Aerial Photography in Cornwall

8th June 2017 By royston

Our main office is based in Cornwall, hence a lot of our jobs are for Aerial Photography in Cornwall. But we have clients from all over the South West, Midlands and Wales.

In the last year we have seen major interest and success in combining 360 aerial Panoramas taken with our drones and ground based 360 panoramas to get client’s ranked on the top of the first page of Google.

Search Ranking Using Google Maps

Google’s search now features and is driven by Google Maps. You will see below two examples of Google search in 2017 with the Google Maps “3 pack” as we call it featuring after the adverts but about the #1 organic ranking on this page.

The Google Maps 3 Pack now appears for all popular search terms and accounts for over 44% of the clicks for any keyword search.
Our proven plan help client’s to rank in this prime position in the Google Maps “3 Pack”.

Google and 360 Photography

Google pioneered 360 photography starting in 2008 with their 360 pano mapping cars driving the length and breadth of many countries. Today you can use Google maps to look at the majority of streets and roads in the UK and then drop the little man icon onto the map to go to street view.

Their sister product Google Earth is satellite driven and you are able to zoom in on all areas of the country.

Most of us have used Google Maps or Earth at some point on our computer or mobile device to get directions, or just to look around places you’ve been or want to go to. It’s brilliant and from the comfort of home you can see precisely where you want to go, look at actual landmarks to guide your travels, and have view around the area as if on foot.

Google also market ground based 360 photography to business for the inside of businesses like restaurants hotels and shops.

How we help clients to rank top of the Google Maps 3 Pack.

Drone Photography Services offers this ground based 360 photography but we also do aerial 360 photography. This aerial viewpoint taken at between 40-70 metres fits between the maximum full zoom on Google Maps and Google Earth so the image is much clearer than the satellite images and it is right up to date.

We take images beyond the reach of the Google map cars of locations where Google have not been. So when we download them to Google Maps we are adding and improving the whole Google maps experience.

Also we make sure our subjects and images are really interesting so they get a lot of views on Google Maps. Now when you are popular and get a lot of views on Google maps that improves your ranking in the important Maps 3 pack.

Her is an example below of a ground based 360 panorama at the Eden project that was first included on Google Maps in October 2016 and to date has had over 183,000 views.

Further north here is an aerial 360 panorama in Stoke on Trent that has had over 93,000 views.

Here is another recent aerial 360 panorama using drone in Cornwall of a storage client.

Conclusions

Our photography improves our client rankings because Google really likes 360 panorama photographs especially of locations they have not photographed themselves before.

Google also like aerial panoramas taken by drones because they are in more detail than their existing satellite images and therefore are improving the user experience.

Yes this is 80% of the story revealed in this article, but there is a little secret sauce gained from 7 years SEO experience that we have not.

If you want to improve you Google rankings give us a ring for a no obligation review.

Roy Horton writes about Aerial Photography in Cornwall and drones Cornwall for Drone Photography Services.

Latest on Aerial Building Surveys and Inspections

27th May 2017 By royston

The two leading companies who supply aerial building survey software to work with DJI drones is Pix4D and Drone Deploy.

Here are a selection of articles where 2D Mapping – orthomosaic, 3D mapping are featured in a wide array of survey applications.

Documenting Mass Graves from a Medieval Pogrom

Creation of a 3D model and orthomosaic of three mass graves from an attack on a Medieval Jewish community – discovered in Tárrega, Spain. This important archaeological find was documented in 2007 with images, then reconstructed 9 years later by surveying company Terraltop, for the Museum of L’Urgell-Tárrega. Read the full article here.

More Efficient Construction Management

A volcanic archipelago in the Central Pacific of only 11,000 square miles, Hawaii has seen sustained economic growth for the last few years, and a record-breaking pace for the tourism industry. Construction benefits from this growth with an increasing need for infrastructure.

