Depending upon the specific requirements of projects, one LiDAR system is capable of surveying up to 30 million acres in a single year. Airborne 1 recently completed data collection of over 3,000 square miles (1.92 million acres) in only 21 days including adverse weather days. The company then completed primary processing of the data within only 60 days.

The cost of purchasing a comparable system is approximately $1.3 million dollars initially. This cost along with the combined cost of maintaining the system warranty and insurance (about $150,000 per year) makes sole ownership cost ineffective, especially since a single owner would not maximize system capacity. These large initial costs lead to increased exposure to risks of obsolescence. Finally, large learning curves exist for the collection and processing of data.

Collection and processing fees are much lower for those who purchase fractional ownership, because fractional owners enjoy preferred pricing rates for these services. A company that is not a fractional owner has no real control of any LiDAR assets nor do they have guaranteed access when they need it. This makes that company unable to market itself and bid on projects like a company who is an owner of LiDAR technology.

Fractional owners have guaranteed access to a LiDAR system operated by the most qualified operators in the industry. Airborne 1 can also make aircraft, operators, data processing, training, and related resources available to you. With guaranteed access to a LiDAR system, your company can bid on projects that before seemed out of reach. Additionally, your company will enjoy preferred pricing on data processing that will lead to a total cost of under $1 per acre for collection and processing.

Click here for a detailed comparison between full turnkey services, fractional ownership, and full sensor ownership

Fractional pricing is predictable and easy to understand. Simply put, there are two basic fixed costs involved with Airborne 1’s fractional ownership. Your first fixed cost is your initial capital outlay or lease payments. This pays for your ownership share in the type of LiDAR sensor you select. Your second fixed cost is your monthly management fee, which pays for system warranty and insurance, among other things. That’s it. Predictable. Affordable. Simple.