Aerial Photography, Videos, and Orthophoto Maps

When is aerial photography legal?

Most photographs, maps, 3D models, and videos used in real estate that aren't captured from something on the ground are taken by small unmanned aerial vehicles (sUAV), commonly called "drones".  The FAA's regulations are very clear: any drone work used commercially, including real estate, must be performed by an FAA Part 107 licensed remote pilot (or a regular pilot with a Remote pilot's rating).  This interpretation is so broad that if a homeowner takes recreational drone photos of their property, and decide to sell later and use those images, they are using the photos commercially and both the homeowner and real estate agent face potential civil penalties for using a drone- even though the commercial use wasn't intended when the photographs were taken!

The bottom line is that all drone photos used in a real estate transaction or any other commercial use must have originated from an FAA licensed pilot.  The rules regarding operating in restricted or controlled airspace, and how to get FAA waivers to do so are complicated.  They are also very important for the safety of our airspace.

I only use an FAA licensed pilot using lawfully registered aircraft for all of our drone work.

Not just for listing photographs

Our drone work is helpful for buyers as well as sellers.  For buyers we have surveyed roofs, produced orthophoto maps, 4k flyover videos, and other special requests.  We can produce imagery with much more detail than what Google Maps show and the data is current- not based on satellite images taken years ago.

What is an orthophoto map?

An orthophoto map is a high-resolution aerial image that’s been geometrically corrected to remove distortion from terrain, camera tilt, and lens angle. Unlike a regular aerial photo, an orthophoto has a uniform scale and shows ground features in their true positions, just like a traditional map.  

One of our orthophoto maps:  

Things to try:  Zoom in/zoom out, move around the map, have fun!  Use the polygon tools on the left for things like estimating distances, area, or volume.  Use the layers icon on the upper right to toggle between satellite, street, elevation mode, etc.  

Here's an example of an interactive 3D model.   Use your mouse to move the image around in 3 dimensions, zoom in and out, and virtually explore the landscape:

Video

A stunning, 4k flyover video of a property is useful for buyers and sellers.  Here's an example- I suggest viewing it in 4k at full screen:

The Fine Print

"Orthophoto maps are a powerful tool and can vary in quality based on conditions, equipment, and processing. The maps we provide are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for certified surveys, engineering plans, or legal documentation. While every effort is made to create maps as accurately as practical, they are not intended to meet the precision required for regulatory or professional use. For any work involving property boundaries, permitting, construction, or other professional use, always consult a licensed surveyor or engineer."