Flight Planning

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Flight Planning
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Understand the requirements of the Project

• Scale what size of object must be visible
• Inverse relationship between scale (spatial
  resolution) and cost/complexity.
• Is stereo overlap (60) required?

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Mission requirements contd.

• Solar angle? Are shadows useful or a problem?
• Solar Noon.
• Seasonal Sun angle?
• Vegetative conditions (leaf on/leaf off?)
• Agricultural management practices
• Climatic factors (missions to the Oregon Coast in
  winter.)
• Budget/equipment availability?

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Camera Systems

• Most common are frame cameras (single
  exposure/single frame)
• Video, panorama, strip, multiband (IMHO, digital
  video offers the best development platform for
  aerial photography)
• Must maintain constant spatial relationship
  between focal plane (film) and lens
• CFL (calibrated focal length lens) certified
  focal length by National Bureau of Standards (f)
• Film flattening if less than 4X5 format and no
  requirement for precise photogrammetry direct
  tension
• Most mapping cameras have a vacuum platen

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Film format

• 35mm (diagonal measurement)
• 70mm
• 5X5
• 9X9
• Examples.
• The larger the format, the more information can
  be stored on each frame e.g. 35mm has just ¼ the
  area of a 70mm frame.

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Understanding Platform capabilities and
limitations

• Each platform available to an air photo mission
  has inherent capabilities/limitations and COSTS.
• Lower costs less capability
• Critical functions of the platform
• Stability
• Range
• Positional accuracy (elevation and location)
• TRADE OFFS!!!

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Ultra light platform. A possibility?
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NASA 933 The original vomit comet for monkeys
in the space program! Purchased about
1960 Converted to aerial telescope
platform Finally, converted to a recon bird with
mapping camera and ATLAS sensor.
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The U-2S is a single-seat, single-engine,
high-altitude, surveillance and reconnaissance
aircraft. Long, narrow, straight wings give the
U-2 glider-like characteristics and allow it to
lift heavy sensor payloads to unmatched high
altitudes quickly, and keep them there for a long
time. The U-2 is capable of collecting
multi-sensor photo, electro-optic, infrared and
radar imagery, as well as collecting signals
intelligence data. It can down link all data,
except photo imagery, in near real-time to
anywhere in the world,
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http//www.digitalglobe.com/images/qb/daytona_int_
speedway_feb13_2003_DG.jpg
The QuickBird satellite captures
0.61-meter-resolution panchromatic imagery, and
2.4-meter multi-spectral imagery. It will produce
11 x 11-km snapshots to 11 x 225-km strip maps.
In addition to green, red and near-infrared
wavelengths, the multi-spectral image sensor can
also process a blue channel, enabling true color
imaging from space.
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Mounting Systems

• Isolate vibration (engine vibration, turbulence,
  yaw, pitch etc.)
• Allow for course compensation (crab)
• Pressurized cabin requires pressure window
• Forward motion compensation? (FMC)
• Limit modifications to the aircraft.

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Bell 206 JetRangerSTC SH3234NMIncluding 206,
206A, 206A-1, 206B, 206B-III Bell 206L
LongRangerSTC SH3234NMIncluding 206L-1,
206L-3 Eurocopter AS350 AStar
The Tyler Major Mount CAN HANDLE A WIDE VARIETY
of film and video cameras, ranging from the
lightweight Arri 16SR and Betacam packages up to
the heavy large format IMAX systems. The
JetRanger/LongRanger seatbase configuration,
shown at left, facilitates quick changeovers for
left or right-side shooting accommodating
changing screen direction. Can be mounted with or
without gyro stabilization according to need. An
additional counter weight mounted gyro setup is
available for additional stability on the
arm.Mount is designed and carries FAA STC
certification for installation and use in the
following aircraft. Non-certificated aircraft
will require field approval and are not
recommended.
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Basic Photography Principles
ApertureThe size of the hole in the lens also
called F-stop The shutter speed determines how
long the hole will be open, measured in fractions
of a second. Both the shutter speed and f stop
are critical to correct exposure. For example
The data sheet for Kodak 2443 CIR film suggests
an f stop of 5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/500
sec
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Bigger indicates a smaller hole. e.g. f 22 Is
much smaller than f 2.8
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Changing the aperture changes the depth of field
of a photograph a deep depth of field is
highly useful for aerial photography use as
small an f stop as practical given the motion of
the aircraft.
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Why is the sky blue? Or do I hafta use a filter?
As altitude increases, so too, does the amount of
atmospheric scatter. A filter is critical for
decent aerial photography.
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ALWAYS use a haze or skylight or UV filter!!
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Flight Planning navigation basics

