::: Airborne 1 Corporation ::: News Archives

For additional press information please contact Rose Mary Mercer at pr@airborne1.com or call 310-414-7400.

12/12/05 - Airborne 1 Captures One Million Acres of LiDAR Data in Hawaii
12/07/05 - Airborne 1 Lasers Capture Ventura County Floodplain Topography
06/30/05 - Airborne 1 to Host 3rd Annual Terrascan User Event
02/02/05 - Airborne 1 Captures California Landslide Data for La Conchita
01/21/05 - Airborne 1 Brings LiDAR Technology to the South Bay
11/16/04 - Airborne 1 Joint Ventures Awarded Two Five-Year FEMA Contracts With a Combined Maximum Value of $100 Million
08/18/03 - New Los Angeles Office for Airborne 1
09/10/02 - Airborne 1 Launches its New Website
08/31/02 - Airborne 1 Awarded Several IDIQ Contracts
08/15/02 - Airborne 1 Compiles LiDAR Database for Online Sale
07/25/02 - Airborne 1 Introduces Flexible Menu of LiDAR Services
06/21/02 - Airborne 1 Corporation Becomes a Solid Terrain Modeling (STM) Master Reseller
06/12/02 - Ian Wosiski Joins the Team as Director of New Business Development
05/20/02 - Airborne 1 Launches its Monthly Newsletter - The Link -
04/15/02 - Alejandra Espinosa Joins the Airborne 1 Team as Director of Marketing
06/18/01 - Airbornelasermapping.com Acquired by Airborne 1 Corporation
03/31/01 - Airborne 1 is an Authorized TerraScan Reseller
06/01/00 - Airborne 1 Takes Delivery of Optech ALTM 1225
04/25/00 - Airborne 1 Completes Time-Sensitive LiDAR Survey of San Luis Obispo
03/01/00 - Airborne 1 Completes Successful Private Equity Placement
07/14/99 - Airborne 1 Surveys San Francisco DoD
06/26/99 - Airborne 1 LiDAR Accuracies Proven
09/01/98 - Los Angeles County Laser Mapping

December 12, 2005
Airborne 1 Captures One Million Acres of LiDAR Data in Hawaii
EL SEGUNDO, CA - Airborne 1 Corporation, a leading provider of LiDAR services, assets, software, and training, announced today that the company has completed LIDAR collection and processing on standard and high-resolution data for hundreds of thousands of acres throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Teaming with numerous firms and departments over the last year, Airborne 1 has collected close to one million acres in Hawaii on behalf of the USGS, and several engineering and photogrammetry companies. The company will surpass the million acre benchmark with data collection on upcoming joint venture projects regarding hurricane assessments requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Collection is slated to begin late this year and continue into early 2006.

Airborne 1 has also announced that raw data from the laser scans performed over the last few months are available for resale to organizations seeking high-resolution topographic information in these areas. Limits files of the scanned regions can be provided by visiting the company’s website and requesting a quick quote, or by calling Airborne 1. Specifically included in the latest LiDAR collection are extensive regions throughout Maui, the Big Island, Molokai, Oahu, and the entire island of Lanai.

In line with their joint venture projects, Airborne 1 recently unleashed a Hawaiian road show in order to round out their already extensive collection of Hawaiian data. In turn, the company offered deep discounts on mobilization fees to all companies seeking topographic data in the islands. The road show kicked off in late November and is scheduled to run through December of 2005. An additional road show will begin again in early spring of 2006. Companies looking to collect data in Hawaii next year are urged to contact Elise MacPherson at (310) 414-7400 to take advantage of the event and lock in deeply discounted rates.

December 07, 2005
Airborne 1 Lasers Capture Ventura County Floodplain Topography
EL SEGUNDO, CA - Airborne 1 Corporation, a leading provider of LiDAR services, rentals, software and training worldwide, recently announced it has completed a high-resolution LIDAR project for a flood plain mapping initiative spanning hundreds of thousands of acres throughout Ventura County, California. Approximately 474,000 acres have been collected and processed by Airborne 1 over the past year following project initiation of an emergency floodplain mapping mission to study the Ventura Rivers in February 2005.

