Experimental aeromagnetic survey using an unmanned air system

Currently, Stratus Aeronautics is developing an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), called the Venturer, for aeromagnetic surveying. On 2 October 2013, in southern Alberta, Canada, an experimental survey of the UAS was conducted. Approximately 13 km of preprogrammed survey lines, along with calibration maneuvers, were flown, providing 45 minutes worth of data collection. The UAS was stable in flight and only required operator intervention for takeoff and landing. There was a + 2 m offset from the nominal altitude of 150 m, with variations of approximately ± 1.4 m. Deviations from a straight flight path were approximately ± 0.9 m along traverse lines and ± 25 m along tie-lines, the latter being affected mainly by crosswind. The noise envelope for the magnetic data acquired during the survey was approximately ± 0.05 nT, allowing a high-quality total-magnetic-intensity map to be created.