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company (HDCC) is the oldest and largest general contractor in Hawaii. Involved in all phases – pre-construction, design-build and construction – the company works on building, heavy infrastructure, waterfront/foundation, power/industrial and commercial projects.

HDCC was commissioned by SamKoo Pacific LLC for the construction of a 45-story tower condo building in Honolulu: the SamKoo Kapiolani Residence. Started in early 2017, the project will be delivered in 2018.

Offering an easy solution for site surveying and data collection, at lower cost in comparison to traditional land surveying methods, drones are used more and more by major construction companies. HDCC commonly uses drone building surveys to get regular as-built documentation of their jobsites and monitor the construction progress.

Read the full article here

Mapping the Abbey of Chateliers and Church of Ars-en-Ré

In order to explore how to better expand and improve their services, French photography and photogrammetry-based service provider Unautregard teamed up with Planète Sports & Loisirs and 3D Arcwest, to capture, 3D model, and 3D print the ruins of the Abbey of Chateliers and the church of Ars-en-Ré: two cultural heritage icons of the Île de Ré, in France.

Exploring ways to expand and better their services, the participants developed a project to present what can be achieved by combining aerial photography, photogrammetry-based 3D modeling, and 3D printing.

“First we had to select iconic buildings on the island which were aesthetic enough to highlight their aerial capturing, and interesting enough in terms of volumes to be 3D printed.” said Guy Dentan.

Each participant brought up different elements to the project: Guy Dentan from Unautregard added his photography and photogrammetry-based 3D modeling expertise, Michael Morin from Planète Sports & Loisirs his aerial photography skills, and Killian Jouan from 3D Arcwest his 3D printing experience.

Read the full article here

DroneDeploy Partners with DJI to Bring a Turnkey Mapping Solution to the Construction Industry

Available now from DJI’s online store, the DroneDeploy & DJI Construction Mapping Package includes a one-year Pro or Business software subscription to the DroneDeploy platform, the DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone and other drone accessories.

Read the Full article here

What Are Ground Control Points (GCPs) and How Do I Use Them?

If you work with drone services and drone mapping software, you’ve no doubt heard talk of ground control points (GCPs). Used often in the surveying industry, as well as in virtual design and construction, GCPs greatly increase the global accuracy of drone maps. Although they are not necessary in every situation, GCPs are a vital tool for precision mapping. But what exactly are ground control points? And how do you go about using them correctly?

To help crack the code on ground control points, we’ve put together this short guide to using GCPs with drone mapping software.

Read the full article here

Roy Horton writes about aerial building surveys and inspection for DPS

Plenty of Sparks Flying This Week

26th May 2017 By royston

Well DJI launched this week aerial photography for everyone in the form of the DJI Spark drone, but getting hold of one may be difficult.

The official party line is it will be available mid to late June if you reserve one.

When you look on DJI authorized resellers they are saying 97 days at the end of August. But privately the resellers are talking about a cautious third quarter after the delivery problems of the Mavic Pro. You can pre-order your Spark today with a reseller by paying a deposit of £100.

Initially the DJI spark is only available in white but you can order a variety of other colors: Sky Blue, Meadow Green, Lava Red and Sunrise Yellow. The splash of color is nice way to personalize your drone in a world of drones that are usually a mix of gray, white and black.

Starting price for this UAV equipment is £519 for the drone and £699 for a combo, which includes a remote controller, an extra battery some prop guard and a carry bag. The combo will be the best seller but will be a longer wait.

What Happens at Start Up

When you turn it on and hold it out in front of you, the Spark uses the camera to look for its pilot.

When the camera sees you, utilising face recognition and it has locked on to you, it can take off and hover within seconds of powering on.

Controlled via a new remote controller, your mobile device or even your hands, the DJI Spark signals the next generation of intuitive drone operation.

DJI has also developed an advanced flight control system to make flying even more fun and intuitive.

