Aerial Mapping Services Auckland & NZ Wide
Recon provides aerial mapping services across Auckland and New Zealand, using CAA Part 102 certified drone pilots and helicopter capture.
Most projects are UAV mapping: it’s fast, accurate, quiet, and has a far smaller carbon footprint than a crewed aircraft. For large areas, long corridors, forestry, motorways and dense urban centres, where drones are less practical or more restricted, we capture vertical aerial photography from a helicopter instead. Between about 1,000 and 3,000 ha either the drone or the helicopter can work, and we’ll recommend the most efficient option when we quote.
Whichever method we use, you get data tied to the NZ survey datum and ready for CAD, GIS or engineering use.
Our Aerial Mapping Methods
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Helicopter Aerial Photography
Best for: large areas (typically from about 1,000–3,000 ha upwards), long road, rail, river and transmission corridors, forestry where it’s hard to keep a drone in sight, and motorways and dense urban areas where drone rules are more restrictive.
High-resolution vertical aerial photography from a helicopter (occasionally a fixed-wing aircraft), delivering orthophotos, surface models and contours. Helicopter capture is photography only: for ground levels under vegetation we add drone LiDAR.
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Drone Mapping & Reality Models
Best for: construction sites, subdivisions, stockpiles, quarries, farms, beaches, progress monitoring, sites typically up to about 1,000 ha, plus photo-realistic 3D reality models and digital twins of buildings, townships and infrastructure.
Drone photography captured vertically, obliquely or both at once with our SHARE 102S five-lens camera, delivering orthophotos, reality models, point clouds, DSMs, contours and volumes. Drones are our first choice wherever practical: efficient, quiet and low-emission.
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Drone LiDAR
Best for: ground levels under trees and scrub, power lines and vegetation clearance, flood, stormwater and terrain models, and earthworks and design surveys.
Laser scanning from a drone: the only aerial method that measures the ground under vegetation, accurate to better than ±50 mm vertical and ±100 mm horizontal on hard surfaces. We capture LiDAR by drone only.
Our Aerial Mapping Expertise
We are a highly experienced team led by Jeremy, who brings 25 years of expertise in the spatial industry, including surveying, LiDAR and aerial mapping. Collectively, our team has over 50 years of experience in the spatial industry, and we have delivered over 900 UAV jobs. We capture high-resolution data of towns, cities, landscapes and infrastructure. We recently completed a 3D mapping project for Waikato District Council capturing all their townships.
Whether you're in urban planning, agriculture, construction, environmental management, or any other industry sector, our aerial mapping service solutions empower you to visualise, analyse and strategise with confidence.
We hold a SiteWise Gold Certificate for health and Safety.
Call us now to see how we can help.
Our Aerial Mapping Workflow
What Happens During Project Planning for an Aerial Mapping Survey?
Define accuracy requirements, outputs, coverage area and regulatory constraints, and choose the right method: helicopter, drone mapping or drone LiDAR.
How Does Flight Planning Work in Aerial Mapping?
Design flight paths, altitude, overlap and sensor settings to meet accuracy targets.
What Are Ground Control Points (GCPs) in Surveying? (if required)
Establish and survey GCPs to ensure geospatial accuracy and validation.
How Is Aerial Mapping Data Captured?
Fly the area by drone (vertical and oblique photography, or LiDAR) or by helicopter (vertical photography).
How Is Aerial Mapping Data Processed?
Process raw data into georeferenced outputs such as orthomosaic, point clouds and surface models.
How Is Aerial Mapping Accuracy Verified?
Verify accuracy against control points and project specifications.
What Deliverables Are Provided After an Aerial Mapping Survey?
Deliver final datasets and reports in formats ready for CAD, GIS or engineering use.
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Aerial mapping means capturing images and data from the air, by helicopter, aircraft or drone, and processing them with specialised software into accurate maps, 3D models and other geospatial products.
Our helicopter capture produces high-resolution vertical photography for large areas and corridors. On the drone, our SHARE 102S five-lens camera captures vertical (nadir) and oblique imagery at the same time, so a single flight produces both 2D maps and detailed 3D reality models of built-up areas and natural environments. Drone LiDAR adds accurate ground levels, even under vegetation.
