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Shelby H. Griggs PLS, post: 419328, member: 335 wrote: I can more or less agree with that, however, I guess as an owner/employee of a full on aerial mapping company, I might have a different perspective and that is using a drone is just a smaller version of what we do everyday, it really isn't a new technology (still photogrammetry) it is just the current hot buzz word. NOT every project folks are trying to use drones on are necessarily using the right project for the drone tool. When the time is right, I am sure we will add one to the tool box (should be easy to get a 107, two licensed pilots on staff), the thing is, as a long time aerial mapping company, we just aren't seeing customers banging on the door saying we want you to use a drone, they don't care, they just want a mapping product and if we can cost effectively do that with manned aircraft, we will. Are there projects a drone might be better suited for, sure, but they sure aren't any large area or maybe even fairly small projects. Bridge inspections, wind turbine inspections, powerline SPECIFIC pole inspections, repetitive stockpile volumes, very small topo sites, etc. Mapping large amounts of acres, certainly over a 1/2 section and probably quite a bit less is more cost effective in almost all instances with a manned aircraft rather than a drone, BUT if you have one, the tendency is to force a square peg in round hole.
SHG
The additional thought is that survey / engineering firms are considering bringing this "tool" inhouse and make money instead of spending money.