Many companies and non profit agencies take aerial pictures of the earth’s surface that are used for a variety of purposes. Maps and pictures are created of the ground surface of the state. An aerial mapping company can do mapping through a variety of scientific techniques, including producing a Geographic Information System (GIS), topographic mapping, orthophotography, and aerial volume studies.
Developers, planners, realtors, civil engineers, and public planners use these companies. Aerial mapping is also used in preparing environmental impact reports. The scale of the surveys can vary from individual property boundaries to reviewing subdivision and township borders.
Government agencies may use an aerial mapping company in California to develop Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A GIS is a topographic map showing the placement of sites such as fire stations, hospitals, schools, electrical and telephone switch stations and other infrastructure lines. These maps are invaluable in cases of large scale disaster such as the Kansas City or World Trade Center bombings.
Non profit organizations such as the California Coastal Records Project, which produces aerial photographic surveys of the California Coastline, also make use of aerial mapping companies in California. Other non-profits using aerial surveys include Cal State Northridge, California Aerial and Acoustic Sardine Survey, and Whittier College.
Aerial mapping is used to develop topographic and hydrographic mapping. Contour overlays are added to create the commonly known “topo” map, produced by the United States Forest Service for Forest Service and Wilderness lands. The US Geographical Survey (USGS) has jointly managed Land Sat, or Land Remote Sensing Satellite system, with NASA since 1972, to gather information about the earth’s surface resources. This data is available and used by aerial mapping companies.
Orthophotography, used by many companies, is the practice of correcting aerial photographs so the resulting photographs show the same uniform scale as a flat map. Thus distances can be measured to actual scale, showing correct distances since the map has been adjusted to account for the curve of the earth’s surface shown in the original aerial photograph.
You can see that sources for mapping data are very broad. Companies are based throughout the state of California. They provide a variety of services, from surveying and mapping for engineering projects to scenic photographs including hot air balloon rides and even weddings pictured from the air.
These companies know how to access the many data networks produced in this field. Many companies have decades of experience and they have updated and upgraded their services. They offer many different specialties for consumers, whether they be engineers, developers, conservation enthusiasts or cities and counties. A thorough search will allow the prospective customer to find exactly what fits their needs.
For more information visit Aerial Mapping California.