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Fast & efficient – Large areas can be captured in a fraction of the time compared to ground surveys.
High accuracy – Modern drones and LiDAR systems deliver survey-grade data.
Cost-effective – Reduced field time means lower project costs.
Safe access – Ideal for hazardous, remote or hard-to-reach sites.
Rich data outputs – Generate orthophotos, point clouds, contours, DSM/DTMs and 3D models.
Repeatable & scalable – Easy to re-fly sites for progress tracking or change detection.
What Deliverables Will You Receive?
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Virtual replicas of physical environments, assets, or processes, created through the integration of spatial data and advanced modelling techniques.
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High-resolution, geometrically corrected aerial images that provide an accurate representation of the Earth's surface.
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Dense collections of colourised 3D points representing the surface of objects or terrain, ideal for detailed analysis and visualisation.
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Detailed digital representations of the Earth's surface, capturing elevation data and terrain characteristics. Surfaces are commonly delivered as TIN (triangular irregular network), grid DTM (or DEM) and contours.
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Geospatial data represented by points, lines, and polygons, providing precise mapping information for analysis and modelling.
Industries We Work With
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Energy & Utilities
Aerial surveys for power conductor, asset, and pipeline monitoring. Our services include generating Digital Surface Models (DSM) and orthophotography for hazard and ground movement monitoring. Additionally, we provide orthophotography tailored for property asset management and deliver ground, vegetation, and pole height data essential for thermal upgrade and re-tensioning design. Moreover, we excel in mapping vegetation and modeling growth through repeat surveys, as well as conducting precise as-built surveys to ensure accurate project documentation.
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Solar & Wind Farm Surveys
Drone LiDAR and aerial photography for solar and wind farm sites, from feasibility terrain models, contours and constraints mapping to construction progress flights and as-built checks. For large or remote sites, helicopter aerial photography captures the wider area efficiently.
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Water & Wastewater
Drone LiDAR and aerial mapping of treatment plant sites, reservoirs, ponds, outfalls and pipeline routes, capturing ground levels under vegetation, embankments and overland flow paths. Combined with 3D laser scanning inside the plant, everything sits in one coordinated dataset for upgrade design and asset records.
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Local Government
Project-specific flights for land development, infrastructure, and asset surveys, alongside GIS aerial photography updates. Our expertise extends to Digital Surface Models (DSM) for development planning and line-of-sight analysis. We specialise in discreet data gathering for environmental court cases and sensitive coastal developments. Furthermore, our services encompass river and stream monitoring, as well as coastal mapping for erosion, cliff-face analysis, flood modelling, and tsunami modelling, ensuring comprehensive environmental management support.
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Transport & Infrastructure
Orthophotography for road and rail route planning and analysis: by drone for individual sites and sections, or by helicopter for long corridors, motorways and busy urban routes where drone rules are more restrictive. Our drone LiDAR-derived Digital Terrain Models (DTM) provide comprehensive design insights, supplementing ground surveys for detailed design accuracy. Regular flights during construction aid progress monitoring, while DTMs facilitate month-end earthworks calculations.
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Industrial & Manufacturing
Aerial mapping and drone LiDAR of industrial sites, yards and stockpiles for site planning, expansions and volume reporting, captured without stopping operations. Pair it with 3D laser scanning of plant and buildings for a complete as-built record.
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Land Development
Ortho and LiDAR-derived ground contours for design and pre-earthworks calculations, enabling precise planning. Additionally, 3D visualisations aid in project conceptualisation, while architectural concepts enhance stakeholder engagement. Oblique photos are provided for dynamic marketing, and features like kerbs and road crown are digitised for detailed mapping.
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Mining & Quarrying
DSM and contour mapping services tailored for precise volume calculations of mine, quarry, and stockpile operations. Our solutions provide accurate snapshots in time, with data turnaround within 24-48 hours of flight. Compared to ground surveying, our aerial surveys offer safer and faster slope face assessments. Additionally, our approach is more cost-effective than field surveys and offers higher accuracy due to capturing a more complete representation of the pile geometry.