The call for updated maps illustrating the topography of this area came in response to the inundation of the Ventura Rivers and several neighboring cities by torrential rains earlier this year. Specifically included in the latest LiDAR collection are extensive regions throughout La Conchita, Ventura, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Santa Clarita, Oxnard and Simi Valley. The three main river corridors collected include Ventura River, Santa Clara River, and the Calleguas Creek.

“Airborne 1 Corporation was honored to be a part of this emergency initiative. The effects of last year’s rains, especially with the La Conchita mudslide, devastated Ventura County. By providing the high-resolution topographic maps we generated, Ventura County now has the data needed to plan for and prevent such disasters in the future,” said Eric Nisbet, Business Development Manager for Airborne 1 Corporation.
The LiDAR data for Ventura County was initially generated for floodplain analysis and sediment transfer modeling of the river corridors. Airborne 1 will make the raw data from these laser scans available for resale later this year, giving way to a variety of applications and opportunities in support of the growth and future of the Ventura County area. Organizations seeking high-resolution topographic information on the Ventura County area are encouraged to contact Eric Nisbet at 310-414-7400.
Among numerous smaller projects scheduled throughout California, a countywide initiative for the collection of San Mateo County, including the city of San Francisco, is currently underway. Airborne 1 plans to make this data set available as well, upon completion in early 2006.

June 30, 2005
Airborne 1 to Host 3rd Annual Terrascan User Event August 29-Sept 2 2005 in Los Angeles, CA
EL SEGUNDO, CA – Airborne 1 Corporation, a leading provider of advanced LiDAR services, rentals, and software worldwide, is pleased to announce the company’s third annual TerraScan User Event. This informative week-long training session for both beginners and intermediate users of Terrasolid products will be held in Los Angeles, CA from August 29th-September 2nd, 2005.

The TerraScan User Event (TSUE 2005) is a unique and very affordable opportunity for engineers, surveyors, and GIS professionals to learn firsthand information direct from the manufacturers of Terrasolid products. Over the course of the training seminar, attendees are also introduced to the most current applications and solutions available through Terrasolid’s comprehensive suite of LiDAR data processing and terrain modeling products.

A few of the highlights that attendees can look forward to at TSUE 2005 include:
-Bentley MicroStation Training- an informative tutorial on the underlying software required by all Terrasolid applications
-Basic TerraScan training for Beginner/Intermediate levels- coverage of all core project workflow processing steps from raw data to ground surface models
-Visualization Training-creation of rendered scenes and fly through animations from a city model data set
-Power Line Vectorization
-TerraMatch Training- LiDAR data correction tutorial
-TerraPhoto Training: rectification of laser-scanned digital images for orthorectified image production

To register and reserve your seat, visit the TSUE 2005 website at www.airborne1.com/tsue2005.pdf. Interested parties may also contact Airborne 1’s TSUE event coordinator Alejandra Espinosa by telephone at (310) 414-7400, by e-mail at tsue2005@airborne1.com, or by fax at (310) 414-7409. Early registration is advised, as spaces are limited.

February 2, 2005
Airborne 1 Captures California Landslide Data for La Conchita
EL SEGUNDO, CA — Airborne 1 Corporation has collected over five square miles of high resolution LiDAR ‘Light Detection and Ranging’ data for generating digital terrain maps of key landslide stricken areas through La Conchita. The LiDAR data captured by the company’s airborne laser terrain sensor is suitable for mapping at up to one-foot contours, providing detailed images of the coastal area affected by California’s severe rainstorms several weeks ago. The topographic data gathered will be useful for helping local and federal agencies analyze their options in mitigating potential risks and coordinate cleanup efforts in the area following this California coastal town’s January mudslide.

Todd Stennett, founder and president of Airborne 1 stated, “The data we have collected in La Conchita provides detailed baselines of the community’s changing landscape, which are useful for agencies such as FEMA, land developers, and other organizations that want to rebuild this area and provide relief to the town’s residents.”
Airborne 1’s La Conchita data can be made available to federal, state, and local agencies, including academia and non-government organizations studying the area. Agencies that want to obtain access to the La Conchita data and other LiDAR images throughout California and the greater United States may contact (310) 414-7400 or locate additional information at www.airborne1.com.