They call it ‘Deep Learning Gesture Recognition’ which lets you capture ‘Dronies’ using simple hand motions. Another step in the direction of autonomy is PalmControl mode which controls the DJI Spark‘s aerial movement by hand. This means that you can leave your remote controller and phone at home and still have the ability to fly the Spark.

Hold up a palm and move it side to side, and the Spark follows your hand. Wave at it, and it flies 10 feet away, keeping you centered in the shot. When you walk around, the drone continues to track you. A two-handed “picture frame” gesture snaps a photo.

To finish wave at the Spark, hold out your hand, and it flies down and lands in your outstretched palm.

DJI hope this product will allow drone aerial photography to be done by a much wider audience.

Automatic Flight Settings

DJI has six automatic flight maneuvers called Quickshots in the companion app

Pano:This mode shoots both horizontal and vertical panoramas by automatically adjusting its gimbal and heading.
ShallowFocus:This feature uses the DJI Spark‘s 3D vision technology to create photos with a shallow depth of field.
Additional camera modes include:
Rocket:The Spark ascends with the camera pointing downwards, capturing the scene below
Dronie:This setting makes the drone fly backwards and upwards, with the camera locked on its subject
Circle:A self-explanatory feature that circles around the target
Helix:With Helix, the Spark flies in an upward spiral around the subject

The Spark features existing DJI features –

TapFly mode which enables you to control your drone with a simple tap of your mobile device. Using DJI’s bespoke vision technology, the drone either flies in the direction of your tap or exactly where you tapped while actively sensing obstacles depending on the settings you choose.

ActiveTrack makes its return and allows the Spark to automatically recognise objects of different shapes and sizes to enable tracking based on what they are and how fast they move. There are two versions of this feature currently available on the Spark:

Trace: Track your target from in front or behind, or even circle around it.
Profile: Follow your subject from a fixed perspective

The Camera

The camera is full HD, and the still camera is 12MP. There is no 4K which means the Spark is not for commercial aerial photography. It’s more like a flying smartphone.

The Spark’s camera has been designed to ensure that all imagery us consistently sharp with little-to-none colour aberration and distortion. Featuring a f/2.6 wide-angle lens with a 25mm equivalent focal length, the camera’s five elements are arranged into a single group that fit into a compressed frame.

Small and compact like the drone itself, the camera features a 1/2.3″ CMOS sensor which allows for stabilised video at 1080p and stills at 12MP. The use of larger pixels means that the DJI Spark is sensitive to light and can record colours with precision. Keeping the camera in place is the 2-axis mechanical gimbal coupled with UltraSmooth technology which dramatically reduces shake and rolling shutter effects.

Drone Design

The aerodynamic, lightweight design is optimised for minimal wind resistance. The front-mounted gimbal and camera are flush with the aircraft which increases the overall stability of the system.

But what really hits you is the DJI Sparks size – it is so so small.

Contrary to earlier speculation the Sparks limbs don’t fold into the drone like the Mavic Pro.

An innovative HD Wi-Fi system allows 720p video transmission from up to 2km away.

A powerful 50kph of propulsion means you can expect a steady flight at speeds of up to 31mph in Sport Mode.

The DJI Spark also makes use of a powerful FlightAutonomy system which includes the front-mounted camera, its vision positioning system, a 3D sensing system, dual-band GPS, an inertial measurement unit and 24 computing cores. This allows Spark to hover accurately with VPS assistance at up to 98ft, sense front-facing obstacles from up to 16ft away and also land safely every time.

The Spark can return to its home point automatically. If the battery gets too low, the connection is lost or you hit the Return To Home button, the little quadcopter flies back to a pre-set home point while avoiding obstacles in its path. The Spark’s downward-facing camera also captures images of the area surrounding home point and references these images for a safe landing.

DJI Sparks Battery Life

The DJI Spark uses a high-energy density LiPo battery and features 12 intelligent protection features which ensure greater safety during flights. Additionally, the mini drone’s battery can estimate remaining flight times, which offers a heads up on when to land in real-time.

