I would not think so other than possibly with respect to stockpile surveys. With winds aloft, precision block flying is pretty tough without "hands on" I would think.
hmm.....
"The unmanned aircraft will also scan Prudhoe Bay's network of pipelines, built on permafrost and prone to frost heaves that force up steel supports, necessitating repairs to make sure the pipe doesn't topple, Smith said. Until now, BP sent survey crews to check each pylon. It took five to seven days to finish two miles.
"The Puma can do a two-mile section in 30 minutes and it's much, much cheaper," he said."
How do the LIDAR Sensors and cameras mounted in those drones compare to the ones mounted in standard aircraft? The the company that I worked for previously had a sister company that did aerial work and they spent like a million dollars apiece on an aerial camera and LIDAR scanner.
I would think Aerial Mapping companies would use this new form of data acquisition for small mapping sites. Us surveyors might not like it much, since it will be use to collect data that we provide, ie cross sections and topo. But much quicker and easier.
I'll believe these things will work in the wind when I see them. Had to give up R/C flying here as a boy because the wind was too much for them to deal with...
Mine has GPS so it stays where it hovers in the same place even in high winds. +/-3ft