MEASURING THE FUTURE FROM 400 FEET
Survey-grade drone LiDAR, photogrammetry, and SLAM scanning for engineers, surveyors, and land developers. Data your team can actually use — on time, in the right format.
Most NC project sites mapped the same week you call.
Why Drone LiDAR
Your field crew
takes weeks.
We take hours.
LiDAR laser pulses from a drone-mounted sensor create millions of 3D data points — a point cloud capturing exact ground elevations even through trees and dense vegetation.
A 50-acre site that takes a ground crew days can often be flown in a single morning. You receive classified point clouds, digital terrain models, contours, breaklines, and planimetric features — all CAD-ready, compatible with AutoCAD.
Get a Project QuoteHow Fast Can We Map Your Site?
Most sites mapped in a single morning. Engineers get usable data in days, not weeks.
What We Deliver
LIDAR & AERIAL MAPPING SERVICES
Professional drone data collection for engineering, surveying, and development — delivered in the formats your team already uses.
High-density point clouds from the Rock R3 Pro V2 — penetrates canopy to capture true ground surface. Critical for wooded sites where photogrammetry falls short.
LAS · LAZ · DEMGeo-referenced aerial imagery processed into seamless orthomosaics. Ideal for site documentation, progress tracking, and visual context alongside LiDAR data.
GeoTIFF · JPGBare-earth elevation surfaces derived from classified LiDAR point clouds. Vegetation and structures removed. Ready for grading design and engineering workflows.
TIN · DXF · XML1-ft and 2-ft contour generation with 3D breaklines for ridges, valleys, retaining walls, and grade transitions. Delivered as CAD-ready DXF/DWG.
DXF · DWG · SHPExtracted site features — building footprints, edge of pavement, curbs, utilities, and fencing — delivered in layered CAD format for immediate design use.
DXF · DWG · SHPAccurate cut/fill and stockpile volumes from drone-captured surfaces. Fast, repeatable, and fully documented — replacing manual estimation with aerial precision.
Volume Report · DEMLiDAR corridor surveys for transmission and distribution lines. Vegetation encroachment analysis, sag measurements, and clearance reporting along utility ROW.
Corridor · ROW · LAZPeriodic aerial documentation of active sites. Sequential datasets track earthwork volumes, grading progress, and development milestones with visual and quantitative records.
Ortho · DEM · VolumeProfessional GCP placement using Emlid Reach R3 GNSS receivers. Survey-grade accuracy tied to published control for legally defensible dataset precision.
RTK · PPK · NAD83Our Technology
ELITE HARDWARE.
PROFESSIONAL OVERSIGHT.
DJI Matrice 350 RTK paired with the ROCK R3 Pro V2 — a complete Field-to-Finish LiDAR solution trusted by surveyors and engineers worldwide.
DJI's flagship commercial platform — IP55 weather resistance, 55-minute flight endurance, centimeter-level RTK positioning. Built for demanding field environments.
Hesai XT32 laser scanner, dual GNSS antennas, 26MP integrated RGB camera for simultaneous LiDAR and photogrammetry capture. Most advanced airborne sensor in its class.
Multi-band RTK/PPK base station for centimeter-level GCP establishment. Ties aerial data to published control in NAD83 (2011) State Plane coordinates.
End-to-end processing: automated trajectory fusion, AI-driven point cloud classification, colorization, and certified accuracy report generation in the Rock ecosystem.
SLAM Scanning
MAP THE
UN-MAPPABLE
When aerial LiDAR can't reach, SLAM scanning delivers. The ROCK SLAM Dock V2 mounts directly to the R3 Pro — transition from aerial to handheld scanning in the same mobilization, no GPS required.
Precise exterior footprints and structural outlines for site plans and as-built documentation.
Bridge decks, tunnels, parking structures, and dense urban corridors where satellite signal fails.
Complete 3D models of building interiors for facility management, renovation planning, and BIM.
Panoramic imagery tied to precise spatial coordinates via ROCK Inspect for remote stakeholder review.
How SLAM Scanning Works
Mount SLAM Dock to R3 Pro — converts aerial payload to handheld scanning system instantly. No additional equipment needed.
Walk through GPS-denied environment — onboard IMU and LiDAR returns build a spatial reference automatically. No satellite signal required.
Real-time point cloud generation — see the scan building live. Capture interiors, facades, and complex geometry simultaneously.
Merge with aerial data in Rock Cloud — unified interior + exterior dataset from a single mobilization.
Deliver unified CAD-ready dataset — complete site picture covering interior and exterior environments in one deliverable.
Construction & Development
YOUR PROJECT,
MOVING FASTER.
Drone LiDAR in your development workflow — from site selection through project completion. Cover 50+ acres in a single morning. CAD-ready files the same week.
Understand grades, drainage patterns, and existing site features before you break ground — faster than any traditional field method.