The battery life of 16 minutes is the most disappointing aspect about this drone.

Roy Horton writes about the drone industry, aerial photography in Cornwall and the South West for DPS.

Drone Filming at the Golf Sixes

10th May 2017 By royston

We were at the Centurion Club in Hemel Hempstead last week to do some drone golf course aerial photography and video of the six holes featured in the tournament.

The European Tour productions used our film for their pre-tournament promotional videos, posted on their social media including their Instagram page.

You can view all of videos on our YouTube channel, here is the link.

We filmed the six holes using both our Inspire and Phantom drones on Tuesday before the start of the tournament on Friday. Most of the spectator stands and the giant television screens on every holes were in place and the European Tour outside broadcast television equipment was on site. We counted at least fifteen articulated lorries in the TV compound located by the side of the last hole.

Everything had to be ready for the pro-am on the Friday then the tournament was over two days on Saturday and Sunday the 6th and 7th of May.

We were unable to fly drones at the tournament because of the CAA restrictions on flying drones at or over events with over 1,000 people.

On the two tournament days aerial filming was done using EyeFlyer ACS using a helium filled aerostat balloon blimp. The blimp was tethered at 600 feet giving a clear aerial view of all six holes.

Underneath it was configured to carry a HD gyro stabilised camera mount (HD Cineflex V14) which was controlled from the ground and fitted with a Fibre link down the tether line for video transmission. There were other camaras on rails and in the very high cherry picker.

Here are some images of the blimp, the van television studio at the bottom, and other cameras.

The Golf Sixes tournament made it debut at the Centurion Club, a new golf format likened to the twenty20 cricket. This was broadcast to 450 million viewers worldwide on Sky Sports at primetime on Saturday and Sunday.

European Tour players from 16 different nations competed in two-man teams in a knockout competition with one team winning on the final day.

Playing a six-hole course with themed holes that include shot clocks and a longest drive leaderboard, each team played in greensomes format- where the two players select their best tee shot and then play alternate shot thereafter.

The top two teams from each of the four groups progressed to the knockout stage – the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, a 3rd/4th place play-off match and the final.

The top seeds were the English duo of Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan, but were knocked out in the quarterfinals.

Denmark held off the 15 other teams and took home the trophy after a thrilling 3-1 victory in the final against Australia. The Danish duo of Thorbjorn Olesen and Lucas Bjerregaard celebrate their victory.

Golf Course Aerial Photography, Golf Sixes, European Tour, Centurion Club, aerial photography, aerial photography uk, drone aerial filming, drones, drone photography services,

Image from Twitter

The European Tour Introduced the use of a shot clock on one of the holes, this is an idea that could swiftly be incorporated in existing long-form tournaments.

This inaugural event proved meaningful golf matches can be played over as few as six holes. They can be done in just over an hour and a great tournament can be completed in a weekend.

For spectators, there was plenty to watch and hear, with a fan zone in the middle of the six-hole course. It was good to see a lot of younger spectators, changing the current perception of golf taking too long to play and watch and only appealing to a mainly male aging audience.

In conclusion, a very successful weekend and tournament, which according to the European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley will be back.

New DJI FPV Goggles

26th April 2017 By royston

The new DJI FPV goggles were announced this week at the NAB trade show in Las Vegas, the show that encompassing the convergence of media, entertainment and technology,

Fist impressions are that the DJI goggles look very large compared to other makes of FPV goggles and they are designed to be used with the Mavic Pro,

Today they were on preorder on the DJI website with forums rumoring delivery at 2-3 weeks.

DJI claim in their publicity “as a new way to see the world from above”. They are designed for easy FPV flying with a clear view and an immersive aerial photography experience.

The screens are large at 3840 x 1080 resolution double the density of normal FPV screens.

The DJI goggles have an 85° field of view, which they claim is the equivalent of looking at a 216 inch screen from three metres away.

