Seattle-based AeroTEC has completed proof-of-concept UAS surveys at two Washington state airports in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Aviation Division. The aerial surveys, which took place at Sunnyside Municipal Airport (1S5) and Prosser Airport (S40), were designed to assess the use of photogrammetry to evaluate runway obstacles as part of WSDOT Aviation’s 5010 airport inspections. UAS images were then used to create virtual models of the airports and were analyzed to identify obstacles in a predetermined area near the end of each runway as required by the FAA FAR 14 CFR Part 77.

By using this UAS-enabled photogrammetry technology, AeroTEC was able to provide WSDOT a runway obstacle report with a higher degree of accuracy and lower cost than traditional methods.

“Utilizing UAS to map airports and provide precision data in regards to obstructions around airports is just one of the many uses we envision,” said David Fleckenstein, director of WSDOT's aviation division. “This is a great first step in leveraging the technology to perform tasks that traditionally took a lot of time and effort.”