FAQ

What area can the plane cover during a flight?

The answer primarily depends on the flight altitude (and thus the ground resolution):

  • At 85m (approx 3cm/pixel), flight coverage approx 50ha
  • At 140 m (approx 5cm/pixel), flight coverage approx 150ha
  • At 280 m (approx 10cm/pixel), flight coverage approx 400ha

Larger areas can be captured but multiple flights will be required.

* These are aprroximate values only. CASA Regulations may also prohibit flights above certain heights.

What conditions can the plane fly in?

Generally the weather conditions need to be fine and very little wind. Wind speeds up to 20-25km/h are ok but anything higher and the plane will abort. We always keep a close on on weather conditions and if unfavourable then we will re-schedule.

The plane can't fly in rain either, mainly due to it carrying sensitive electronic equipment on board that could get damaged if wet.

How big is the plane, where can it fly?

The plane is very small and only weighs 500 grams fully loaded. It travels at only 25km/h.

Flight locations are restricted by the Cival Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA). Normally this means we cannot fly over populated areas or within 4km of an aerodrome/airport. We can also only fly up to 120m off the ground.

What accuracy can I expect?

The accuracy of the orthomosaics and the digital elevation models (DEM) produced by post processing strongly depends on the flight height, lighting conditions, availability of textures, image quality, overlap, and type of terrain.

In standard conditions (flying at 100-150 meters above natural terrains with 50 to 70% image overlap), a relative accuracy of 10 cm and an absolute accuracy of 3-5 meters (in case no ground control points (GCP) are used) can be expected at the location of the found matching points.

How long does it take to get our imagery?

Flight time for the plane is actually quite minimal and images can be viewed as soon as the plane lands as they are just stored on an SD-Card on the camera.

If ortho-rectified images or a DEM are required then these products will generally be available within 24 hours of the flight.