They use the patented DJI OcuSync transmission technology first used on the Mavic, which allows for long-range 720p60 video and close-range 1080p30 video to give an amazing experience.

The OcuSync technology lets you connect up to 4 devices simultaneously so you can share the experience with friends.

For a good connection to the Mavic the DJI goggles have antennae built into the headband for full 360 coverage.

There is a new mode of flying with the forward speed of the aircraft fixed and a head tracking mode to control the aircraft yaw and gimbal pitch.

Not sure how this is allowed if the operator is to keep a line of sight. However on most of the DJI video they only show observers not operators wearing the FPV goggles.

Access to the different intelligent flight modes of the Mavic is by swiping the right side of the goggles.

The unit has a ridged band at the back of the goggles with an adjustable rotating wheel to tighten or loosen the unit. You can tune the focus of the screen in the goggles using two buttons on the outside. (see buttons above)

The front part of the screen can be flipped up for a quick view or taken apart from the headband for easy storage.

Dji says it works with all aircraft from the Phantom 3 standard onwards via the HDMI port in the controller and wireless with the Mavic Pro.

There is an external feed on the DJI Goggle so they can be used for watching TV, films or playing video games. It also has an integrated SD card for downloading images and video for the aircraft.

DJI had a video for their goggle on Youtube then as a strange tease they removed it. But a number of other channels recorded it before DJI took it down.

Here is the video:

Roy Horton writes for Drone Photography Services about FPV and Aerial 3d tours

GoPro Launch the Fusion 360 Panorama Video Camera

25th April 2017 By royston

This is much more exciting announcement from GoPro – a 360 Panorama camera rather than a struggling Karma Drone.

The GoPro Fusion is a 360-degree, spherical action camera that can capture stills and footage for VR as well as regular images and video.

As you know we do a lot of 360 aerial Panoramas, but 360 video equipment has not been really affordable until recently.

Here is the YouTube video that was published earlier this week showing the amazing video footage.

However to watch 360° videos, you need the latest version of Chrome, Opera, Firefox, or Internet Explorer on your computer. On mobile devices, use the latest version of the YouTube app or the picture looks odd. When the 360 panorama video plays on the latest version of your browser you can move around 360 using your mouse as the video is playing.

You can also watch 360° videos on YouTube app. For an immersive experience, you can use Google Cardboard.

If you have not got the latest version of the browser you get the message above displayed on Youtube under the video.

According to GoPro the name Fusion comes from “six GoPros fused into one” hence the name.

Fusion captures stunning 5.2K30 video and still images in full spherical mode. At the announcement Jess Foley, GoPro Senior Product Manager of Spherical Solutions (what a cool job title) said about composition:

our users will be able to record their moments in all directions and then go back and choose the composition they want. This is referred to as OverCapture or reframing. It’s like having a camera team with you when you shoot capturing your primary and b-roll footage. From there, you have the flexibility in post-production to pick and share all sides of your story in conventional HD.

The press release simple technical information said:

Fusion is the ultimate spherical capture solution for innovative, envelope-pushing content creators. In addition to high performance spherical capture for fully immersive VR experiences, Fusion’s 5.2K resolution enables a new OverCapture creative solution that gives content creators the flexibility to produce conventional non-VR video and photos in HD-quality “punched out” from the spherically captured angles. Not just a VR capture solution, Fusion ensures that traditional content creators will get the shot, while also capturing the unexpected.

This summer, GoPro will be working closely with a selection of pilot partners – including brands, agencies and content professionals – to further refine the user experience and produce inspiring content that demonstrates the creative potential of Fusion.

GoPro plans a limited commercial release of Fusion by the end of 2017. Details on pricing and other specifics will be provided at launch.

Those interested in participating in the pilot program can apply now here is the link to GoPro pilot program.

We have put our name down to try it.

