Description
Operate unmanned aircraft to capture remote sensing data and imagery for natural resources, infrastructure, urban planning, or public safety. Plan missions, configure sensors, ensure regulatory compliance and safety, and deliver accurate geospatial products.
- • Collect aerial geospatial data with RGB, multispectral, LiDAR, or thermal payloads.
- • Capture ground control points and verification data using RTK or PPK GNSS and survey targets.
- • Maintain flight logs, equipment maintenance records, and survey data archives.
- • Evaluate mission requirements to select appropriate drones, sensors, altitudes, and resolutions.
- • Process imagery to produce orthomosaics, DSM/DTMs, point clouds, and 3D models.
- • Correct and georeference data; apply radiometric corrections and lens distortion adjustments.
- • Verify positional accuracy and completeness; perform QA/QC on imagery and metadata.
- • Integrate drone-derived data with GIS, CAD, and other geospatial datasets.
- • Develop and document repeatable workflows, scripts, or templates for mission planning and processing.
- • Prepare maps, reports, and presentations with charts, photos, and key findings.
- • Coordinate with scientists, surveyors, engineers, and planners to define deliverables.
- • Support precision agriculture with vigor maps, stand counts, and variable-rate prescriptions.
- • Conduct UAS surveys for forestry, carbon monitoring, and environmental change assessments.
- • Provide drone data for environmental analyses, such as surface water modeling or plume detection.
- • Plan UAS mapping missions with stakeholders, objectives, and timelines.
- • Obtain airspace authorizations and ensure compliance with FAA Part 107 and local regulations.
- • Perform preflight risk assessments and site surveys, including weather and airspace checks.
- • Configure aircraft, payloads, and mission planning software for flight objectives.
- • Conduct safe launch, flight, and recovery operations as pilot in command or visual observer.
- • Monitor telemetry and data quality in flight; adjust routes and sensor settings as needed.
- • Calibrate cameras, multispectral or thermal sensors, IMUs, and gimbals; manage firmware.
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
