IT GIS Drone Program - City of Newport News
GIS Specialist-sUAS Pilot: Zach Long
Why Have a Drone Unit?
The Newport News GIS Drone program was created to bring new capabilities to the city for mapping, observation, promotional photography and video, and asset inspection.
The idea was that drones would help give a new perspective and increased capabilities that would increase the effectiveness of the city. The unit would also provide value in that it would be able to handle certain missions (like building inspections) that traditionally were contracted out to vendors.
IT GIS was chosen for two main reasons. First, a member of the GIS staff was a FAA certified pilot. Secondly, by centralizing the Drone unit in one division, it allowed for a single response to drone requests and removed the need for other departments buying drones and having staff trained.
Newport News GIS Drone Fleet
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Thermal
DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise
DJI Phantom 4 RTK
How are Drones used by the IT Department?
- Mapping Missions
- Orthomosaic mapping missions of Stormwater facilities
- Volumetric flights of the city's Recovery Operations Center
- Planimetric flights for getting new building footprints
- Photo and Video Missions
- Stormwater facilities
- Construction Projects
- Sites for future development
- Deer Population counts
- Using the thermal camera drone to count deer in City owned parks
- Building Inspections
- Using the thermal camera and visible light camera to inspect roofs and building for water and physical damage, general condition assessments, and completion of work.
- Event Coverage
- Using the drone to cover certain public and city sponsored events for promotional videos and photos.
Currently the Drone Unit has flown over 300 missions in 3 years.
Where we can fly in Newport News
Where and for who is the Drone Unit flying?
Images from Mission Flights
Deer at Riverview Farm Park with Infrared Camera --------- Thermal Roof Inspection of the Newport News City Jail --------- 2510 Jefferson Roof Damage --------- Split screen of Roof Inspection of Pearl Bailey Library
Processing and Analysis
The city uses DroneDeploy as the vendor to process and host online images and videos as well as to create reports from the drone flights. This allows the city to use the vendor to host deliverables and be able to provide links and downloads of videos and photos without having to use city resources directly.
Questions?
Zach Long : longze@nnva.gov
