The City of Vernon, Florida had a problem- the city cemetery did not have a recent survey and the boundaries of the property were in question.
In addition, the Vernon Cemetery Committee wanted to spruce up the memorial facility with fencing and a general cleanup, but without an accurate map and photo of the area, they were unsure where to start.
The Drone Technology Program and Digital Photography Program at Florida Panhandle Technical College got involved, donating a high-resolution aerial photo to the City, helping to alleviate the problem.
The process involves creating a ‘mission’- outlining the area to be photographed using Google Maps, determining the elevation above ground at which the drone will fly, determining how many photos will be sufficient to document the property, taking the photos and then ‘stitching’ them together to form a high-resolution image.
The process required more than a single drone flight, along with over 500 high-resolution photos, but the result was an accurate representation of the Vernon Cemetery property, allowing the City to move forward with their beautification plans.
The Florida Panhandle Technical College Drone Program students learn about avionics and regulations of small drones (or sUAV’s) in this cutting-edge, total-immersion technology program preparing students for a variety of career path options, including the military, surveying, aerial photography, real estate photography, video production and other practical applications.
Interested adults and dual-enrolled high school students may visit the class, by appointment only, and shadow students in the class for a day to better understand the offering.
For more information about this program and the over 30 degree and certification programs offered at Florida Panhandle Technical College, stop by Student Services, visit www.fptc.edu or call FPTC Student Services at 850-638-1180 ext. 317.
