We’re the UK’s leading training provider in Drone Aerial Imaging Courses for
Commercial Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry applications.

ARC Aerial Imaging delivers and instructs several specialised ‘Phase 2’ and ‘Phase 3’ UAS training courses in aerial imaging. To find out more about each training course, click on the course link below or scroll down.

Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry

Mapping Planning with Litchi Course

Topographic surveying with UAVs isn’t as simple as just putting the drone in the air to grab some images and uploading them into any photogrammetry processing application! Not only is it vital to have the right UAV and sensing capabilities employed in topographic mapping and surveying but by not having an informed understanding on how to utilise them will result in poorly produced and inaccurate geospatial datasets regardless of what photogrammetry software would be utilised.

This comprehensive 3-day course equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills needed to plan and capture high-quality UAV-based aerial imagery with both accuracy and consistency. It delivers a detailed understanding of imaging principles including sensor architecture, optics, radiometry, dynamic range, sensing exposure and platform motion management along with the mathematical and geometric foundations that are behind aerial image acquisition and structure from motion photogrammetric processing. Attendees also gain hands-on experience on the course through structured UAV surveying exercises and by integrating supporting geo information, such as precise point-positioning from survey-grade GNSS, that will enable them to produce survey-compliant geospatial outputs.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Who is this course for?

Perhaps the largest growing sector within the drone industry and it’s one where you have the potential to specialise and charge higher rates for your expertise. This course is designed for individual commercial drone operators to corporate drone-operating entities who are seeking to up-skill and expand their current service offerings by including mapping, surveying and photogrammetry applications with drones to a high degree of confidence and to high service standards that are demanded by clients.

Do I need prior knowledge?

No prior knowledge of mapping, surveying or photogrammetry is required - attendees can be absolute beginners to experienced surveying professionals that would be introducing drones into their workflows and this broad audience spectrum will still be able to understand the information that will be conveyed and delivered by a highly-knowledgeable and experienced tutor.

Not restricted to specific types of drone platforms, planning software or photogrammetry processing applications, this comprehensive training course can be delivered in its 3-day format at its venues or it can be brought to your team at its business premises which will enable your services to fully maximise the commercial benefits that mapping, surveying and photogrammetry can bring to its drone operations. Furthermore it can also be instructed via a virtual classroom online and on an ad-hoc, one-to-one training basis.

2026 Training Dates

North Yorkshire
(Hunley Hotel and Golf Club,
Saltburn-By-The-Sea)

15th - 17th April 2026 - ONLY 2 SPACES AVAILABLE
(18th April if also attending the Agisoft Metashape Pro Photogrammetry Processing Course)
Received bookings by no later than 1st April

23rd - 25th September 2026 - SPACES AVAILABLE
(26th September if also attending the Agisoft Metashape Pro Photogrammetry Processing Course)
Received bookings by no later than 9th September

18th - 20th November 2026 - SPACES AVAILABLE
(21st November if also attending the Agisoft Metashape Pro Photogrammetry Processing Course)
Received bookings by no later than 4th November

Course Applicable Drones

It’s important to utilise the appropriate UAV platforms types and sensing towards topographic-related mapping and surveying. Below are those UAVs and sensors that are compatible to use during the practical mapping/surveying element of the course:

• DJI Phantom 3 Standard

• DJI Phantom 3 Advanced

• DJI Phantom 3 Pro

• DJI Phantom 4 Standard

• DJI Phantom 4 Advanced

• DJI Phantom 4 Pro

• DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2

• DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral

• DJI Phantom RTK

• DJI Mavic Pro

• DJI Mavic 2 Pro

• DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

• DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise

• DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Pro*

• DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise

• DJI Mavic 3 Multispectral

• DJI Mavic 3 Thermal

• DJI Mavic 4 Pro*

• DJI Mini/Mini 2/Mini 3/Mini 3 Pro/Mini 4 Pro/Mini 5 Pro

• DJI Mavic Air 2 (Android Tablet/Phone Only)

• DJI Air 2S (Android Tablet/Phone Only)

* Although the SDK is not available for DJI Air 3, Mavic 3 Pro (Classic and Cine) and Mavic 4 Pro drones for use with third-party mapping planning/flight apps, these drones could still be used for mapping and the course will show how with several practical flight and imaging workarounds.

