Mission
Flight patterns for mapping and inspection.
Flight patterns for mapping and inspection: a serpentine survey grid over an area, corridor lines along a road or pipeline, an orbit around a tower, facade passes up a wall, a geofence, and waypoint export as KML, GeoJSON, or CSV. It is for mapping and inspection pilots. Start with the survey grid for an area map, using the line and photo spacing from the overlap and trigger tool. Check the height reference before you fly: a constant height above takeoff is not a constant height above the ground, and overlap drops over hills.
Planning and education aid. Not for primary navigation. Full disclaimer
I want to lay out a mapping grid over an area
- Survey grid (lawnmower pattern)
A serpentine mapping pattern over an area, with no-fly holes routed around, the fewest lines by default, overshoot, and an optional crosshatch: waypoints, line count, path length, turns, photo count, and flight time.
I want to map a road, pipeline, or river
- Corridor mapping lines
Parallel flight lines that follow a centerline (a pipeline, road, or river) across a corridor width, with the line count from your spacing, flown back and forth.
I want to circle a point of interest
- Orbit around a point of interest
Waypoints on a geodesic circle around a point, each with the heading toward the center and the gimbal pitch that keeps a target height centered, like the top of a tower.
I want to photograph a building face
- Facade scan
Waypoints for photographing a building face: level passes at a fixed standoff, stacked up the wall with the overlap you set, and the GSD on the facade.
I want to fence a mission and check its waypoints
- Geofence around an area
A fence a set distance around a point, route, or area, with an optional inner warning fence, its area and perimeter, and any waypoint that falls outside.
I want to save waypoints as KML, GeoJSON, or CSV
- Export a mission (KML, GeoJSON, CSV)
Waypoints written as a KML file with the right altitude mode, GeoJSON with each waypoint's details, or CSV, labeled with the height reference and a not-for-navigation notice.
Guides that use these tools
- Lidar bid: The size of the site, the flight lines and flight time, the batteries it takes, and the accuracy you can state.