Aerial Photography

In 2006, members of KC Metro GIS Committee participated in a successful cost-sharing project to obtain high-resolution aerial photography (imagery) for the counties and cities within the MARC region. The success of this project is evident in the cost savings to the participants. This project was repeated in 2008 and 2010 and, keeping with a two-year cycle, planning is currently underway for the 2012 acquisition.

The imagery produced for this project is leaf-off, color and ortho-rectified. Most of the imagery is delivered at six-inch resolution, though some rural areas are one-foot resolution. The imagery is typically captured in late winter to early spring, processed, then delivered to the participants in the fall of the same year.

Imagery Sample
(click to view larger image, 353kb)

MARC GIS staff, in cooperation with a workgroup designated by KC Metro GIS, facilitates the bid process, contracting, and the cost sharing between the local governments. Planning for the project begins in the summer. Vendor review, selection and contracting occurs during the fall and early winter. The flight window for acquisition is a relatively short period between mid-February through late-March when the sun angle is suitable and leaves are still off the trees. Final delivery of the imagery lags approximately six months from the point acquisition to allow time for the vendor to post-process the raw imagery into an ortho-rectified product. MARC GIS provides project management and process facilitation throughout the entire project lifecycle.

For more information about this program, please contact the GIS staff at marc_gis@marc.org or (816) 474-4240.