Course Training Fees

North Yorkshire Venue Training - a fee of just £395.00

The course's LOW TRAINING fee is inclusive of the following:

• Various Drone Mapping Mission Planning Spreadsheets;

• Imaging Processing and Geospatial Analysis Software;

• Reference Guides;

• Lunch and all day refreshments.

Including the ‘Agisoft Metashape Pro SfM Photogrammetry Processing Course’
a total fee of only £495.00

PLEASE NOTE - This is not a residential course and accommodation will need to be individually sought for by attendees.

Online Training - a fee of just £295.00

Although instructing a specialised course is still best delivered in-person to audiences at a training venue, it could also be delivered through an online ‘virtual classroom’ without compromising the high degree of this course’s learning if three consecutive days away from the office is not possible. As a flexible training option we can accommodate this format of training to fit around those busy diaries.

Virtual attendees will still receive the same amount of comprehensive learning and course materials as the in-person venue hosted course however the practical drone mapping exercises won’t be undertaken. If you think this training would be of benefit by having it being instructed in this bespoke way, initially get in touch with your specific training requirements via our contact webpage.

Including the ‘Agisoft Metashape Pro SfM Photogrammetry Processing Course’
a total fee of only £395.00

North Yorkshire-held Course or Online Training Booking Form

Booking is acceptance of our Course Terms and Conditions

Bringing this course to your in-house team of UAV operatives.

If your business or organisation is utilising drones in its operations and are seeking to continually develop its services and staff professional development, ARC Aerial Imaging can also bring this as a ‘closed course’ to that organisation's premises and for an all-inclusive set instructional fee thus saving it with staff disruption and additional costs (travel, accommodation and subsistence) for this employee training.

The course is fully ‘deployable’ meaning that we can bring along our own visual presentation equipment should your organisation not have this available - all we’ll need is an appropriate room to deliver the course and an appropriate location to undertake the practical mapping exercises.

If you think this training would be of benefit by having it being instructed at your organisation and to its in-house team of UAV operations staff, get in touch with your specific training requirements and enquire about discount pricing via our contact webpage.

Could we instruct this industry-leading course on your training behalf..?

We’re always looking to collaborate/partner with other relevant training providers on an non-exclusive basis and welcome those expressions of interest. If this course interests your training organisation by having it included within its training portfolio, get in contact.

The course’s training schedule and comprehensive learning modules are based on its instructor’s own experienced surveying task management, planning methodologies, imaging acquisition techniques and workflow processes with UAVs.

Day 1

AM

Fundamentals and Principles of Drone Aerial Imaging (Part 1).

• Types of drones for mapping, surveying and photogrammetry uses.

• Types of UAV aerial sensors - Passive and Active (RGB, Infrared, Multispectral, LiDAR…).

• Typical geospatial product outputs produced from aerial imaging.

• Digital aerial imaging and sensing basics.

• Components of an aerial sensor.

• Lenses and focal lengths.

• Types of sensor shutters.

• Types of aerial imaging - nadir and oblique.

Day 2

AM

Drone Mapping Planning.

• The ‘gist’ of Photogrammetry and what it needs from collators of digital aerial imaging

• Aerial stereoscopy and parallax.

• Photogrammetric principles - what it needs from digital aerial imaging.

• How SfM photogrammetry works - the ‘data pipeline’.

• Limitations of photogrammetry.

• Managing mapping and surveying tasks.

• Planning UAV aerial imaging mapping flights - the ‘imagery intelligence’ workflow cycle.

• The UAV - correctly planning semi-autonomous UAV aerial imaging mapping flights.

• The Sensor - applying the correct sensor settings for accurate and
  high radiometric quality of aerial imaging acquisitions.

• Site specific planning – understanding the operating environment and weather.

• Hardware - using the correct onboard imaging storage media.

DAY 3

AM

Imagery Collection Checks and Data Management.

• Post UAV flight management steps - validating actual imaging collection with that of a planned-for collection.

• Managing and organising aerial imagery collections.

• Understanding the importance to check the collected imagery’s integrity (exposure, focus, collect overlaps…) before ingesting into any photogrammetry processing software.

• Using AI (ChatGPT) for image quality checks.

• Imagery metadata/EXIF checks and applying amendments using freely available desktop software.

• Creating a basic ‘Imagery Collection Report’ to accompany collected aerial imagery.

  Image Processing to Improve Photogrammetry.

