Delivering a 45,800 m2 high-resolution LiDAR scan for precise volume measurements — under tight deadlines and challenging conditions.
- 16:00: A surprise call from a first-time customer requesting next-day LiDAR scanning for a road/harbor project, a 350 km drive away (one way)
- 17:30: Quotation accepted and purchase order confirmed
- 20:00: Equipment prepared and ready for deployment
- 04:00: Departure from Oslo
- 08:00: Arrived on-site, waiting five hours for favorable weather conditions (rainy day in Norway). Real-time adjustments to the flight plan based on on-site inspection findings.
- 17:00: Flights completed, data verified, and checked for completeness by our Geomatics M.Sc.
- 18:30: Back in Oslo, just in time for the annual Christmas dinner at 20:00.
- Within 48 hours from first contact: Georeferenced point cloud delivered and invoiced.
The operation was more than just flying the drone — meticulous preparation was required:
- Quotations and Order Confirmations: Quickly prepared and issued.
- Detailed Flight Planning: High-resolution LiDAR mission, terrain model (DTM10) essential for safe operations.
- Complex Area of Interest: Urban settings, highways, harbor zones (RoRo), fuel terminals, wildlife protection areas.
- Regulatory Compliance: Conducted EASA Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) for UAVs (<3m with parachute and RemoteID).
- Notified the National Safety Authority (required for LIDAR sensors)
- Notified Avinor NINOX for airspace coordination
- Coordinated with the international airport control tower for controlled airspace operations.
- Safety arrangements with the neighboring harbor fuel terminal.
- Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) measures with the customer.
- Safety pilot monitoring the operation remotely from Oslo for added safety and redundancy.
A perfect blend of safety, efficiency, and quality — proving that even complex, urgent projects can be executed without compromise when standard operating procedures are in place and effective.
Not every day looks like this, but when it does, we rise to the challenge.
