A team of Northland surveyors is taking aerial mapping to a whole new level using the latest technology.
Beasley and Burgess Surveyors, based in Whangarei, are the first surveyors in Northland to use an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, to take photos from the sky for aerial surveying.
While it is called a drone it looks suspiciously like a small and sleek glider. It has a 2.6m wingspan, is 1.3m in length, weighs 4.2kg and is easily launched by hand by throwing it into the sky.
The craft flies 120m above the ground at a speed of 60km/h. It can operate in winds of up to 30km/h and with a tail wind can reach 100km/h.
A camera with a wide-angle lens is fitted in the body of the craft and it snaps photos as it cruises across the sky.