An intensity raster image of Airborne 1’s La Conchita data will also be featured in an upcoming report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

January 21, 2005
Airborne 1 Brings LiDAR Technology to the South Bay
EL SEGUNDO, CA - Airborne 1 Corporation, a worldwide provider of NASA developed LiDAR 'Light Detection and Ranging' technology recently performed airborne laser terrain scans of the South Bay coastline and surrounding areas. Within three hours of flight, the company's laser scanners captured high-resolution digital data of communities including Palos Verdes, Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches, as well as El Segundo and portions of LAX International Airport.
The resulting product included detailed digital elevation models (DEMs) of the cities and coastline that were suitable for generating topographic maps at FEMA compliant 2-foot contour intervals. Samples of the data can be viewed at http://www.airborne1.com/southbay.jpg.

In addition to several local projects throughout California, Airborne 1 is currently working on two five-year joint venture contracts with the U.S Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that have a combined maximum value of $100 million. The company will perform riverine and coastal flood insurance studies to support the agency's flood hazard mapping and map modernization program for their Region IX. The region serves the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, as well as the territories of American Samoa and Guam, among others.

"Many federal, state, and local agencies have already discovered airborne laser mapping to be a less expensive, yet far faster alternative to conventional methods of topographic mapping using photogrammetry," explained Todd Stennett, founder and president of Airborne 1. "The LiDAR technology we use today can collect hundreds of square miles of terrain within a single day, process up to a 100,000 measurements per second, and capture data with a spot spacing of a meter or less in all directions on the ground."
Airborne 1 has teamed with public and private sector businesses throughout California for topographic mapping projects relating to land development, beach erosion, flood simulation and risk analysis to name a few. The company achieved national acclaim in 2003 when it was recognized in Inc. 500 as one of America's fastest growing private companies. Airborne 1 is currently seeking additional capital for several expansion initiatives.

November 16, 2004
Airborne 1 Joint Ventures Awarded Two Five-Year FEMA Contracts With a Combined Maximum Value of $100 Million
EL SEGUNDO, CA - Airborne 1 Corporation has announced that it is a member of two joint ventures that have been awarded two contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to perform riverine and coastal flood insurance studies in support of the agency's flood hazard mapping and map modernization program for their Region IX. FEMA Region IX serves the states of Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, as well as the territories of American Samoa and Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Airborne 1's joint venture partners include URS Corporation, R.M. Towill Corporation, Schaaf & Wheeler, Dewberry, Sea Engineering, Inc., and TerraPoint USA Inc.

Under the terms of the contracts, the joint ventures will provide a variety of services to support FEMA's flood mapping program, including collecting topographical map data, using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, aerial and other field surveys, determining flood hazard areas, conducting modeling studies and coastal flood assessments, producing digital flood insurance rate maps and providing technical assistance to FEMA during disaster operations. Both contracts have durations of five years.
Airborne 1 Corporation (www.airborne1.com) provides advanced LiDAR technology and asset management for partners in the photogrammetry, surveying and mapping fields. From Turnkey Services, to Software/Training, Rentals, and Fractional Ownership Plans, Airborne 1 enables professionals to effectively enter the LiDAR market without having to incur the high costs of owning a sensor. Airborne 1's digital mapping services and solutions include a dedicated team of LiDAR surveying experts, state-of-the-art Optech ALTM sensors, LiDAR data processing analysis and application development, as well as LiDAR field survey coordination and project management. Airborne 1 is the number one LiDAR provider to U.S. photogrammetry, surveying, and mapping firms.

August 18, 2003
New Los Angeles Office for Airborne 1
Airborne 1 Corporation has moved its Los Angeles offices to El Segundo, California, effective Monday, August 18th, 2003. New additions to the team like Data Processors and Field Operators have triggered the necessity for bigger facilities. In the past months, Airborne 1 has added the following employees to the team:

Jasmine Wright - Office Manager
Santiago Benavidez - Systems Operation Specialist
Kyle Lauro - Systems Operation Specialist
Eric Albrecht - Data Analyst
Valerie Muller - Data Analyst

June 18, 2001
airbornelasermapping.com Acquired by Airborne 1 Corporation
Airborne 1 Corporation has acquired the LiDAR mapping resource and reference web site airbornelasermapping.com. Recognized as the leading online source for industry news, technical information, research notes and related links, airbornelasermapping.com provides information pertinent to the LiDAR industry.

