Glossary

  • RPAS - Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (including the ground station equipment)
  • RPA - The aircraft: Remotely Piloted Aircraft
  • GCS - Ground Control Station
  • GIS -  Geographical Information System
  • UAV - Unmanned Air Vehicle. A term now replaced by RPAS
  • Drone - An unfortunate label insinuating no human input.
  • CASA - Civil Aviation Safety Authority,  Australia's version of the USA Federal Aviation Authority.
  • AGL - Above Ground Level
  • ICAO - International Civil Aviation Organisation
  • NOTAM - Notice to Airmen. Used to warn air traffic of a change to nomad air space.
  • OC - operators Certificate
  • CO - Chief Controller. The person responsible for the safe operations of a flying mission.
  • UOC - UAV Operators Certificate. License to operate a RPA business. A must have.
  • VFR - Visual Flying Rules
  • VLOS - Visual Line Of Sight. Currently the only form of RPA flying permitted.
  • VMC - Visual Meteorological Conditions
  • GSD - Ground Sampling Distance: RPA is about 5cm/pixel, Conventional plane about 50cm/pixel, satellite is about 5m.

CASA regulations governing UAV use and limitations. www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_assets/main/lib100071/uas.pdf

www.sensefly.com/products/ebee
eBee is one of the types of RPA's RPAS Australia uses.

www.sensefly.com/products/emotion-2

eMotion is the driving software behind the RPA mission planning.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/mandatory.aspx
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is the responsible body for investigating any incident which involves UAVs.

Mapping the Impossible - The Matterhorn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuZUSe87miY&list=UU-LspzfcPCtH6acKK9_YDRQ

www.acuo.org.au
Australian Certified UAV Operators Inc. is the media voice for the industry.

www.pix4d.com
Software used for processing aerial images to provide Georectified orthophotos, DTM, DEM, and Point Clouds

www.cropscience.org.au/icsc2004/poster/2/8/973_robson.htm
Use of aerial images and NIR for Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

www.missionscience.nasa.gov/ems/08_nearinfraredwaves.html
What near infra red is and how it can be used in aerial imagery.