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Agriculture, Forestry & Environment
High-resolution RGB orthophotography for asset management and harvest planning, captured by helicopter across large forest estates where it’s hard to keep a drone in sight, or by drone for individual blocks. Drone LiDAR-derived Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) under the canopy support detailed harvest road and haul planning.
Case Studies
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New Zealand Steel Aerial Mapping
NZ Steel uses Recon UAV mapping to regularly measure stockpile volumes at its Waikato North Head mine, capturing data quickly and safely without putting surveyors in hazardous areas.
Measurable Outcomes:
~15 minutes typical UAV flight time per survey
<3% volume measurement error (often better)
0 operational shutdowns required during data capture
Improved safety by eliminating the need for survey staff in active mining zones
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LiDAR Mapping for Kiwirail
Recon used UAV surveying along a 2–3 km section of KiwiRail’s Midland Line to support University of Canterbury research into geotechnical risk, providing fast, cost-effective data on hazards like erosion and debris flow without disrupting rail operations.
Measurable Outcomes:
2–3 km rail corridor surveyed along the Midland Line
Faster data turnaround compared with traditional ground surveys
Lower survey costs for remote or difficult-access locations
No disruption to active rail operations during data capture
FAQ’s
What’s the difference between aerial mapping and drone mapping?
Aerial mapping is any mapping captured from the air, by helicopter, aircraft or drone. Drone mapping is the drone-only part of it, and it’s what we use for most projects.
When would you use a helicopter instead of a drone?
For large areas (typically from about 1,000–3,000 ha upwards), long corridors, forestry where it’s hard to keep a drone in sight, and motorways or dense urban areas where drone rules are more restrictive. Elsewhere, drones are usually faster, cheaper and lower-emission.
Can the helicopter capture LiDAR or 3D models?
Our helicopter and aircraft capture is vertical photography only, which produces orthophotos, surface models and contours. For ground levels under vegetation we fly drone LiDAR, and for photo-realistic 3D reality models we fly the drone with oblique imagery.
What is oblique aerial imagery?
Oblique images are taken at an angle rather than straight down, so they show the sides of buildings and structures. Our SHARE 102S drone camera captures one vertical and four oblique views at the same time, which we combine into detailed 3D reality models.
How accurate is aerial mapping?
Drone photogrammetry with ground control points or RTK/PPK achieves centimetre-level accuracy, comparable to traditional surveying. Drone LiDAR is better than ±50 mm vertical and ±100 mm horizontal on hard surfaces. Helicopter accuracy depends on flying height and ground control, and we’ll confirm it for your project when we quote.
Do you need a licence to conduct an aerial survey?
For many drone surveys no. However, if you’re flying over private property or road corridors, for example, a CAA Part 102 certificate is often required, which Recon holds, and pilots must follow all aviation safety rules. Helicopter capture uses a commercial helicopter and pilot from our aviation partners, while Recon plans the capture and processes the data.
How is a digital twin created from aerial mapping?
We fly the site by drone with our SHARE 102S camera, capturing overlapping vertical and oblique imagery, then use aerial photogrammetry to build a georeferenced 3D reality model. 3D Modelling →
Can digital twins be updated with new data?
Yes. We re-fly the area and update the model to show construction progress, vegetation growth or changes after a weather event.
What areas of New Zealand do you cover?
Recon is based in Auckland and works across New Zealand. Our team knows the challenges of the country’s varied landscapes and communities, and we respect the cultural and environmental values of Aotearoa.
How long does an aerial mapping project take?
Most drone projects are flown in a day or two, and data is delivered within days to a few weeks depending on the area and deliverables. Helicopter capture depends on weather windows and area.
Request an Aerial Mapping Quote
Send us the site location or boundary, the outputs you need and your timeframe. We’ll recommend the most efficient method (helicopter, drone mapping or drone LiDAR) and reply with a clear scope and quote. Request a quote →