Drone survey and mapping in Nanaimo, BC
Industrial, port and aggregate work on the central Island. Stockpile inventory, pit survey, inspection and pre-construction mapping, with Nanaimo Airport airspace authorisation handled as part of the job.
What we fly in Nanaimo
Drone LiDAR Survey
Bare-earth terrain under canopy, classified point clouds, contours.
View →Mapping & Photogrammetry
Orthomosaics and surface models at 3cm absolute accuracy.
View →Topographic Survey
Contours and spot elevations for design and permitting.
View →Volumetric & Stockpile
Measured quantities for inventory and earthworks.
View →Aerial Inspections
Roofs, structures and envelopes without scaffolding.
View →Construction Monitoring
Identical repeat flights, month after month.
View →Flying here, specifically
Nanaimo is a working port and an industrial centre rather than a commuter town, and the survey work reflects that. Aggregate and quarry operations through the surrounding area, port-side material handling and log storage, industrial and commercial development, and the infrastructure to serve it.
The two things that shape a flight here are airspace and water. Nanaimo Airport sits south of the city at Cassidy and its control zone covers ground that includes active industrial and aggregate operations, requiring Advanced certification and NAV CANADA authorisation. Nanaimo Harbour also operates float plane traffic. Both are routine to work with and neither is something to fly near without the clearance.
Coastal exposure means wind is the practical constraint on flying days, particularly for work on the waterfront and over open water where there is no terrain shelter.
Mobilisation
Roughly ninety minutes from base. Travel is quoted at cost and stated separately so you can see it. Multi-day programmes and several sites in one trip reduce the per-site mobilisation considerably.
Nanaimo, answered
Can you fly near Nanaimo Airport?
Yes. The YCD control zone covers ground south of the city that includes active industrial and aggregate operations. Flight there requires Advanced Operations certification and a NAV CANADA authorisation, both of which we handle as part of the job.
What does travel to Nanaimo add?
It is quoted at cost and shown separately rather than buried in the rate. The efficient approach is to combine sites: if you have more than one location on the central Island, or a multi-day programme, the mobilisation is shared and the per-site cost drops substantially.
Do you survey aggregate operations here?
Regularly. Stockpile inventory, pit and face survey, haul road planning and reclamation monitoring are the bulk of the aggregate work on the central Island. See mining and aggregate services.
Can you work over the water or the port?
Yes, subject to authorisation and to float plane traffic in the harbour. Wind over open water is the practical limit rather than permission, and we hold fallback dates on scheduled coastal work.
Adjacent communities
Duncan & Cowichan
Forestry tenures and gravel operations to the south.
Courtenay & Comox
North Island forestry and development.
Victoria & Saanich
Our base, ninety minutes south.
What your procurement team will ask for
We fly under a Transport Canada Advanced Operations certificate with licensed pilots, which is the level required to operate in controlled airspace and near people. Airspace authorisations are obtained before mobilisation, and the airframe carries a certified parachute for work near occupied areas.
We carry $5M in aviation liability insurance and a certificate is available on request for your project file. WorkSafeBC clearance is available, site safety orientation is completed on arrival, and we work to the host contractor's requirements.
Survey deliverables are provided for information and planning purposes and are not a legal survey. Boundary, legal plan and statutory right-of-way work requires a British Columbia Land Surveyor.
- Transport Canada Advanced Operations certificate
- Licensed pilots, current flight reviews
- $5M aviation liability insurance
- WorkSafeBC clearance letter available
- Certified parachute for operations near people
- Airspace authorisation handled by us
- Written method note on every job
Tell us about the site
Location, rough area, what the data is for and your timeline. That is usually enough to quote without a site visit, and our team typically replies within one business day.
Travel beyond the Capital Regional District is quoted at cost and stated up front, so mobilisation is never a surprise on the invoice.