The original creator of airbornelasermapping.com, Martin Flood, is now employed as Airborne 1's Chief Technical Officer. "When I joined Airborne 1 as CTO earlier this year, I was concerned that I would have to shut down the site. But feedback from many of the site's visitors and leaders in the LiDAR industry led me to look for another alternative." Mr. Flood explains. "When Airborne 1 offered to acquire the site while maintaining an arm's length relationship, I saw this as the best option for keeping the site active. With Airborne 1's support and additional resources, I can develop the site further. My original goals for the web site, which were to promote the technology, educate the end-user, and create a community, remain unchanged."

"LiDAR mapping is drawing more and more interest from our clients." said Todd Stennett, CEO Airborne 1. "We wanted to step in and support the site as an objective resource in a rapidly expanding area. We want to provide our clients access to information that will let them make informed, intelligent decisions about LiDAR technology."

Airborne 1 provides flexible access to advanced LiDAR technology for clients in the photogrammetry, surveying and mapping fields. Airborne 1's digital mapping services and solutions include a dedicated airborne LiDAR survey group operating Optech ALTM sensors; flexible fractional ownership plans for clients without dedicated access to LiDAR technology; LiDAR data processing, analysis and application development; LiDAR field survey coordination and project management.

June 1, 2000
Airborne 1 Takes Delivery of Optech ALTM 1225
The principals of Airborne 1 Corporation are pleased to announce that they have taken delivery of an Optech ALTM 1225, a state-of-the-art airborne laser mapping system. Laser mapping systems, or LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology produces superbly accurate topographic maps with high resolutions more efficiently than traditional mapping tools.

"The state-of-the-art technology incorporated in the ALTM 1225 design allows us to acquire digital elevation data for our clients in the photogrammetry and surveying industries much faster and more cost-effectively than traditional survey techniques" said Martin Flood, CTO for Airborne 1, "and Optech's reputation and strong focus on customer service convinced us that theirs was the best instrument, from the best company, available today."

With the largest installed base of airborne laser terrain mapping systems in use worldwide, the Optech ALTM line is the market leader in commercial LiDAR instruments. "We've been designing specialized laser ranging systems for more than twenty years, often for airborne platforms, so it's not surprising that we saw the potential of this technology early on" said Don Carswell, Optech's Vice President of Business Development. "But getting in early isn't enough, since our first model, the 1020, we have redesigned the ALTM to work faster and at higher altitudes. Today, our 1225 model operates at 25 kHz while offering simultaneous capture of multiple returns and intensity data from each laser pulse."

LiDAR works under the same principles as radar, but is based on laser rangefinder technology. While in existence for more than 20 years, the application of LiDAR to commercial topographic mapping has only become available in the last five years. "Today, LiDAR mapping is highly automated, from flight planning and acquisition of data, to the production of digital terrain models and contour maps" said Mr. Flood.

April 25, 2000
Airborne 1 Completes Time-Sensitive LiDAR Survey of San Luis Obispo
Airborne 1 Corporation recently completed a time-sensitive survey of 10,000 acres of urban and watershed areas in central California. Using an Optech Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper (ALTM), Airborne 1 collected high-accuracy elevation data for the creation of digital terrain models and 0.5 m contour maps of the San Luis Obispo area. In addition to the LiDAR data collection, Golden State Aerial, a leading central California photogrammetry firm, compiled digital orthophotos of the study area.
The elevation data is being incorporated into a detailed watershed analysis of the region being performed by the leading engineering firms employed by the City of San Luis Obispo. According to Randy Rhoads, COO of Airborne 1, "In addition to requiring high-density, high-accuracy elevation data, the timing of the survey was critical. By providing LiDAR services that were optimal for the schedule and budget, we were able to contribute to the successful completion of the project."

