AERO-METRIC Aircraft

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| Aero-Metric FLEET & CAMERAS

Image acquisition is the first step in a geospatial services project, and it is a core competency at Aero-Metric giving the company tighter control over client projects. Aero-Metric owns and operates a fleet of eight fixed-wing aircraft equipped with specialized remote sensing equipment, ranging from conventional metric film cameras to state-of-the-art digital sensors. In addition, depending on the scope and requirements of a project, the Company will subcontract for the services of rotary or additional fixed-wing aircraft. The table below lists the Company’s aircraft.

Because foliage and snow cover can obscure the earth’s surface, image acquisition tends to be highly seasonal, especially in the northern part of the country. Cloud free and minimum haze weather conditions are required for proper image acquisition.

Because of these strict environmental conditions, flight crews monitor weather 24/7 and mobilize aircraft to project sites with favorable weather conditions and capture the needed imagery.

CONVENTIONAL
IMAGING EQUIPMENT
While aerial photography is becoming increasingly digital, conventional film photography remains the most widely used image acquisition method in the industry today, and many of the Company’s clients specifically request analog imaging as a project requirement. Analog aerial photography cameras are very sophisticated compared to traditional photography equipment, incorporating motion compensation technology that allow for extremely high resolution photographs taken from various altitudes. Aero-Metric owns thirteen film camera systems, which are primarily manufactured by Zeiss.

Aircraft Type	Year	Power	Tail No.	Location
King Air E-90	1974	twin turbine	N89SWW	Anchorage
Aero Commander 690	1972	twin turbine	N57175	Sheboygan
Aero Commander 500S	1976	piston twin	N280MB	Sheboygan
Cessna 310Q	1972	piston twin	N7516Q	Anchorage
Piper Navajo Panther	1979	piston twin	N73TM	Sheboygan
Piper Chieftain	1977	piston twin	N6GR	Anchorage
Cessna 320E Sky Knight	1967	piston twin	N3443Q	Anchorage
Cessna T-210 Centurion	1982	turbocharged piston single	N69WA	Seattle

DIGITAL IMAGING EQUIPMENT
Historically, digital cameras have not provided the appropriate resolution for high-tolerance photo-grammetric requirements. However, today’s digital camera equipment is able to produce superior images at a higher resolution than conventional film cameras. Digital images can also be manipulated using sophisticated computer software that is capable of a higher degree of automation versus analog image processing equipment. The digital imaging process has gained popularity in recent years and will eventually replace film capture. Aero-Metric has full digital imaging capacity and provides analog-to-digital precision scanning services for clients requesting this service.

DIGITAL MAPPING CAMERA (DMC)
A digital mapping camera is among the most sophisticated tools in the geospatial services profession. DMC's can capture imagery with pixel resolutions as small as two inches. Because the image is digital, DMC's allow for faster, more efficient and more accurate image processing and manipulation. The DMC is able to acquire all of its images in a single pass (panchromatic, color and color infrared), eliminating the need for multiple photo missions. Aero-Metric owns one Zeiss Intergraph DMC. More on DMC...

Resolution improvement available through digital photography (right) versus film photography (left):

Film versus Digital MApping Camera

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