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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How long does it take to research my request? Turnaround times for research services depend on the service requested. Rush service is usually 1 to 2 business days from receipt of the request unless the request is complex or requires research of historical oblique aerial photography. Standard service is usually 5 business days. We do provide at no cost, details about the most recent aerial photography we can provide for a specific area of interest. All inquiries regarding satellite imagery, including the most recent acquired satellite imagery for a particular location, require submission of a completed research request form. If you are submitting a rush request and timing is critical, please call 415.771.2555 to confirm receipt of your request. What are the benefits of submitting the research request form? The Aerial Archives research request form has been developed over the years to ensure that the we suggest only imagery which will actually meet your specific needs. In addition, fully completing the form expedites the research process. The research form is a pdf fill in form which can either be filled in, saved and emailed. What information is contained in your research report? The research report contains date, scale and resolution information for vertical aerial photography. For oblique aerial photography, the report contains the date, media and a brief description of the type of oblique view. What does the scale referenced in your report mean? Our research reports express scale in units (for example 1:12,000) or in distance per pixel for digital imagery, (e.g. 1' pixel, meaning one picture element covers a distance of 1'). Additional information about scale is available at the description of information about high resolution aerial photography. Resolution for satellite imagery is referenced in our research reports in terms of pixel resolution. You can see samples of high resolution satellite imagery at high resolution aerial photography. What kind of map do you need? Ideally, we would like a map with enough of an overview to identify where your location is and enough detail to define the precise boundaries of the area you are requesting. For rural areas this sometimes requires more than one map. We prefer a Google Earth map (either a kml or kmz file). Aerial photographs without mapping references, while they can be helpful, will not replace the need for an actual map. What are the imagery delivery options? We will deliver imagery in any form that you request. Generally our clients request digital files or some form of print or transparency output. Digital files are delivered online unless otherwise requested. If requesting digital files, it is useful for us to know the size of the file you need. You can express this in the format inches x inches at dpi (e.g. 30" x 40" @ 150 dpi). Prints can also be delivered on a large variety of media. Photographic prints using archival processes are designed to provide you with a print that resists fading over time. Other processes include inkjet processes can output to photo paper, backlit displays, very large aerial murals and many other surfaces, including billboard displays and other surfaces that will resist weather, and laser output. Is more in depth research available?Aerial Archives provides in depth aerial photography, satellite imagery and remote sensing data research services. These services include investigating non-publicly available aerial photography collections, detailed investigation of specific requests for satellite imagery and other remote sensing data and difficult to obtain imagery. These services are billed based on time and expenses invested in the project. Do you provide certification of aerial photography and satellite imagery for legal cases? For legal cases we recommend certification rather than testimony when possible, because of the savings that are realized using the certification. We have available a standard certification which we have found to work well for our legal clients. A fixed fee applies for each image certified. We do also develop custom legal certifications when this service is required by our clients. This work is billed based on the amount of legal and staff time invested in the project. This solution usually also costs a fraction of the fees likely to be incurred for testimony. When testimony is required, however, we are prepared to provide you with the highest quality services, including expert aerial photography and satellite imagery interpretation services. Additional background information on particular legal considerations relating to using aerial photography as evidence is available at: Aerial Photography: Legal Applications. Are preview images available prior to ordering images? Unfortunately, we are unable to provide preview images. Often we are ordering imagery on behalf of a client, and do not obtain imagery useful for creating preview images before we have paid for the imagery on behalf of the client. While we are unable to guarantee what conditions will be present at a current locations at a particular period in time, we do guarantee that we will provide imagery that covers the entire area of interest specified in a client submitted order form, and that the resolution of the imagery will be comparable to the resolution specified in our research report. If you are uncertain when certain conditions would appear in your area of interest and you have the time, you may want to consider ordering one aerial photograph first, and order additional aerial photographs if necessary after reviewing that aerial photograph. For more information on how aerial photography can help with your legal case, please contact Aerial Archives directly.
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