March 1, 2000
Airborne 1 Completes Successful Private Equity Placement, Moves In To New Facilities
Airborne 1 Corporation (LA, California) is pleased to announce the recent closure of their successful private equity placement. "Our most sincere thanks go out to the investors who share in and have enabled our vision for airborne laser mapping (LiDAR) technology." said Todd Stennett, CEO, Airborne 1. "Airborne 1 is dedicated to bringing premier laser mapping services to photogrammetry and surveying companies throughout the United States and the successful closure of this private placement will allow us to move forward with providing cost-effective, timely and flexible access to this exciting new technology to our core clients."

Effective March 1, 2000, Airborne 1 has also moved in to new facilities at 5777 W. Century Blvd in Los Angeles located just north of LAX. "We are experiencing a very high demand for our services and felt it was time to move to a more suitable space that can accommodate our anticipated growth." said Mr. Stennett.

July 14, 1999
U.S. Department of Defense Project: Airborne 1 Corporation Performs Laser Terrain Mapping of San Francisco; Complete Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) Delivered in 3 Days
San Francisco Mapped in Record Time for U.S. Dept. of Defense
Accurate maps are important to all of us. Even if there were such a thing as a truly "perfect" map (there isn't), it would take so long to produce that it would be useless to many users. Sometimes, speed can be every bit as important as accuracy.
Take the case of a military engagement. Planners, Commanders, and Squad Leaders make life and death decisions based upon the most up-to-date and accurate maps available to them. From a gondola in Italy to an Embassy near Serbia, we've seen recent global evidence of the importance of current map information.

Unfortunately, the millions of successful activities based upon map accuracies are often taken for granted. As you might expect, the U.S. Department of Defense (with the support of numerous agencies) is a world leader in gathering, maintaining, and disseminating precise and current map information. And they are always looking for ways to make a good thing even better.
Airborne 1 Corporation was called upon to fly an Airborne Laser Terrain Mapping system and scan the entire northern portion of the San Francisco peninsula, from the Bay Bridge to south of the Presidio, and northward to include all wharfage.
The project could have been flown with a single ground-based GPS data collector, but Airborne 1 set up an additional station across town to ensure redundancy and provide additional Quality Control. In addition, two small but very high accuracy "control networks" were established, to ensure the highest level of precision for the laser data.

Two flight sessions were planned and flown to ensure capture of a high-density x,y,z (lat/lon/elev) collection of points. Most of the area was planned and flown to ensure a precise measurement every 3' on the ground, in all directions.

June 26, 1999
Airborne 1's LiDAR Accuracy Assessment Results
LA Laser Terrain Mapping Firm's Accuracy Checked Against Photogrammetry and GPS Ground Control
Southern California LiDAR Accuracy Assessment Results
A recent land development project in Southern California required some 3000 truckloads of earth be moved across the nearby highway. What was unusual about the effort was that these same trucks had only recently carried the exact same dirt in the direct opposite direction!

Aside from obliterating project margins, the interpretive errors buried in the photogrammetrically derived terrain models and maps created obvious problems from a credibility and relationship standpoint. New, in-depth ground truthing was finding topographic map errors ranging from 5’ to 18’, despite being "certified" to NMAS for 2’ contour intervals.
To eliminate uncertainty, Airborne 1 Corporation (El Segundo, CA) was called in to fly an Airborne Laser Terrain Mapper (ALTM) over the project and deliver a high-density DEM.

The project measured just over ½ mile square, but was plagued with many photogrammetric challenges. The terrain varied radically in some areas, and was nearly flat in others. The vegetation was extremely dense and varied, with no visible ground detectable in many portions of the aerial photos. And to make matters worse, there was obviously little remaining budget to exhaust on photogrammetric re-work. The final decision point was turnaround time, with Airborne 1 promising 2’ NMAS quality DEM delivery within 72 hours of flight.

The client set an extensive network of 14 high-order field GPS control points. While Airborne 1 needs only 3 points on projects under 2,000 acres, this network would provide a solid basis for accuracy assessment. The control points were strategically placed across the entire range of terrain and vegatation, to eliminate bias for the laser’s ability to penetrate and remove vegetation.