GoPro Advanced Systems

The Fusion product is part of the 360 photography division of GoPro called Advanced Systems.
Some other exciting 360 panorama products under the advanced systems banner is Omni cube a 360 six camera array of Hero 4 black cameras at under $5,000 and the Odyssey which includes 16 camera synchronized HERO4 Black cameras in an all-in-one rig that’s capable of capturing immersive content in stunning 8K30 video.

This also shows the use and integration of the Kolor image stitching software using Autopano and Autopano Giga software, the company that GoPro bought in 2015.

Roy Horton writes for Drone Photography Services about 360 Panoramas.

DJI Phantom 4 Advanced is Announced

13th April 2017 By royston

This leaked video was found on the DJI website and published on YouTube yesterday on the Phantom 4 Advanced, as a DJI Instructor talks about how to calibrate the forward and bottom vision sensors.

The Phantom 4 Advanced comes with an improved camera, with a 1 inch sensor, which can shoot 4K video at 60FPS.

This will help produce high quality, stable aerial video footage and burst mode stills at 14fps.

The Phantom 4 Pro and Advanced

The Phantom 4 Advanced inherits most of the features of the Phantom 4 Pro.

To reduce the build cost of the Phantom 4 Advanced, DJI have removed the rear vision sensors or the two infrared sensors that are a feature of the Pro.

Phantom 4 Advanced remote controller is not compatible with other Phantom 4 models and does not support the 5.8ghz frequency band which is a feature of the Pro. However DJI are still offering the +(Plus) version of the controller with the integrated screen for both the Pro and Advanced for an additional cost of £230.

We do not recommend this +(Plus) controller because the integrated screen will not work with any other 3rd party apps that work on an IOS or Android table, like Litchi or Drone Deploy.

DJI are claiming a battery life of up to 30 minutes using the more powerful Pro batteries. Again very positive news for aerial photography drones in 2017.

New Flight Modes

The Phantom 4 Advanced adds new flight modes to the DJI GO 4 app, the same as the Pro.

A new ‘Draw’ flight mode has been added, which is a ‘brand new technology for waypoint control’.

ActiveTrack is also available, which will help the Phantom 4 Advanced track fast-moving objects with ease. Simply tap the moving object in the DJI GO 4 app and follow a subject running, driving or on a bike.

How Much will it Cost

Well the price of the DJI Phantom 4 Pro in the UK is currently advertised at £1,589, with the DJI Phantom 4 Advanced launch price of £1,469.

The + (plus) controller versions of both models are an extra £230, priced at £1,819 for the Pro and £1,699 for the Advanced. The high capacity (extra flight time) batteries are priced at £172.

The basic Phantom 4 i.e. being phased out and is currently selling gone the Heliguy website at £1,099 a saving of £190 on the list price.

One of the irritating facts is the UK selling price of DJI products compared to the United States. For example the equivalent Dollar prices with a current currency conversion rate of £1 to $1.25 work out at Phantom 4 – $1,199 (£958), Phantom 4 Advanced – $1,349 (£1,077), the Phantom 4 Pro – $1,499 (£1,197) and an extra high capacity battery – $169 (£135).

Roy Horton writes for Drone Photography Services about the drone industry and aerial drone photography.

The Leaked DJI Spark Drone

12th April 2017 By royston

News leaked this week says that DJI has a small drone that could be a baby Mavic, its called the DJI Spark.

The drone images first appeared a few days ago on a Chinese DJI forum (the site that hosted the original images been taken down).

The press and forums have speculated for months what DJI will launch next. Will it be a Phantom 5, a Mavic 2 or a downgraded Mavic Pro branded as the Mavic Standard.

It seems that the next release from DJI could now be a completely new small drone, called the DJI Spark. This drone could be another step forward for drone photography and drone services.

DJI has tried to deny the existence of the Spark, but they have registered the trade name “DJI Spark” which makes their denial hard to believe.

We looked at the images and reports of the DJI Spark and discuss the battery life, features, selling price and a possible release date.