Compare as-built surfaces against design grades and track cut/fill quantities throughout the life of a grading project.
Monthly or milestone-based aerial mapping creates a visual and quantitative construction record for owners and project managers.
Map large tracts efficiently for residential and commercial development planning — topo, planimetrics, and drainage from one flight day.
Cover 50+ acres in a single morning — dramatically less field crew time and cost
CAD-ready for AutoCAD — no conversion, no reformatting
Accurate through vegetation and tree cover — LiDAR sees what photogrammetry misses
Fits existing engineering workflows — same coordinate systems, same file formats
Certified accuracy reports included with every deliverable
Same-week turnaround on most NC projects
As a premier partner in the ROCK Robotic ecosystem, Wright In Flight Drones combines 25+ years of North Carolina land survey expertise with globally trusted LiDAR technology and direct access to ROCK engineering support.
Our Process
FROM FLIGHT TO DELIVERABLE
A disciplined five-step process protecting data integrity from pre-mission planning through final delivery.
Airspace checks, parcel review, GCP planning, TFRs, NOTAMs, and FAA authorization before mobilization.
Emlid Reach R3 GNSS occupation of GCPs tied to published control. Sub-centimeter positional confidence.
DJI M350 RTK mission flown with Rock R3 Pro V2. Precise overlap, RTK corrections, real-time monitoring.
ROCK Cloud automated processing: trajectory fusion, AI classification, colorization, surface generation.
Georeferenced point clouds, DTMs, contours, planimetrics, and imagery in your format with accuracy report.
What You Receive
STANDARD DELIVERABLES
Every file QC'd and delivered in formats compatible with AutoCAD — the data your engineers actually need.
3D point cloud with ground, vegetation, and structure classes. Compatible with all major survey and GIS software.
Bare-earth elevation models with vegetation and structures removed. Used for grading, drainage, and engineering design.
1-ft and 2-ft contour lines from LiDAR-derived terrain surfaces. Engineering-grade for plan and permit submissions.
3D breaklines for ridges, valleys, retaining walls, and grade transitions — essential for Civil 3D surface models.
Building footprints, curbs, edge of pavement, utilities, and fencing in layered CAD format for immediate design use.
High-resolution geo-referenced aerial imagery stitched into a seamless mosaic. Sub-5cm ground sample distance.
Most NC sites mapped
the same week you call.
We respond to every quote request within one business day.
About Wright In Flight Drones
BUILT ON A
SURVEYING
FOUNDATION.
Wright In Flight Drones LLC is owned and operated by Chris Wright, a professional with over 25 years in the land surveying industry. That background isn't incidental — it's the difference between a drone pilot who flies missions and a data professional who understands what surveyors and engineers need when they open the file.
We operate the DJI Matrice 350 RTK paired with the Rock Robotics R3 Pro V2 — among the most capable drone LiDAR systems available for commercial survey work. Every mission is planned, executed, and processed with the precision licensed surveying firms expect from a trusted subcontractor.
Based in Middlesex, North Carolina, we serve the broader NC, SC, and VA region with a focus on land development, engineering, utility, and construction sector clients. We deliver on time, in the right format, the first time.
Wright In Flight Drones provides professional aerial LiDAR data collection and mapping services. We are not a licensed Professional Land Surveying firm and do not provide boundary surveys or certified survey products. If a project requires a licensed Professional Land Surveyor, we are happy to coordinate with or recommend a licensed surveyor.
Credentials & Compliance
FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate — all operations in full regulatory compliance
25+ years land surveying background — data under standards of N.C.G.S. Chapter 89C
Rock Robotic Partner — certified Rock Desktop and Rock Cloud workflow
RTK/PPK GNSS control — Emlid Reach R3 with published control network ties
NAD83 (2011) State Plane coordinates — standard for NC engineering submissions
Fully insured — drone-specific commercial liability for all operations
Subcontractor partnerships welcome — NDA, custom formats, white-label options available
Service Area
Primary: Raleigh · Wilson · Rocky Mount · Durham
Greenville · Goldsboro and Wake, Johnston, Nash & Wilson counties
Regional: Extended mobilization across NC, VA, and SC available. Contact us for project-specific proposals and mobilization rates.
Start a Project
REQUEST
A QUOTE
Tell us about your project. We'll respond with pricing and a proposed flight plan within one business day.
Get In Touch
WE RESPOND
WITHIN ONE
BUSINESS DAY.
Primary Service Area
Headquartered in Middlesex, NC. Rapid-deployment aerial mapping throughout Eastern NC and the Triangle — Wake, Johnston, Nash, Wilson, and surrounding counties. Extended mobilization available statewide and into VA and SC.
Professional Survey Disclaimer
Wright In Flight Drones provides aerial data collection services and is not a licensed Professional Land Surveying firm. When survey certification is required, we can coordinate with or recommend a licensed Professional Land Surveyor.