The Flying Surveyors Network

The network of land surveyors and topographers equipped and trained for the survey by drone

In order to match the growing demand of services by drone, from the mineral world, buildings and public works outsourcers, Heliceo creates the « Flying Surveyors Network ».

Who can call this network ?

You are a professional actor of the mining industry, the public works, the buildings construction, the waste recycling, the architecture, the archeology. You are a local Community, a territorial Authority, a roads, railways, or energy infrastructures management company.

You are willing to find skilly operators for your drones or bathymetry missions. You are looking for a professional network that covers a local, regional, or national territory. This network is made for you.

Who are the Flying Surveyors ?

100% of the Flying Surveyors are Certified Land Surveyors or Topography Surveyors. The Flying Surveyors are measuring professionals, employees of a land surveying or topography company.

How are the Flying Surveyors trained ?

The Flying Surveyors are then trained in the Hélicéo pilot school.

The one month training is divided in 3 steps.

The initial curriculum is supplemented by practical training
at the Hélicéo Flying School.

The one month training is divided in 3 steps.

Theoretical training
Theoretical training in preparation to the French ULM exam of the DGAC. The training is given by a qualified instructor of the DGAC.

Training to the remote piloting of the drone
Manual and automatic, given by experienced pilots

Photogrammetric training
After a quick review of the fundementals, the training is declined in both terrestrial and aerial versions. It aims to give the good method for a quality and successful mission.

The training is given by photogrammetric engineers or doctors.

The training is given in French, English and Spanish.


What equipment do the Flying Surveyors use in their missions ?

The Flying Surveyors are all equipped by Hélicéo. This allows to maintain the same mission quality, for all pilots. The equipments used are of the following types.

Fox4 or SuperFox6 multicopters, Fusion or FoxyPro VTOL planes, FoxBathy et FoxyWalk for bathymetric and terrestrial surveying.

As all land surveyors and topographers, they use GNSS ground stations for the GCPs and targets measurements, and Pix4D for the photogrammetric post-processing.

Are there differencies between measurements collected by the Flying Surveyors and other drones operators ?

Our experience shows that slight differences may be seen. In a photogrammetry missions, we could observe differencies in volume calculation of sometimes more than 10.000 cubic meters, or in absolute positioning of sometimes dozens of meters. Executing a drone mission with the permanent goal of obtaining high accuracy is a trade and a permanent challenge.

Our network proposes skilly and well trained Surveyors and Topographers.

How works our network ?

Our network works as a group of partners. Hélicéo is the administration center that collects the tender documents and the services demands, that prepares offers of services, and that spread the production works to the members of the Flying Surveyors Network. Hélicéo or another company of the network can be the legal prime contractor for tenders. Each member of the network can ask the help of another member to execute its mission.

Why can our Network ensure
unbeatable accurate missions ?

The unique Hélicéo training given to our Flying Surveyors ensures a high quality of work. The flight missions respect the photogrammetry rules (optimal over and sidelaps, flying height, cross strips). The sensors are not chosen by chance, but by precise analysis of their characteristics. Each sensor is in addition calibrated on our photogrammetric wall.

Our sensors are also calibrated on the drones, by describing their mechanical and temporal installation offsets, refering to the GNSS drone reference. These offsets are used to correct the RTK GNSS data after flight, with our HASK software.

All of these parameters allow us to realize high quality missions, in respect of the topography accuracy. Uniformity in the equipment, training, missions piloting and post-processing places the Flying Surveyors Network at a first position on the market.


How to join our network ?

It is easy. You are a Land Surveyor or a Topograher, and you decide to be equipped by Hélicéo. You follow our trainings. You you will automatically become a Flying Surveyor candidate.


Can the network brings me business ?

The network aims indeed to bring business to all members of the Flying Surveyors Network.