• How to find what you want to shoot
• Planning requires maps
• World aeronautical charts (11million)
• ONC Operational Navigation Charts (11 million)
• TPC (tactical pilotage charts) (1500,000)
• sectionals (1500,000)
• Topo Maps
• Other.

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In the category of other..
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So where exactly are you ?

• pilotage the art of looking out the window
• Visual check points/landmarks
• Construct a range diagram plot
  landmarks/flightlines for use in the aircraft
• Change map headings to magnetic headings

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Inertial Navigation the high end system

• Gryoscopes record all changes in direction and
  acceleration INS keeps a constant tally of
  location.
• When the aircraft is parked, the initializing
  point is carefully surveyed and the location of
  this point is entered into the system before each
  flight.
• Very small errors
• High Cost (a single gyroscope gt3000)

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Navigational aids..ancient history

• Radio signals VOR (VHF omni-directional range)
  360 degree signal
• VOR/DME (distance measuring equipment) direction
  and distance
• The VOR is a radio beacon on a specific
  frequency using 2 different stations it is
  possible to plot location on chart - ½ nm.

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Navigational aids..ancient history Contd.

• LORAN (long range navigation) radio broadcast
• Ship navigation system, also used by aircraft.
• - 1km accuracy
• Automatic course correction, interface w/ auto
  pilot
• Mid-continent gap (waterways coasts, major
  inland waterways (Mississippi river system,
  Columbia river system)

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GPS simple, robust, and inexpensive

• Full satellite constellation available
• Must track a minimum of 3 satellites to establish
  position
• Satellite geometry is important trilateration
  based on signal delay
• Global coverage (?the polar regions?)
• 30 meter instantaneous accuracy
• Elevation not as accurate as XY location
• One second position update
• Can track location, targeting information,
  estimate time to target,
• Can be pre-programmed with air photo flight plan,
  initial points, course track, turn points etc.
• Works really well in airplanes!

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Adjust heading (flight lines, IP etc.) to
compensate for winds (flight computer)
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Calculations

• Rule 1. Burn Film
• Rule 2. Allow for overlap (30 side lap between
  flight lines, 60 overlap between frames)
• Rule 3. Film is cheap, flying time is not
• Rule 4. When in doubt, shoot more frames
• Rule 5. Burn Film

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Calculations contd.

• Do not rely on mathematical calculations
  aloneuse the scale and altitude determination to
  create a graphic photo footprint
• Use this to verify your flight plan

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• Flight Planning Exercise
• Create a flight plan for aerial photography over
  Florence Alabama. Use the 124000 topo quad of
  Florence Alabama as your base map for planning.
• Assume the primary target area is bounded by Cox
  creek blvd./the Savanna Highway and the Tennessee
  River.
• The desired photo scale is 112000, the camera
  has a focal length of 6 and the negative size
  is 9 X 9.
• Width of target area _____________________________
  ____
• Length of target area ____________________________
  ____
• Camera focal length 6
• Negative format 9X9 inches
• Desired photo scale 112,000
• Scale of base map_____________________________-
• Endlap 60 sidelap 30
• Average terrain elevation _______________________
  
• Flying Height above terrain _____________________
  _
• Flying height above sea level (altimeter
  setting) ________________________________
• Photo footprint (ground coverage for each photo)
  ______________________________
• Ground separation between photo centers
  ___________________________________
• Aircraft speed 100 miles/hr (110 km/hr)

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