• Image radiometry and processing.

• How to improve the quality of collected aerial imaging that could potentially improve the accuracy of processed geospatial datasets.

Agisoft Metashape Pro Photogrammetry Training Course

From start to finish this 1-day course, which follows on from our market-leading ‘Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry Course’, covers an end-to-end photogrammetry workflow on how to generate survey-compliant geospatial datasets with Agisoft Metashape (Professional Edition) photogrammetry processing software.

Workflow topics, accompanied with practical instructor-led step-by-step demonstrations, include:

• Adding and aligning UAV aerial images into a project;

• Generating a Sparse (Tie) Point Cloud);

• Filtering/editing and removing erroneous tie points;

• Importing Ground Control Point data and precisely registering/aligning UAV aerial images;

• Reviewing and understanding the potential accuracies of geospatial products and in accordance to surveying standards of accuracy;

• Building a Dense Point Cloud;

• Creating a DEM (Digital Surface Model) from an Unclassified Dense Point Cloud;

• Classifying a Dense Point Cloud with specific subject matter attributes;

• Creating a DEM (Digital Terrain Model) from a Classified Dense Point Cloud;

• Extracting ground elevation data (contours) from a Digital Terrain Model;

• Creating an Orthomosaic;

• Building a 3D Mesh and Texture from the Dense Point Cloud for ‘digital twin’ modelling;

• Producing a Photogrammetry Processing and Geospatial Accuracy Report;

• Saving and exporting various photogrammetry-produced geospatial datasets and in their typical file formats.

It’s instructed in-person by a tutor who has over 30 years of accredited subject matter knowledge including 10 years as a highly-experienced commercial practitioner in photogrammetry with UAVs and their various sensing and is delivered on an optional training needs basis:

• Following attendance on our ‘Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass Course for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry’ at our North Yorkshire-held training venue which is instructed via online/remote learning means
  or

• Via online/remote learning means as a completely standalone training course.

Standalone Training Course - only £245.00

or

If previously attended our ‘3-Day Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass Course for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry’ - only £195.00

The course's LOW TRAINING feeS ARE inclusive of the following:

• Agisoft Metashape Pro SfM Photogrammetry software is provided (subject to compatible computing*);

• A step-by-step Agisoft Metashape guide as an aide memoir;

• A provided sample set of surveying imaging including GCP data.

Course Training Booking Form

Booking is acceptance of our Course Terms and Conditions

It is strongly recommended that attendees on this course would already have a good understanding on how to plan and acquire high-quality UAV aerial imaging (our ‘Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass Course for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry’ provides this essential training).

* Having robust computing means in place is essential - it’s recommended that it’s Windows OS, a minimum of an I7 (or equivalent) processor, at least 16GB (or more) RAM and a NVIDIA GPU installed.

Mapping Planning with Litchi Course.

This additional 1 day and ‘bolt-on’ training course to our industry-leading ‘Drone Aerial Imaging Masterclass for Mapping, Surveying and Photogrammetry Course’ is aimed for those UAV operators that seek further planning controls over their UAV survey flights and aerial imaging acquisitions by advancing from the standard mission planning apps to create semi-autonomous UAV mapping flights.

Primarily applied for automated creative aerial filming with drones, ‘Litchi’ and now ‘Litchi Pilot’ is often overlooked as a credible mapping planning alternative to dedicated mapping planning apps and this short online course neatly bridges the gap between those older and basic flight planning apps (‘DroneDeploy’, ‘Pix4DCapture’…) and the more complex UAV flight mission planning software such as ‘UgCS’ and Ardupilot’s ‘Mission Planner.’

Another benefit is the utilisation of sub-250g drones towards mapping, surveying and photogrammetry applications with ‘Litchi Pilot’ (see note below) instead of using enterprise-level UAVs where their use within some environments would be inappropriate and if just starting out in mapping and surveying uses with drones.

This course is instructed on a one-to-one basis and is delivered in-person via online video conferencing means during one day’s (approximately 8 hours) training duration by an accredited tutor in its subject matter who has decades of planning knowledge and uses with various civil as well as military mission planning and imaging data acquisition applications.

Note - We recommend the use of the DJI RC-N1 (for the DJI Mini 2/3 series, Air 2/2S, Mavic 3), DJI RC-N2 or DJI RC-N3 (for the DJI Air 3/3S, Mini 4 Pro) controllers, a compatible Android tablet/phone and downloaded/installed the open-beta ‘Litchi Pilot’ app for easier transfer of planned flights from Litchi Hub.

