First-Time Client Guide: What Happens on Your First Drone Survey Day
Hiring a drone company for the first time comes with a lot of unknowns. Do you need to be on-site? What if it rains? How long until you get your files? This guide walks through the entire process from booking to deliverable delivery so there are no surprises on flight day.
Before the Flight
Step 1: Scope and Quote
We start with a brief conversation about your project — what you need mapped or inspected, the approximate acreage or structure size, your timeline, and what you plan to do with the data. From that we send a written quote specifying deliverables, file formats, turnaround time, and price. No surprises.
Step 2: Scheduling and Weather Policy
We book a primary flight date and an automatic backup date within 5 business days. We monitor the National Weather Service 10-day forecast and will contact you 24–48 hours before the flight to confirm or reschedule. We do not fly in:
- Sustained winds above 20 mph
- Rain, snow, or imminent precipitation (within 2 hours)
- Visibility below 3 statute miles
- Cloud ceilings below 500 feet AGL
In Iowa, spring and summer weather often means we use the backup date. This is normal — we build it into every booking.
Step 3: Airspace Check
We handle all airspace authorization. You don't need to do anything here. We check your site coordinates against FAA controlled airspace maps and obtain LAANC authorization if required. If your site is near Sioux Gateway Airport or another controlled facility, we get clearance before arriving on-site — not after.
On Flight Day
Do You Need to Be Present?
For most commercial projects — open fields, construction sites, commercial roofs — you do not need to be on-site. We just need confirmed site access (gate codes, contact for security, parking instructions). For inspections where we're documenting specific defects or conditions you want flagged, having a point of contact available by phone is helpful.
What We Actually Do On-Site
- Site walk and safety scan — identify hazards, overhead obstructions, people in the flight path
- Equipment setup and calibration — typically 10–15 minutes
- Ground control point placement if included in scope (adds 20–30 minutes)
- Automated flight mission — most flights are fully autonomous once launched
- Data verification — we review captures on-site to confirm coverage before leaving
Total on-site time for a typical 100-acre agricultural field or mid-size commercial property is 1.5–2.5 hours. Larger sites take proportionally longer.
Tip: If you want to watch, you're welcome to. Many clients find it interesting — just stay behind the pilot's position and outside the flight area.
After the Flight: Processing and Delivery
Raw data goes into processing within a few hours of the flight. Standard turnaround:
- Orthomosaic / basic mapping: 24–48 hours
- 3D model or point cloud: 48–72 hours
- NDVI / multispectral analysis: 24–48 hours
- Inspection report with annotations: 24–48 hours
Deliverables are shared via a link to your client portal or a shared folder (Google Drive, Dropbox — your preference). Files are named and organized clearly. If you use Procore, Pix4D Cloud, or another platform, ask us about direct delivery options.
Common File Formats
- GeoTIFF: Georeferenced raster — works in GIS, AutoCAD, most ag platforms
- LAS/LAZ: Point cloud — works in Autodesk ReCap, Civil 3D, QGIS
- OBJ / FBX: 3D mesh models for visualization
- JPEG / PNG: Inspection photos and overview imagery
- PDF: Inspection or analysis reports
If you need a specific format or coordinate system (NAD83, Iowa State Plane, etc.), tell us before the flight — it's much easier to specify output format upfront than to reprocess afterward.
Have questions before booking? Contact us or call (712) 318-2470 — we're happy to walk through the process for your specific project.