September 1, 1998
Airborne 1 granted 17,000 Acre Contract for Airborne Laser Terrain Mapping
Space-Age Lasers Scan Los Angeles

Todd A. Stennett, Founder and President of Airborne 1, announced today that they have been awarded by Sikand Engineering Associates a contract to conduct laser terrain mapping of over 17,000 acres in Los Angeles county.

Laser terrain mapping is a relatively new technology that offers a cost-effective method of mapping the topography of large tracts of land. It combines a scanning laser rangefinder with real-time data from the government's Global Positioning System. This data is then adjusted for the aircraft's attitude (pitch, roll, and yaw) via an Inertial Navigation System. Once on the ground, the data is processed via proprietary software, resulting in highly accurate maps of the terrain at previously unheard of production rates.
Sikand, located in Van Nuys, California, is among the first engineering firms in the U.S. to offer this new technology to their clients. When it comes to land surveying in our region, Sikand has proven themselves as a clear leader. With well over a dozen crews in the field on a daily basis, the firm's engineers have ready access to the field data they need as they design and engineer many of our largest residential, commercial, and industrial developments. Sikand's Mike Kennada said this about the project and the use of this new technology: "We're getting a very high-density of measurements, vegetation penetration, and rapid turnaround that simply couldn't be achieved using traditional means. We look forward to many future projects with Airborne 1." After extensive field truthing of the laser topo data, Sikand concluded that this data is in fact superior to what they'd have expected from traditional photogrammetry.

Airborne 1 is planning a national rollout of this government-designed mapping technology, with Unit 1 operating out of Los Angeles. According to Mr. Stennett, "Many federal agencies have enjoyed tremendous benefits of time, cost, and quality through the use of laser mapping capabilities. The technology has been nearly 20 years in development and refinement. Today, it's at the point where we can measure 25,000 acres in a single day, with measurements every 2' or 3' on the ground. Lasers actually penetrate the vegetation, too. Traditional aerial mapping methods simply can't compete with that when it comes to topography. The technology is also ideally suite for areas where access is difficult, as we need little field work in advance of our flights. These are the reasons we see NASA's own version currently mapping our coastlines. It really is better, faster, and as a result, usually cheaper.

The Company's business concept includes aligning with the best-in-class. As an example, for our Air Operations, we're working with Clay Lacy Aviation, another Van Nuys leader in their field. Clay Lacy, a former National Air Race champion, is on record as the world's most experienced jet pilot. His firm owns and operates a sizeable fleet of executive jets, and a number of highly specialized aircraft suited for aerial film work. The aircraft he's putting to work for our operations is perfectly suited for mapping. Stable, well equipped, and when needed, capable of safe and extremely slow forward airspeeds. Air operators simply don't get any better than this!"
Another example of this approach of strategic relationships involves WPA Communications, located in Santa Monica. They are a full-service marketing communications company that specializes in servicing the needs of emerging companies. WPA has assisted us in the development and execution of our graphics, advertising, and marketing. Jeff Wilson, a founder of WPA said "Teaming with Airborne 1 allows us to use our years of experience to help them not only create sophisticated marketing materials and advertisements, but to help them think and act at the most professional strategic level.

Airborne 1 was formed as an outgrowth of the founder's formal commercialization contract at Charleston's Center for Technological Innovation (CTI). CTI was established under a joint venture between U.T. Austin's IC2 (a leading business incubator), and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who operates our National Weather Service and monitors our oceans and coastal areas. The business plan was developed while Mr. Stennett completed his MBA, at the nation's leading MBA Entrepreneur Program at the University of Southern California. His plan was awarded "Best Business Plan of 1998." According to Mr. Stennett, "The Lloyd Grief Entrepreneur Program at USC's Marshall school of Business gave me so many incredible tools. Anyone can write a business plan. That's easy. Crafting a great plan that professional investors believe in, well, that's what they teach participants. Tom O'Malia, director of the USC program, has been an incredible wealth of inspiration, combining top business savvy with true entrepreneurial spirit. And the USC network; well, it does seem to work! " Airborne 1's telephone # is (310) 414-1400.