Field Notes
Practical guidance on mapping construction sites
Plain explanations of what the deliverables are, how accuracy is established, and what a flight actually involves on an active site. Written for the people who have to use the data, not for other drone operators.
Recent posts
How Drone Mapping Reduces the Environmental Impact of Construction
Better site data means less over-excavation, fewer haul trips, tighter limits of disturbance, and a dated record of what actually changed on the ground.
What You Actually Get From a Construction Drone Survey
Orthomosaic, DSM, DTM, point cloud, contours, volumes. A plain explanation of each deliverable, what it is good for, and the three questions to ask before signing a quote.
How to Prepare an Active Site for a Drone Flight
Airspace, boundaries, coordinate systems, and timing. What to sort out before flight day so a mapping flight adds nothing to the superintendent’s workload.
Ground Sample Distance, and How Much Resolution You Need
GSD is the size of one pixel on the ground. What the number means, why resolution is not accuracy, and why asking for the finest available is usually the wrong request.