Training Topics (Day 1).

Part 1 (AM) - Understanding the Fundamentals of Aerial Imaging.

• Aerial Imaging Basics.

• Components of an Aerial Sensor - The Detector Array.

• Lenses and Focal Lengths.

• Understanding Aerial imagery Field of View (FoV).

• Spatial Resolution - Ground Sampling Distance (GSD).

• How to calculate imagery FoV and GSD with mathematical formulae.

• What can affect FoV and GSD on nadir aerial imagery.

• Improving aerial imaging GSD.

• The basics of Photogrammetry – Aerial Stereoscopy and Parallax.

• Photogrammetric principles – what it needs from digital aerial imaging.

• UAV Altitudes and Flight Track Speeds.

• Imagery overlaps for establishing correct collection leg distancing in Litchi.

• Applying the correct camera/sensor settings for imagery capturing.

Part 2 (PM) - UAV flight planning Planning a Mission with Litchi Hub.

• Overview of the Litchi Hub desktop planning interface.

• Understanding and applying its General and Mission settings.

• Step-by-step walkthrough with the instructor to create and saving a mapping mission.

• Viewing flight plans in Google Earth for pre-flight assessments.

• Exporting/sharing/opening mission flight plans with others.

• The Litchi Pilot app - setting sensor capturing settings.

• Interval exposures/UAV flight track speeds/imagery overlaps.

Price to remotely attend - only £195.

The course's LOW ONLINE fee is ALSO inclusive of RECEIVING:

• Drone Mapping Mission Planning Spreadsheets.

Course Training Booking Form

Booking is acceptance of our Course Terms and Conditions

Drone Multispectral Aerial Imaging and Analysis Course for Precision Agriculture.

Multispectral imaging is applied towards precision agriculture in by offering insights into crop health, soil variation and other environmental applications. This course is suited for those interested in obtaining scientific insights from vegetative subject matter as multispectral imaging provides valuable spatial information within various wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum.

With now accessible UAV-borne multispectral (MS) and thermal infrared (TIR) imaging, this 4-day course will cover the fundamentals of those sensing types that are engaged in precision agriculture and other environment-related studies. From mission planning for the accurate acquisitions of RGB, MS and TIR imaging, the generation of different spectral bands of geospatial datasets with SfM photogrammetry from source RGB, MS and TIR aerial images to understanding how combinations of MS imaging bands can produce various vegetation indices with specific raster calculations for conducting geospatial analysis using a Geospatial Information System (GIS).

It’s instructed in-person by a tutor who has over 30 years of accredited subject matter knowledge including 10 years as a highly-experienced commercial practitioner in photogrammetry with UAVs and their various sensing and is delivered on an optional training needs basis.

Course Applicable Drones

It’s important to utilise the appropriate UAV platforms types and sensing towards multispectral-related mapping and surveying. Below are those UAVs and sensors that would be compatible to use during the course:

• DJI Phantom 4 Multispectral

Note - Familiarisation in the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) would be essential to attend this course.

Course Training Fee

Standalone Training Course via an Online Classroom - only £695

The course's LOW TRAINING fee is inclusive of the following:

• Various Drone Mapping Mission Planning Spreadsheets;

• Multispectral Imaging and processed Geospatial Datasets for the exercises.

Course Training Booking Form

Booking is acceptance of our Course Terms and Conditions

Advanced Cartography for AEC&M Projects Course.

We have teamed up with Latitude Geospatial who have developed a 1-day short course for those in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Modelling (AEC&M) who are involved with surveying and data collection who want to understand how cartography can be applied to product generation that will reduce costs, increase efficiency, and enable decision makers to act systematically.

The course covers both theoretical and practical methodology and techniques, and aims to provide participants the working knowledge to produce products that are cartographically sound, but also able to effectively communicate spatial phenomena to managers at all levels.

It is aimed at surveyors, site engineers, CAD technicians, and those who want to understand how to generate quality products for their clients.

The course can be delivered on premise, virtually, or at one of our pre-selected facilities that are provided periodically throughout the year.

For more details about this course, contact Latitude Geospatial at
info@lat-geo.com or call +44 (0)191 359 2293