Outlook Universal Aerial Services, LLC. Built for the far side of the map. Outlook UAS, LLC. Built for the far side of the map.

Repeat mapping of a rural property near Delta, Colorado

Repeat RGB drone mapping of a 32 ha rural property near Delta, Colorado: 1 cm orthomosaics, DSMs and point clouds from three 2019 flights.

1,831
IMAGES IN ONE FLIGHT
1 cm
GROUND SAMPLE DISTANCE
<24 h
CAPTURE TO PROCESSED REPORT (AUG 2019)

A rural property in Delta County, Colorado, irrigated pasture, a plowed field, a farmstead with outbuildings, and dry rangeland with a stock pond, mapped twice in 2019 and revisited three more times through 2020. The client is the private owner of the property, which is run as a working ranch and farm.

Scope & deliverables.

Capture

  • Aircraft and sensor: DJI Phantom 4 Pro (FC6310 camera, 1-inch 20 MP RGB, 8.8 mm lens), firmware v01.07.1641. Same airframe on every visit.
  • Flight 1, 8 June 2019, 15:54–19:04 local. 1,831 images (5472 × 3648). Median height 39.5 m above takeoff (range 30–40 m per image metadata); 1,277 nadir frames and 554 oblique. ISO 100 throughout.
  • Flight 2, 10 August 2019, 14:18–20:11 local. 1,508 images at a median 39.6 m above takeoff; 1,150 nadir. ISO 100–160.
  • Overlap: image spacing in the processing logs (June rapid project: 7.6 m along track, 5.7 m between lines, 57.5 × 38.3 m footprint) works out to roughly 80% forward and 90% side overlap, assuming the standard grid orientation.
  • Georeferencing: on-board image geotags only (WGS 84 / UTM zone 13N). A GNSS base-and-rover session was run on 8 June 2019 (6 base points, 11 rover points, 2.065 m pole) but was not applied, see accuracy section.
  • Follow-up visits: 28 September 2019 (4K video and 43 stills, oblique, 3–57 m), 28 July 2020 (9 stills, 13 clips), 26 December 2020 (255-image nadir dataset at 22.7 m above takeoff, JPEG + DNG, collected as machine-learning training data).
  • Conditions: daylight VFR, low wind, good visibility and high ceilings on every visit (operator's record; the archive holds no weather log).

Deliverables

  • June 2019 (rapid project, processed overnight 8–9 June): orthomosaic GeoTIFF, 4-band RGBA, 4.19 cm/px, 10,981 × 9,614 px, 280 MB; DSM GeoTIFF float32, 4.19 cm/px, 94 MB; both EPSG:32613 with .tfw/.prj and 5,000-px tiles; LAS point cloud; Pix4D quality report PDF (8 pages). Full June project: 1,563 of 1,831 images calibrated (85%), 1.00 cm GSD, 29.9 ha / 73.8 acres, report PDF only (9 pages).
  • August 2019 (processed 11 August, 08:57): orthomosaic GeoTIFF 4-band RGBA, 4.27 cm/px, 12,682 × 20,950 px, 520 MB; DSM float32 4.27 cm/px, 168 MB; EPSG:32613 with tiles; LAS point cloud; Pix4D quality report PDF (10 pages): 1,311 of 1,478 images calibrated (88%), 1.07 cm GSD, 31.8 ha / 78.7 acres.
  • Note: both orthomosaics were exported at four times the native GSD (≈4.2 cm/px from ≈1.05 cm imagery).
  • September 2019: one edited 4K reel (4096 × 2160, 2 min 26 s, MP4) and 42 edited stills (JPG).
  • December 2020: raw image dataset only (no map products).

Cadence

Recurring. Five visits over 19 months: 8 Jun 2019, 10 Aug 2019, 28 Sep 2019, 28 Jul 2020, 26 Dec 2020. Two of the five produced map products.

Method boundary

These are RGB photogrammetry products georeferenced from the aircraft's own GNSS geotags. Positions are consistent within the model but are not tied to independent ground control, so absolute position can be off by metres, especially in height. The products are suitable for visual record, planning sketches, relative measurement of features, change comparison between visits, and communication with contractors. They are not suitable for boundary or easement determination, engineering design, pay-quantity volumes, or any deliverable that carries professional responsibility. Work of that kind is routed through a licensed Professional Land Surveyor.

How accuracy was held.

Produced to a documented RGB photogrammetry workflow.

  • Flight geometry: fixed 30–40 m height above takeoff, nadir grid with ≈80/90% overlap, ISO 100, 1/240–1/800 s shutters (August: 1/30–1/800 s). Calibration rate and block count were checked in the quality report the same day (June rapid: 98% calibrated, 2 blocks; August: 88%, 4 blocks).
  • Internal model consistency: mean reprojection error 0.09 px (August report), 0.09 px (June rapid report) , a measure of block fit, not of ground accuracy.
  • Ground control: a base/rover GNSS session was logged during the June flight. Every rover fix was FLOAT (no fixed-integer solution) and every base point was a SINGLE (autonomous) solution; repeat occupations of the same base mark disagreed by 3.94 m in height. The control was judged unfit and was not applied. Georeferencing stayed on image geotags, and no accuracy is claimed.
  • Independent checkpoints: none. This work is produced to a documented RGB photogrammetry workflow, not tested to an ASPRS accuracy class.
The ASPRS ladder, explained→

Delivery commitments.

Standard-scope deliverables are typically available in the portal within 24 hours of flight; larger, survey-tested, or multisensor scopes receive quoted timeline.
Free reprocessing, revision, and re-delivery for the life of the project, within original scope.
Data is processed in the field and checked for completeness before demobilization (coverage, overlap, control residuals); final validation follows the stated delivery method.

Scope one like it.

15-minute reply. Fixed price. Lifetime data support.

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