New Fuel-efficient Survey Aircraft Handed over to GeoFly

GeoFly has taken delivery of its new DA62 SurveyStar aerial survey aircraft and the Special Mission Aircraft is now ready for deployment from GeoFly's base at Magdeburg Business Airport, Germany. GeoFly had signed the contract for the new aircraft from the Austrian manufacturer Diamond Aircraft in June 2020. It is the first aircraft of this type which has been specially adapted for the specific requirements of aerial surveys.

In close cooperation between GeoFly and Diamond Aircraft, the adaptations of the aircraft, which is intended for use at low and medium altitudes, were developed and implemented. The necessary modifications were carried out specifically for the use of high-performance cameras and laser scanning systems. Sensor systems from the Austrian companies Vexcel Imaging and RIEGL were used. Stabilization components from SOMAG and navigation instruments from the IGI were also integrated into the aircraft.

Low fuel consumption

"We expect from this aircraft a much more efficient performance of our worldwide surveying projects," explains Aicke Damrau, managing director of GeoFly. "The DA62 consumes just one-third of the fuel of conventional aircraft with a similar performance. In this respect, we will not only significantly reduce operating costs with this aircraft, but can also make a small contribution to environmental protection and against climate change at the same time."

"We were already able to carry out the first test and calibration flights here in Magdeburg in December 2020. The pilots also received, through special training, the necessary licenses to operate this type of aircraft," said Damrau.

Challenging survey tasks

The official handover of the aircraft took place on 15 February in Wiener Neustadt at Diamond Aircraft's corporate headquarters. The first DA62 survey aircraft has now begun operations. The aircraft is already scheduled for various tasks in the field of 3D analysis of cities and the classic production of aerial maps.

GeoFly employs about 30 people at its Magdeburg headquarters and is involved in many worldwide projects in the field of remote sensing. Among other things, the Magdeburg-based company was involved in the analysis of hurricane damage in the Bahamas in 2019. In addition to traditional land surveying, the company's responsibilities also include documentation flights on glacier movements and volcanic activity in Iceland and Greenland.