Drone Mapping Advantages vs. Conventional Mapping Methods

Drone mapping is becoming a popular use case for drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles. There are several reasons why it is getting so much traction with various industries:

1.    Cost-effectiveness: Drones can cover large areas quickly and at a lower cost than traditional survey methods, such as using manned aircraft or ground surveys.

2.    High-resolution imagery: Drones can capture high-resolution images and data that can be used for detailed mapping and analysis.

3.    Safety: Drones can access areas that are difficult or dangerous for humans to reach, such as steep terrain, hazardous sites, or structures.

4.    Speed: Drones can cover large areas quickly, reducing the time required to complete a mapping project.

5.    Flexibility: Drones can be easily deployed and controlled, allowing for mapping in a wide range of conditions and environments.

6.    Data collection: Drones can be equipped with a variety of sensors, such as cameras, LiDAR, and thermal imaging, to collect a wide range of data for various mapping applications.

7.    3D mapping: Drones can generate 3D models of landscapes and structures, providing more accurate and detailed information than traditional 2D maps.

8.    Regular updates: Drones can be used for regular monitoring and updating of maps at a fraction of the time and cost vs. traditional methods, which enables tracking changes over time possible for organizations that couldn’t afford it before.

9.    Accuracy: Drone mapping can provide just as accurate maps as traditional methods, as it can use GPS and other technologies (such as including ground control points) to ensure precise GIS information.

Most of the drone mapping can be performed using drone photogrammetry, but other technologies such as lidar can also be used with the drone technology for certain use cases.

If you want to learn more about drone mapping, its uses, how much it costs, and how it is performed, read more details in our What is Drone Mapping blog post, and view V1DroneMedia drone services for AEC industries.

V1DroneMedia is a drone services provider in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. We service midwestern states, and our drone services include drone mapping, drone videography (including FPV drones), drone photography, full video production, virtual tours, drone construction services, and drone training.

V1Dronemedia’s Chief Drone Pilot has 20+ years of experience in commercial airlines, and 30+ years in remote control aviation. If you are interested in contracting drone mapping services and are looking for a quote, contact us!

Ohio Drone Laws

As a commercial drone services provider located in Cleveland, Ohio, we know a thing or two about flying in this state. One of the questions we get asked often is whether you can fly at a specific location in Cleveland. See our blog post Where to Fly Drones in Cleveland for that information.

Drone flights in Ohio are subject to FAA regulations for operating in the national airspace. Some municipalities are enacting their own ordinances for drone use, but these should only apply to launching and landing locations, as local municipalities don't control airspace. We recommend checking your city/county for any such drone restrictions.

FAA Part 107 Regulations

Under FAA regulations you must have either a TRUST Test Certificate (for hobbyists) or a Part 107 Drone License Certificate (for commercial drone pilots) to fly drones in Ohio. We offer Part 107 Prep classes locally as a 2-day in-person class that prepares anyone to take and pass the test. See our event schedule for the next available class and read our student testimonials (over 95% of students pass the Part 107 Test after taking our classes!).

Are There Drone Flight Restrictions in Ohio?

It all depends on what type of airspace you intend to fly in (Class B, C, D, E). You may have to apply for FAA authorization to fly your drone in a certain area, see our blog post Where Can I Fly My Drone for more detailed information and tutorial on how to do this through LAANC.

In addition, you cannot fly over moving traffic, over people, or during any sporting event where there is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place.  A TFR is typically active for all open-air stadium NFL and MLB games from one hour prior to the game start to one hour after the game ends. These rules do get enforced, see this article about drone pilots pleading guilty to illegal Ohio stadium flights in 2023.

Can You Fly a Drone in Ohio State Parks and Cleveland Metroparks?

As a rule of thumb, national parks do not allow drone use on their properties. Some Metroparks have enacted the same ordinance, so you should check with the specific Metropark system. There are several designated areas where you can fly your drone in the Cleveland Metroparks, see details in their Drone Policy.

Municipal parks don't have the same restrictions usually but check with the specific park and municipality before flying your drone.

Drone Registration

If you want to fly your drone in Ohio (and anywhere else in the United States), you are required to register your drone if it is 0.55 lbs or larger if you fly as a hobbyist, and all drones (regardless of weight) if you operate commercially (under Part 107). You can register your drone on the FAA DroneZone website. The cost for registration is $5 and is valid for three years.

So, if you have checked off all necessary registrations, FAA Airspace Authorizations, and hold an appropriate FAA certificate, you are ready to fly. Now to the fun part, where can you fly your drone in Ohio? We've compiled some of our favorite locations in Cleveland where we frequently fly, see them in the Where to Fly Your Drone in Cleveland blog post.

Why hands-on drone flight training is important for drone pilots

As a new year begins, many of us are making New Year resolutions. V1DroneMedia's resolution is to bring the most up-to-date and simple-to-understand drone knowledge to you: information about drone regulations, drone industry, equipment capabilities, flight skills, and other drone information to those interested in learning more about drone technology and getting started in flying drones safely and legally.

A lot of drone pilot schools are focused on education and compliance with the FAA drone laws and regulations and getting the Part 107 Remote Pilot License. And this IS where you should start your drone journey if you are thinking about getting a drone or just purchased one because you want to be aware of where and how to operate your drone safely and legally, avoid any negative law enforcement or 'well-wisher' attention, and can intelligently answer any questions about how and where you can legally fly.  We have covered all these subjects in our blog post A Beginner's Guide To Drones and have regularly scheduled Drone Training Courses that you can attend to learn this information and get ready for the FAA Part 107 Drone Certification Test.

