over $1 million to just a few thousand, creating a new era of traditional photogrammetry companies that could now compete with larger enterprises. In parallel with all these developments in traditional aviation, a new player emerged—uncrewed aviation or drones—which created a lot of excitement in the industry. Soon everyone realized that regulation, strict restrictions on altitude and speed combined with ridiculously short flying times made this new uncrewed aerial mapping a reality for only a handful of jobs, mostly small areas, and remote locations.

In the meantime, traditional aircrafts built in the 1970s were being retrofitted with modern avionics and smaller cameras and competing for the that enormous middle-sized market that covers

Piper Aztec

most aerial photogrammetry jobs.

Now geospatial professionals have access to a plethora of options that go from small drones to jet aircraft with full-size cameras, so let us explore some of the options.

SINGLE ENGINE PISTON AIRCRAFT

Now that cameras are light, consume very little power, and can be mounted outside the cabin, a number of companies have launched competitive alternatives to expensive installations. In the past, single-engine aircraft were not widely used for in-cabin camera installations because of the oil spills along the bottom of the fuselage which soiled the lens and prevented the completion of the mission.

Single-engine aircraft rarely have pressurized cabins, which restrict altitude to 10,000 for long missions and speeds that seldom exceed 140 knots (161 mph), so these aircraft with external cameras have a very specific application niche in terms of geographical area.

a pressurized cabin greatly enhanced the mission parameters of these aircraft. For starters cameras can be mounted inside the cabin because there is no danger of long oil streaks along the bottom of the fuselage.

These so-called light-twin aircraft have been a favorite of photogrammetry companies since their inception in the mid 1950s and their capabilities vary greatly from one manufacturer and model to another. In the lower side of the curve of altitude and speed is the Piper Aztec, with its robust design and stable flight but also limited payload and non-pressurized cabin.

(230 mph) and a very low fuel consumption rate, expanding time in the air and photo mission coverage.

A turboprop engine is simply a jet engine that has been designed to run a large propeller instead of using the thrust emanating from its smaller blades. Even though the operating costs for these jet engines is higher than piston, reliability and the absence of heat issues are lower and therefore it compensates for the extra investment.

The three best models for photogrammetry are the Piper PA-42 Cheyenne; Beechcraft Queen Air; Beechcraft King Air.

JET AIRCRAFT

This is the ultimate category in terms of ceiling and speed, but also the most expensive to own and operate. The advantage is the incredible coverage and the altitude, which combined with the right sensor and lens could be thousands of square miles in just one flight.

Another limitation of these aircraft is useful load, and here we must clarify that there are missions that require two or more crew on board and missions that can be accomplished with just one person. Single-engine aircraft are suitable for the later, because of fuel restrictions.

Here is a partial list of aircraft that are great for these missions: Cessna 152 and F152. Cessna 172M/N and F172M/N; Cessna 172P and F172P; Cessna 172Q/S; Cessna 172R; Cessna 182E/F/G/H/ J/K/L/M; Cessna 182N; Cessna 182P/Q and F182P/Q; Cessna R182, TR182 and FR182; Cessna 182R, 182S, 182T and T182T; Cessna U206G, TU206G, 206H and T206H

TWIN-ENGINE PISTON AIRCRAFT

Adding an engine and the possibility of

On the opposite side of the spectrum, we have the spectacular Cessna 421 with a pressurized cabin, a superior useful load, and large fuel capacity, which allows for higher and longer flights, increasing area coverage and profitability. A list of the most used light twins today includes Piper PA-23 Apache/ Aztec; Piper PA-31 Navajo; Piper PA-31 350 Chieftain; Piper PA-31 350 Mojave; Piper PA-34 Seneca; Piper PA-44 Seminole; Cessna 335; Cessna 336 Skymaster; Cessna 340; Cessna 414; Cessna 421

TWIN ENGINE TURBOPROP AIRCRAFT

Now we enter a category which belongs in what can be called the big leagues. These turboprop aircraft can reach altitudes of 25,000 feet, with speeds closer to 200 knots

With the addition of new executive jet aircraft to the general aviation fleet every year, there are a number of these earlier models for sale at very reasonable prices and companies are taking advantage of this availability and adding jet capabilities to their fleets.

In conclusion, whatever your preference or your budget, this is definitely the time to be in aerial photogrammetry, both in crewed and uncrewed aviation and the later seems to be going through a profound transformation by the addition of technology and miniaturization. 

Juan B. Plaza is the CEO of Plaza Aerospace, a drone and general aviation consulting firm specializing in modern uses for manned and unmanned aviation in mapping, lidar, and precision GNSS.

A Phase One camera mounted on an external pod. Courtesy of SkyIMD

The avionics of a dated cockpit.

The modern style of new avionics.