Here are two of the most popular DJI Spark leak videos on Youtube:

DJI Spark Features

The size of the DJI Spark is 130 x 150mm (5 x 6 inches) diagonal measurement of 200mm. So as a comparison it is smaller than a standard IPad. So very compact and perfect for carrying and travelling anywhere.

Charging the batteries is via USB and possibly some form of magnetic wireless charging, with 4 square contact points on the bottom of the main fuselage.

These contact squares could be used with a carry case which is also a battery charger, so you put your Spark in the case and it can then charge. Probably a $100 + accessory, but in our opinion worth the money.

Also on the bottom of the Spark are two sonar sensors similar to the Mavic so it has features like optical avoidance.

There are possible forward facing Infrared sensors on the front, which are a cheaper option that the two sensors from the Mavic.

The camera is smaller than the Mavic with a 2 axis gimbal and will allow you to shoot video in 4K and take 12 megapixcel still images.

This is a move away from the standard DJI 3 axis gimbal (yaw, pitch, roll). The new two axis gimbal has the yaw removed, so a downgrade, but this is not a drone designed with the sophistication of the Phantom 4 Pro.

Also this two way Gimbal might allow the lens to be rolled into the body of the drone on power down thus protecting the lens for storage, when the Spark is not in use. So no need for a lens cap or protector.

The camera looks similar to the IPhone 7 with a possible dual camera lens (one handle wide angles and the other regular). Or this could be another IR sensor which will be at the same angle as the camera for additional forward obstacle avoidance.

DJI Spark is supposed to be compatible with the DJI goggles to give you the first person view FPV, a possible insight of drone flying in the future. This is why some of the buzz online is saying that DJI have developed their first racing drone.

Although small, the DJI Spark it a little big to be called a Nano drone, so it fits in the new size category called the Pocket / Selfie drone.

However it could be under the weight limit of when the FAA require registration in the US. This could be a good strategic sales ploy, as people will be legal without registering their drone. This drone could be another step forward for drone photography and drone services.

There are still a lot of unknowns here. For storage the DJI Spark could feature the foldable legs first seen on the Mavic.

Nearly every bit of the DJI Spark has been leaked through various sources and yet the controller remains a secret. DJI is keeping this part of the drone quiet or the Spark is controlled through a smartphone app.

Our Predictions

Here are a list of our predictions to fill in the DJI Sparks spec blanks:

The rumours on flight time vary from 10-15 mins. We Say 12 Mins
Availability is possibly the Summer 2017.
Pricing is expected to be in the range of $400-$600.
We think the launch price will be under $500.

Here are a selection of the DJI Spark images that have appeared online.

Roy Horton writes about the Drone industry and aerial photography in Cornwall

Drones are a Hot Topic with the RICS

5th April 2017 By royston

Drones are now a hot topic for surveying professionals and the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) the professional body that accredits professionals within the land, property and construction sectors worldwide.

In 2015, there were RICS-qualified professionals in more than 140 countries. The total number of those accredited worldwide was 120,000.

The use of drones and related technology is becoming commonplace among the surveying and mapping professions.

Now the technology is becoming more adaptable and user friendly, the underlying legal framework for operation must still be taken into account if surveyors are to avoid breaking the law.

So the surveying firms are looking at taking commercial drone pilot exams for their staff as well a contracting specialist drone companies for their aerial building surveys and inspection.

In October 2016 the RICS posted on the knowledge base on their website details for drones and Surveying in which they detailed the basic regulations for UAV’s and Drones.

Dan Hughes the Director of Data and Information Product Management for RICS wrote this week about a drone building survey saying:

“Just two years ago I was stumbling around rooftops, often without adequate safety systems and at night, taking infrared images to find areas of trapped moisture underneath the waterproof membrane. Nowadays, I rarely have to leave the safety of the ground at all, day or night.”

