February 15, 2016

Aerial Camera Platform

 Corning Hyperspectral Sensor with Anti-vibration mount

Aerial image Mapping Napa Fires 2017 - Mount St. Helena Phase One

Aerial mapping of the Northern California, Napa Valley, Fires using a Phase One 100 megapixel aerial camera. Mount St. Helena in the background. Orange color on the mountain is fire retardant.

We design and develop complete FAA/EASA/ANAC STC (supplemental type certificate)  aerial imaging solutions for manned planes and helicopters. 

The platform can be configured to contain a variety of cameras, sensor payloads and supporting equipment such is IMU/INS, GNSS antennas and custom payloads, then mounted to a manned aircraft such as a Cessna, Cirrus or various helicopters – even moved back and forth between different aircraft in case the main aircraft is unavailable.

Our systems have been deployed for use in the US, Honduras, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, France, Portugal, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Canada to assist with a multitude of imaging needs. 


Complete System

  • FAA STC-certified Camera Platform (“pod”)
  • Wing and Cabin Cables
  • Mounting Hardware
  • Camera (multiple DSLR, Video and Infrared/thermal configurations available)
  • GPS Antenna
  • Installation and care manuals
  • Pre-flight and post-flight guides
  • Training & Support

 

Extensible and Versatile

  • Multiple camera types supported:
    • DSLR’s (full sized, up to medium format – e.g. Hasselblad, PhaseOne)
    • HD Video
      Picture of a customer SWIR sensor in a SkyIMD Pod - Cessna 172

      Custom SWIR & VIS Sensor in SkyIMD Pod, with dual swap-able SSD drives. Designed for Agricultural use, the sensor captures 1 Terabyte of information rich data per hour. Future proof your data sets, eliminate spectral limitations.

    • Infrared/Thermal (FLIR)
    • SWIR (short wave infrared)
  • Swapping DSLR cameras and changing lenses can be accomplished in 15 minutes or less
  • Permanent or temporary installation
  • Subsequent installations can take 20 minutes or less
  • Use one system across several aircraft – ask us how 
  • Cabling for in-cabin control and viewing – cable options allow for variable installation of in-cabin components
  • Room for additional components – inside the platform
  • Two platform sizes
  • Fly with two platforms at once
  • Turnkey aerial photography solution
  • Multiple mounting options – strut, fuselage or an existing mount
  • “Non-invasive” to the crafts hull or avionics. The entire system can run on carry-on rechargeable batteries and cables may be routed through service panels
  • May be attached to other approved mounts – rapidly expand your camera options
    and imaging capabilities using the mount that you may already have installed
  • Optional equipment available:
    • Secure air-to-ground video streaming and data-link – video is viewable on Windows, Apple iOS and Android devices.
    • Operations center support – personnel can view images and control camera from the ground
    • Housing extensions for long lenses
    • Dome and Borosilicate glass covers to protect camera during flight and on the ground

Light and Durable

  • System configurations weigh 2.3 to 16 pounds
  • Aircraft grade aluminum shell and attachment hardware
  • Aircraft quality cables are shielded and have military grade connectors
    Picture of a Eurocopter AS350 (Helicopter) with SkyIMD mount with Phase One aerial camera inside.

    SkyIMD was contacted to map highways in Nepal in 2017. We check the mount and cameras as baggage, rented a Eurocopter AS350 when we arrived, and mapped the country’s highways using a Phase One 100 megapixel industrial aerial camera.

  • Environmentally protected components
  • Thoroughly tested
  • Designed and manufactured in the U.S.A.
  • 1 year warranty

STC-approved for installation on over 30 aircraft models

Aerial Camera Platform is approved for installation on the following aircraft models:

  • Cirrus SR22 & SR22T
  • Cessna 152 and F152
  • Cessna 172M/N and F172M/N
  • Cessna 172P and F172P
  • Cessna 172Q/S
  • Cessna 172R
  • Cessna 182E/F/G/H/J/K/L/M
  • Cessna 182N
  • Cessna 182P/Q and F182P/Q
  • Cessna R182, TR182 and FR182
  • Cessna 182R, 182S, 182T and T182T
  • Cessna U206G, TU206G, 206H and T206H
Helicopter mounts for SkyIMD’s large and small PMA’d pod using Meeker mounts:
  • Bell 429 Nose and Aft mounts
  • Bell 206A/B/B1 and 206L/L1-4 and 407 Nose camera mount and Aft Belly Universal Mount
  • Bell UH1/205/210/212/412 Medium Mount
  • Bell 412 / 212 / 210 / 205 / UH-1N / Huey II Medium Nose Mount
  • Bell 429: Nose and Aft mounts
  • Eurocopter EC-120 Side Sensor Mount
  • Eurocopter EC-135 and EC-145 (UH-72) utility step mounts
  • Eurocopter AS-350 Aft Fuselage, Forward Chin Post Mount
  • Eurocopter AS-350/355 Lower Left Hand Down Post Camera/Sensor Mount
  • Eurocopter AS-355 Twin Star: Belly sensor mount
  • Eurocopter AS-350/355 Lower Left Hand Down Post and Singlepole Camera/Sensor Mount.
  • MD 500 Dual Side Mount
  • MD 600 Dual Side Mount, Downlink Mount and Heavy Upper Side Mount
  • Sikorsky Blackhawk A/L/M & S-70 model sensor mount
  • Sikorsky H-60 Firehawk Nightsun/FLIR mount
SkyIMD’s Aerial Imaging Solutions are approved for installation in the following countries:

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Columbia
  • Costa Rica
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • Estonia
  • El Salvador
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Guyana
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Puerto Rica
  • Romania
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • Suriname
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom (England)
  • United States
  • Uruguay