V1DroneMedia’s Chief Pilot teaching Traffic Patterns during an FAA Part 107 Drone License Prep Course

However, learning safe drone operations or procuring your Part 107 Drone Pilot Certificate is only a starting point (one should walk before they run). The essential part of your drone training should be getting hands-on time flying the drone. That means being comfortable with operating the drone apps (such as DJI, Litchi, etc.), performing takeoffs and landings, learning to maintain and calibrate the drone, performing routine flight maneuvers, operate the camera to take pictures and video. These skills cannot be taught in a classroom, and you need them to fly the drone proficiently if you are serious about becoming a drone pilot. You must get out there and learn to fly your drone, just like manned aviation pilots spend hours flying in a simulator or with an instructor before flying on their own (I spent hours and days in simulator sessions during my training as a commercial pilot, and had to do recurrent training every year in a simulator as well).

While flying a drone doesn't come with the liability of flying an aircraft worth millions of dollars with people on board, it is still very important to understand the systems that make a drone work and be proficient with your equipment to ensure safe operation.

A drone is usually needed to shoot an aerial photo or video of a certain subject matter or an object on the ground or even high up in the air, and you need to have skills to fly the drone to focus on a subject, position the camera of the drone to shoot video or photo from different angles while flying around the subject, maybe even track the subject and shoot continuous video or photographs.

V1DroneMedia’s Chief Pilot with students during a drone flight session

Many of these flight maneuvers are built into intelligent flight modes in the apps nowadays, but you would still need to know how the different intelligent flight modes work and become proficient at setting them up and incorporating them into your workflow (if needed). Learning to fly in a manual mode is also very important and can be beneficial in many situations – especially if you would have to manually take control of the aircraft for any reason.

To help fill the gap in hands-on drone flight experience for aspiring drone pilots V1DroneMedia is now offering Drone Operations classes with both classroom and outdoor time for learning the drone apps, flying procedures and hands-on time, and Hands-on Flying Sessions for individuals and groups tailored to individuals' skill levels and goals. If one of your resolutions this year is to explore a drone as a hobby, learn to fly a drone proficiently, or learn advanced drone flying skills to further your drone industry career goals, Contact Us to schedule your session today! And get on an e-mail list to stay informed about our group class schedules.

Top Drone Applications in Construction Project Management

Many people don't think of drone uses beyond military applications or taking aerial pictures and video for professional photographers, videographers, and filmmakers. The truth is many industries are adopting this multi-use tool at very fast rates, and using drones for construction project management and site visualization is a top trend in the construction industry, according to Project Manager News.

Here are the top 4 drone uses for construction projects

1.   Construction Project Management via Construction Site Visualization

Drone photos and videos taken and shared at regular intervals for construction monitoring to verify progress, changes, and comparison vs. design documentation can improve communication and decision-making between the construction project management team members. When they are looking at the same pictures or video vs. written or verbal reports from several people walking the construction site at different times, there is a lot more clarity and agreement on the state of the site's progress, leading to faster problem identification and decision-making.

360 video and photo technology, when combined with drones can help produce virtual construction site tours (with interior and exterior of the building, see our example here) that can be used for touring the site virtually by team members, customers, or owner's reps, which gives transparency on the project progress, can help resolve conflicts, and speed up decision making.

Site mapping using drone photogrammetry software can be performed in all stages of construction, overlaying processed drone site maps with site plans for utility, wastewater, equipment location, etc.), helping with planning and managing the site.

2.     Drone Inspection (Building, Façade, roof, Equipment)

Remote drone inspections performed by qualified drone pilots can replace hours of human time spent inspecting and tracking the state or location of equipment, structures, and critical assets, decreasing the likelihood of employee accidents and human error when gathering this data visually by walking the site or climbing structures, leading to a more efficient, safer, and cost-effective operation.

Proven drone photogrammetry scanning software such as Drone Deploy, Pix4D, AgiSoft (and others) offer tools to upload and process point cloud data gathered by a drone pilot in a matter of hours, giving real-time actionable information in form of hi-res images and digital twins of structures (3D aerial photogrammetry models) for someone to conduct an inspection in the safety of their office, and provide collaborative tools for the construction team to document photographic evidence and make notes on "problem" areas.

3.     Construction Site Documentation

You can document as-built conditions upon the completion of the project via panoramic photo and video virtual tours, site maps, and 3D model creation that can be integrated into BIM (Building Information Management) and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) documentation.

Many photogrammetry drone software tools also offer integration of processed data (aerial maps, 3D models, etc.) with leading construction management software platforms, making the incorporation of this technology into existing workflows easier.

4.     Construction Services Marketing

It is well-documented that aerial photos and videos of construction sites are some of the best ways to market construction services. Construction site drone photos and videos can be used in customer presentations, websites, and social media to showcase progress and finished projects that give the firm credibility and get prospective customers excited about a potential partnership. What can be more gratifying and exciting than seeing a building which took months, if not years to build, go up in a Hyperlapse video in less than a minute?

Finally, the ability to provide construction site visualization and progress reports via photos, video, and virtual tours can be an additional way to make your construction company stand out among competitors when bidding for a construction project, as that's an additional value you are providing with multiple customer benefits.

We at V1DroneMedia specialize in providing safe, legal, and high-quality aerial drone services in and around Cleveland, Ohio, to various industries, including construction. Check out V1DroneMedia Drone Construction Services and Contact Us for a consultation or a project quote.