Absolutely, here are some of the more common definitions.

CASA

Civil Aviation Safety Authority; Australia’s aviation regulator.

Drone

An increasingly popular term for UAVs often used in a military context.

UAV

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or Drone.

RePL

The Remote Pilot’s Licence (RePL) enables operators to operate commercially under an authority of a RPA Operating Certificate (ReOC).

UAS

Unmanned Aerial System; introduced to improve on the term ‘UAV’ as it is inclusive of all the components which contribute to the flight

ReOC

RPA (Remote Pilot Aircraft) Operators Certificate. A ReOC is the MOST important document which allows a RePL holder to conduct commercial operations. A RePL is just your individual permission to fly. If you hold a RePL, then you need be employed by someone who holders the ReOC.

Pilot in Command

The member of the flight team who is responsible for directing the flight and operating the camera equipment

VLOS

Visual Line of Sight

BVLOS

Beyond Visual Line of Sight

Gimbal

A gimbal is the mount where the camera sits enabling it to move along multiple axes and be positioned with a remote control.

LiPo

LiPo stands for Lithium Polymer and is the type of battery used by the majority of drone manufacturers as it is lightweight with good charge capacity and power.

Pitch

This is the up and down movement of the UAV on a vertical axis, encompassing from the front to the back of the UAV.

Roll

This is the rotation of the UAV from nose to its tail including all movements forwards, backwards and left to right along the horizontal axis. To prevent crashing the yaw, pitch and roll of a UAV needs to be kept as stable as possible.

RPAS

Remotely Piloted Aerial System; one of the newer terms used to define UAV systems

Yaw

Yaw is the rotation of a UAV in relation to the centre axis. Looking down on a drone from above, the yaw would be the movement of the drone, clockwise/anti-clockwise.

Popular Terms within the Survey & Mapping Industry

DEM

Digital Elevation Model – most of the time used as a generic term for DSMs and DTM but is essentially a ‘bare earth’ elevation model, unmodified from its original data source (such as lidar, ifsar, or an autocorrelated photogrammetric surface)

DSM

Digital Surface Model is a DEM of the earth surface including objects on it such as buildings and trees so it will include the tops of buildings, trees, powerlines, and any other objects – it only ‘sees’ ground where there is nothing else overtop of it.

DTM

Digital Terrain Model is a DEM of the earth surface without any objects in it

GIS

A GIS is a computer-based tool or information system that enables the capture, processing, organisation, analysis and presentation of geographic data i.e. mapping and organising data. The system generally comprises the software, hardware and applications required for these tasks along with the necessary data.

LIDAR

Light detection and ranging -Usually by using airborne laser scan technology (LIDAR), the surface of the earth can be scanned to generate a DSM with accuracies down to the centimetre range. This technique involves shooting a laser beam from an aerial platform and measuring the time it takes to reflect back to the sensor.

Orthophoto

An orthophoto is created from images using photogrammetric procedures and provides distortion-free, true-to-scale images of the surface of the earth.

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is a technique which uses photography to extract measurements of the environment. This is achieved through the use of overlapping imagery; where the same feature can be seen from two perspectives it is possible to calculate measurements.

Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is the process of making measurements of the earth using sensors on UAVs or other platforms. These sensors collect data in the form of images and have the capability for manipulating, analysing, and visualising those images. Remote sensed imagery is then integrated within a GIS.

SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar)

Similarly to LiDAR, SAR measures the time taken for a pulse of radar to return to the sensor after reflecting off the earth’s surface.

Spatial Analysis

Spatial analysis is a set of techniques for analysing spatial data. It is the process of examining the locations, attributes, and relationships of features in spatial data through overlay and other analytical techniques. Spatial analysis extracts or creates new information from spatial data.

Topographic Survey

Topographic Surveys are used to locate and map the contours of the ground and existing features on the surface of the earth or slightly above or below the earth’s surface (i.e. trees, buildings, streets, walkways, manholes, utility poles, retaining walls, etc.).

Clients who haven’t used a UAV before are often concerned about the level of accuracy that can be achieved, we can assure you that UAVs can offer the most spatially accurate aerial survey data currently available.  The error of our extracted survey points can get down to around 9mm in height and 6mm in plan with good ground control, and specialised post-processing techniques. For most land surveys we generally work to around 40mm in height and 30mm in plan. The cost of these surveys per unit area does vary and so the higher accuracy you require the more it will cost. It is therefore a good idea to understand what you are trying to achieve and the tolerances you need to achieve it.

Yes, our LiDAR unit is able to penetrate the tree canopy

Photogrammetry is the science of making precise measurements from photographs. We are able produce photographs at a far higher resolution than can typically be achieved with traditional aircraft based aerial surveys and from these produce a variety of data products including 3D building models. The result is similar to that produced by laser scans but at a fraction of the cost.

Yes, we have some experience doing this. Please let us know the features you would like included in the survey.

Typical flight with our multi-copter platforms lasts between 15 and 25 minutes. However, these times vary depending on a variety of factors including the weather, flight characteristics and the camera system being carried. For example, a slow, low-level flight with a Skyjib 6 or 8 carrying the lightest camera would have a significantly longer flight time than when the UAV is carrying our heaviest camera in high winds and at high speeds.

Although these flight times may not seem like very much, in our experience they are easily long enough to enable us to achieve a great deal. We also carry with us a number of batteries which can be swapped over quickly enough in order to proceed with the flight almost immediately. Furthermore, we have on-site charging capabilities allowing us to always have enough batteries to be able to begin another flight.

Generally speaking we can fly in weather conditions with winds up to 17mph and no more than very light rain. This is due to the potential damage that this could do to the kit and the negative impact it could have on the quality of the photo. If there are adverse weather visibility conditions (e.g. fog/haze) we may need to alter our flight plan in order to maintain a line of sight with the UAV.

As ruled by the CASA, we are permitted to fly at heights of up to 400ft above ground level (approximately 120m), and at distances of 500m from the pilot (without applying for specific approvals and extra fees). This is in order to ensure the UAV stays in the pilot’s line of sight. We monitor the UAV’s altitude and distance from the pilot using telemetry information fed back to the pilot’s screen. This also streams to the pilot live video footage from the UAV, known as a first person view camera, which aids long distance navigation.

We also have the capability of long-range flights depending on your needs and lead times. Ask us how.

Yes this is possible. Sometimes extra permissions need to be sought when operating in a city. The cost of the survey can increase if it is in a complex area since most of the Cities are a restricted area and any aircraft, no matter how small has to submit a non-standard flight application requesting area approval to fly in these areas. This can take up to 21 days and permission is not guaranteed. Since the cities are congested areas this can limit the size of aircraft that can fly. As a result, working in the city is possible but it is essential to allow at least a month to organise the project.

Unfortunately, yes. As well as the constraints set out by the CASA to protect public privacy, there are certain airspaces across the country where we need permission from the relevant Air Traffic Control to fly. These areas are typically around airports and sites of military activity. We also need permission from the landowner for land we want to take-off or land on. For more information on the factors affecting where we can and cannot fly, please ask us.

Yes, we’re perfectly able to fly indoors.

Due to how much our work tends to vary in terms of timescale and data processing requirements, it is very difficult to quote a standard price for our jobs but we are always happy to offer a free no obligation quote. We are usually able to give you a rough estimate of costs in a quick phone call.

Please contact us to discuss your aerial surveying needs and we will supply you with a bespoke estimated quote for our services.