Bluesky Announces New Aerial Photography for Ireland

Leicestershire, UK, 15 October 2014 – Aerial mapping company Bluesky has announced plans to photograph the whole of The Republic of Ireland from the air to create the most up to date high resolution photomap of the country. It will add 70,000 square kilometres of brand new aerial photography to Bluesky’s existing archive. To be flown in 2015, nationwide coverage will be at 25 cm resolution with higher – 12.5 cm – coverage for selected urban areas. Bluesky will simultaneously capture colour infrared imagery (CIR) and will produce accurate 3D terrain maps. Bluesky will announce the Ireland project at the GIS Ireland Conference held in Dublin on the 16th October 2014.

“There exists a real need for high quality, high accuracy and up to date geographic data for the whole of The Republic of Ireland,” says Bluesky’s Managing Director Rachel Tidmarsh. “Our experience in large data capture programmes gained over the last fifteen years in the UK and beyond places us in a great position to achieve this. We also have a proven track record in creating and bringing to market innovative products from the source data, such as tree mapping and solar potential maps, which we will offer in due course.”

Bluesky will capture high resolution, leaf on, aerial photography and colour infrared imagery for the whole of The Republic of Ireland during the Spring and Summer months of 2015. Digital Terrain and Digital Surface Models (DTM / DSM) will subsequently be created. Planes equipped with the latest Vexcel cameras will operate out of multiple flying bases, including Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Donegal, to ensure maximum optimisation of all flying opportunities.

Products from the Bluesky data capture will include 25 cm resolution coverage for the whole country with 12.5 cm resolution data for selected urban areas including Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Drogheda, Dundalk and Wexford. In addition a national Digital Terrain Model and Digital Surface Model will be created. The first datasets, available in a variety of GIS ready formats as well as online at Bluesky’s Mapshop, are expected to be launched to market in the third quarter of 2015 and Bluesky has already committed to a three year update cycle for core data products.

Bluesky is an expert in the capture of remotely sensed data and the production of innovative geographic data products. Bluesky recently launched to market the first ever detailed National Tree Map of England and Wales, is providing technical lead in a European Commission funded project into a web based renewable energy rating platform and has close ties with the University of Leicester working to develop solutions for air quality mapping and night time aerial surveys. In addition, in partnership with Getmapping, Bluesky has recently been awarded a multi-million pound contract for the supply of geographic data to UK Central Government organisations.

About Bluesky
Bluesky is a UK-based specialist in aerial survey including aerial photography, LiDAR and thermal data using the very latest survey technology, including an UltraCam Eagle and an Orion M300 LiDAR system. An internationally recognised leader with projects extending around the globe, Bluesky is proud to work with prestigious organisations such as Google, the BBC and Government Agencies. Bluesky has unrivalled expertise in the creation of seamless, digital aerial photography and maintains national “off the shelf” coverage of aerial photography, DTM and DSM through an on-going 3 year update programme. By purchasing a World first sensor for the simultaneous capture of LiDAR, Thermal and Aerial Photography data Bluesky is in the enviable position of being able to provide customers with unique and cost effective solutions. Bluesky is also leading the way in developing innovative solutions for environmental applications including the UK’s first National Tree Map (NTM), solar mapping and citywide ‘heat loss’ maps and is currently developing noise and air quality mapping products. www.bluesky-world.com