A friend of mine is considering buying a drone and providing topographic maps to clients.
Personally I wouldn't even consider such a thing without bringing someone well versed in such matters on board (photogrammetist). Despite many years of working with Aerial Surveying Firms, I DON'T consider myself qualified to jump into that discipline (not by a long shot).
That being said, those of you who have make the move, I have a simple question;
What did your E&O carrier say about the additional liability issues (I assume that you ran this by them)?
Thanks in advance,
Loyal
Our provider works with a number of aircraft insurance companies and it was as simple as adding another rider to our current policy.
While I'm not permitted to see our full policy, (We're an AEP firm), the aircraft rider was around $2k/year.
So, really it was handled like any other aircraft, just with lower risk of injury.
Our provider works with a number of aircraft insurance companies and it was as simple as adding another rider to our current policy.
While I'm not permitted to see our full policy, (We're an AEP firm), the aircraft rider was around $2k/year.
So, really it was handled like any other aircraft, just with lower risk of injury.
Thanks Raybies.
What about "professional liability" if you screw-up a topographic map?
Loyal?ÿ
?ÿI just have to say that it's possible to screw up a topo map using any equipment.?ÿ I think it's more likely flying that CADD machine. Better get a rider on that as well.?ÿ
?ÿI just have to say that it's possible to screw up a topo map using any equipment.?ÿ I think it's more likely flying that CADD machine. Better get a rider on that as well.?ÿ
Agreed!
My "point" (question) may have been somewhat vague.
If you "screw-up" a topographic survey using a Transit/Tape, Theodolite/Stadia, Total Station, etc. then I'm SURE that your E&O insurance will kick in (or I certainly hope that it would).
On the other hand, IF you get into the Drone business with nothing more than the FAA Drone?ÿlicense, with little or NO real training in photogrammetry, and something goes south on you... then I would hate to face a good attorney when he starts asking questions about my expertise?ÿ(training/certifications) in photogrammetry.
I would be somewhat surprised IF the "standard" E&O policy for a LAND Surveyor would cover you for what is essentially offering "professional" services as a Photogrammetrist.
Just saying (asking).
Loyal
I really look at this from the "just another tool" perspective. For surveyors with a formal education, photogrammetry was certainly included. For surveyors without a formal education, well, nothing was included, so their formal photogrammetry training would be on par with their formal satellite signal triple differencing training.
I agree 100% that no one should offer photogrammetry as a service without being proficient, but that's already true about everything.?ÿHowever, I recognize?ÿI'm saying this from a state with no separate photogrammetry license. If your state has a separate photogrammetry license, and it's recognized as its own discipline, then I suppose your context could be a lot different.
I for the first time got in on a drone flight about a week ago.?ÿ The local college did at as a freebe to compare theirs to someone that was also flying it with a drone .?ÿ I've never got in on the software that takes the data and makes it in to topographic work but I don't think its that hard.?ÿ I'd say with some training you are no more likely to screw it up than any other survey method.
I can't speak to the insurance issues, the main office handles all of that.
As far as the photogrammetry - that's mostly software/hardware driven now. The flight parameters are set by software - with minimal operator input - and the flight itself is controlled by the same program. No manual/joystick stuff. Some do it that way, I think they're asking for trouble.
Sufficient independently surveyed ground control points (spaced per manufacturer guidelines) are critical to properly calibrate the imagery, and then additional features and points must be independently surveyed to "ground-truth" the processed data - we use Pix4D.
So, trust but verify, controls and checks. I hope that using the tools per the software/hardware recommended procedures, along with independent checks, will be enough to satisfy any expertise/ordinary standard of practice questions. Time will tell.
You're asking a good and necessary question, though. We're sort of in uncharted territory on the photogrammetry issue. Is it a question of scale? Do all states need to follow Florida's lead here, combining surveyors and?ÿphotogrammetrists with their PSM - Professional Surveyor and Mapper - designation? There's still the standard that professionals are not to practice outside their competency.
It will, unfortunately, probably make lots of money for some lawyers before it gets sorted out.?ÿ
To some extent you are correct. If you leave things set from your trainer and make your landing pad large enough things may go well. Of course they could fall completely apart just as easy.
I put a few hundred hours into building our SUAS program. I quickly moved past what the trainers set up and now feel comfortable signing maps. Had I let the software run the show we would have crashed several birds by now. Our data would be grossly inferior to what we get.
This is a lot like the advent of GPS. Some are happy to dump coordinates they have no clue about. Localize, set your pins, hold your nose and sign it. Others dive in deep enough to know what the tools do and what they dont. Same stuff, different day...
I really look at this from the "just another tool" perspective. For surveyors with a formal education, photogrammetry was certainly included. For surveyors without a formal education, well, nothing was included, so their formal photogrammetry training would be on par with their formal satellite signal triple differencing training.
I agree 100% that no one should offer photogrammetry as a service without being proficient, but that's already true about everything.?ÿHowever, I recognize?ÿI'm saying this from a state with no separate photogrammetry license. If your state has a separate photogrammetry license, and it's recognized as its own discipline, then I suppose your context could be a lot different.
I took Photogrammetry at UW-Madison CEE, and I think that's a minimum, but it covers the basics and principles without which it would be tough to show up in court, eh?; further documented training should be taken specific to drones, and yours in particular.
That's just a professional outlook, of course............