In his article he said that a drone is a surveying tool, enabling safer surveying, improving value for clients, and allowing more informed decisions with better date about managed assets.

The Dark Side of Drones

He also mentioned the safety challenges of drones with RICS members risking health and reputation, either flying without due consideration for the required qualifications, insurances and regulations or contracting to those few who choose to ignore them.

As soon as these challenges are overcome, then surveyors will begin to see the true benefits of drones in their industry.

A Conservative Industry

For an industry that has a conservative outlook drone started to be mentioned in RICS articles in 2015 showing that drone technology was finding its way into the day to day operations of many businesses.

Drone Building Survey Opportunities for Surveyors

Here are just a few examples where Drone Photography Services has being contracted for a drone building survey:

The preparation of a condition survey of a particularly tall, large or intricate building
Tall structures with no rooftop access where scaling a great height is not possible
Historic site with carved stonework, which is important to view but difficult to reach due to height, age or delicacy of the surrounding structures
High Tower with single access ladder
Supershed at 130,000 sq.ft with no way of reaching the centre
Large Aircraft hanger with high and large sliding aircraft doors
Properties with limited access due to proximity to neighbours or bodies of water or access via unstable ground.

Drone offer a fast cost effective alternative in the first instant to cherry pickers, climbers and steeplejacks.

The images and video a drone can capture are in high resolution for use in any report. With a live feed to the ground the surveyor is able to direct the camera to specific sections of wall or roof for a closer look. This is bringing down the time and cost of condition surveys.

Roy Horton writes for Drone Photography Services.

Drone Flying and Training In Devon

28th March 2017 By royston

aerial photography in Devon, drone photography devon

Commercial Drone Training In Newton Abbot

If you want to get paid for your aerial drone photography in Devon then you need to do a commercial drone pilot training course.

Anyone who wants to fly a drone for commercial aerial work needs a Permission from the CAA called ‘Permission for Commercial Operations’ (PfCO) and be at least 18 years of age. The CAA regulations and permissions are different for drones UAV’s that weigh under 7kg and ones that weigh 7-20 kgs.

To get this Permission, you will need to:

demonstrate a sufficient understanding of aviation theory (airmanship, airspace, aviation law and good flying practice)
pass a practical flight assessment (flight test)
develop basic procedures for conducting the type of flights you want to do and set these out in an Operations Manual

There are a number of recognised training and assessment organisations that offer drone pilot training. These training organisations called NQE’s (National Qualified Entities) by the CAA, should help you develop an operations manual and offer advice on completing any additional paperwork.

A company called Commercial Drone Training offer a PfCO ground school & flight test, practical experience, operations manual completion workshop, accommodation & full board at a 92 acre drone friendly country estate in Newton Abbot in Devon, at a cost of £1250. This is for a three day residential training course but they offer the opportunity to spend an extra 2 days of practical training for a small extra cost for accomodation.

When you carry out work for any business or organisation they will want to deal with people who know about drone use and how to use a drone safely. It is mandatory that you will have met the requirements of the UK CAA’s CAP722: Civil UAS Remote Pilot Competency.

Now companies are using drones for commercial reasons, whether they own their drones or hire in someone to carry out aerial photography work, there is an expectation that the pilot controlling the unmanned aircraft has undergone training and has CAA permission. This is important for insurance and liability reasons.

When you have CAA Permission For Aerial Work (PFAW) you will be able to carry out building or land survey work, do aerial video filming or use specialist knowledge for 2D or 3D mapping or many other business areas in which drones are becoming an important tool.

At the moment there is no UK legislation or requirements for those with small drones and who are using them for recreation or hobbies, to have training or any form of drone registration or license.

We are now looking at offering short introductory lessons for drones in Devon and Cornwall for new drone users that will help you to both fly safely and also teach you the basics of controlling your expensive drone to avoid early accidents.

Roy Horton writes about aerial Photography in Devon for Drone Photography Services.

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