Want a Drone Survey for a Pipeline Project? Consider These Four Things
If you’re planning a pipeline construction project, and you’ve heard about the benefits that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can offer during the land surveying process, then you’re certainly not alone. As UAVs become more affordable, they are becoming a popular tool for land surveying. Project managers are flocking to UAVs as a means to lower costs, speed up the land surveying process, and ensure data accuracy. However, in order to take advantage of these benefits, it’s important that you take the time to do things the right way. Read on to learn several things you should consider before using a drone survey for your pipeline project.
1. Does the Surveyor Employ Certified Drone Operators?
First and foremost, we are living in a world where almost anyone can acquire an inexpensive drone and start offering their services as a UAV surveyor. It is true that drone technology has grown more accessible in recent years, but it’s still very important to make sure you work with a qualified, sUAS certified professional.
Working with a certified drone pilot will help make sure that the data you capture is accurate and that your organization complies with all local regulations in the process. As a result, you won’t have to worry about any unpleasant surprises that might come from breaking laws that you didn’t know existed. Additionally, using a licensed surveyor who operates drones will ensure the data is accurate and actually usable on a project.
2. Does the Surveyor Use the Latest Drone Technology?
So many of the benefits of getting a drone survey depend on using the latest technology and working with a team that knows how to get the most out of that technology. Modern UAVs can move faster and capture more accurate data than their older counterparts. Since pipeline projects require you to survey long distances, and pick up the most complete, accurate data possible along the way, drawing from the most advanced technology is especially important.
3. Is the UAV Surveyor Experienced with the Jurisdictions in Question?
One of the unique challenges of pipeline projects is that they tend to cover very long distances while passing through many different local jurisdictions in the process. Each of these jurisdictions will have their own unique UAV requirements, and these requirements must be properly accounted for during the UAV surveying process. Working with a surveying provider that has been there before can take a lot of pressure off your shoulders.
4. Does the UAV Surveyor Offer End-To-End Data Services?
While the data collection portion of the land surveying process is certainly important, you also need to ask yourself what comes after that. Are you given the raw data and then simply expected to figure out how to use it yourself?
Ideally, you would work with an end-to-end UAV service provider, that would not only help you collect the data, but also process it for you promptly, store it in a secure location, and then distribute it using a centralized cloud platform that allows users from across the organization to pull needed data and documents. This last point is especially important for pipeline projects; since field teams can be spread out and disconnected from office teams, making it easy for everyone to pull from the same data source is essential.
Landpoint for UAV Surveying Services
The key takeaway from this post is that who you choose to work with for your UAV land surveying services can mean the difference between success and failure. At Landpoint, we’re ready for the opportunity to prove to you that we can offer all the benefits you need from a trusted surveying partner. Contact us today to get started.
