Desert Drones is a Part 107–certified, fully insured commercial drone company based in Arizona, delivering stockpile volumetrics, facility inspection, and site mapping for mines, plants, and industrial operators nationwide — through our own Arizona team and a vetted network of professional Part 107 pilots across the country.
For mines, quarries, and industrial facilities, drones replace slow, hazardous, and expensive data collection with fast aerial capture. A drone measures a stockpile in minutes instead of sending a survey crew across the pile, and inspects a stack or conveyor without scaffolding, rope access, or a production shutdown. The result is safer operations and better data at a fraction of the cost.
Desert Drones supports aggregate producers, mining operations, manufacturers, and logistics operators with survey-grade volumetrics, orthomosaic mapping, and high-resolution and thermal inspection. From a single stockpile survey to a recurring, multi-site monitoring program, the data is captured to the same standard and delivered ready to analyze.
Mine and plant operators need defensible measurements and safe inspection data — not hobbyist footage. Here is what a professional program brings.
RTK/PPK aircraft with ground control produce stockpile and pit volumes accurate to within roughly 1–2% — reliable for inventory reconciliation and reserve reporting.
Aerial capture inspects stacks, conveyors, tailings, and high structures without scaffolding, rope access, or putting personnel in hazardous positions.
Consistent flight plans deliver month-over-month orthomosaics and topos so you can track earthwork, haul roads, and site changes over time.
Volumetric reports, orthomosaics, and inspection imagery delivered in DroneDeploy and standard formats within 48 hours.
One vendor for measurement, mapping, and inspection across your operation.
Fast, accurate volume measurement of aggregate, ore, and material stockpiles for inventory and reconciliation.
Orthomosaics, topographic surveys, and progress mapping of active pits, quarries, and haul networks.
High-resolution aerial inspection of stacks, tanks, conveyors, flares, and structures — no scaffolding required.
Thermal scans of equipment, electrical, and process infrastructure to flag hot spots before failure.
Georeferenced maps of laydown and staging yards for asset tracking and space planning.
Monitoring and mapping of tailings, containment, and reclamation areas over time.
Textured 3D models and point clouds for engineering, planning, and as-built comparison.
Standardized capture and reporting across a portfolio of sites in different states, one point of contact.
Aerial data works across the industrial and resource sector.
Stockpile volumetrics and pit mapping for producers and reconciliation.
Pit surveys, haul-road mapping, and tailings monitoring for active operations.
Aerial and thermal inspection of stacks, tanks, and process equipment.
Facility and infrastructure inspection and mapping across energy sites.
Laydown-yard mapping and site planning for large industrial footprints.
Asset inspection and corridor mapping for utility operators.
A safe, repeatable process built for operating sites.
We define your measurement or inspection objectives, coordinate site safety requirements, and secure LAANC or manual FAA airspace authorization before flight day.
A Part 107–certified pilot captures the site with RTK mapping, thermal, or high-resolution sensors — safely, with no shutdown required.
Data is processed into volumetric reports, orthomosaics, and inspection imagery, then quality-checked for accuracy against ground control.
You receive analysis-ready deliverables in DroneDeploy and standard formats within 48 hours, sized for your O&M and planning workflows.
Typical operations Desert Drones supports across the country.
Delivered in formats your survey, O&M, and planning teams already use.
Projects are quoted to scope, but most industrial work falls into three buckets. Recurring monitoring and multi-site programs receive volume pricing.
A single-site stockpile or pit survey with volumetric report, delivered within 48 hours.
Aerial and/or thermal inspection of a plant or structure, quoted by scope and access.
Recurring surveys or inspections on a set cadence, priced per site with portfolio discounts.
Pricing varies by site size, access, and deliverables. Contact us for a fast, project-specific quote — no obligation.
Desert Drones is headquartered in Arizona and delivers industrial and mining aerial data across the country through our own team and a vetted network of professional Part 107 pilots. Explore the local markets we serve:
Don’t see your city? We fly nationwide — tell us about your project and we’ll deploy a vetted local pilot.
One certified, insured team for aerial data and content across your operation — nationwide.
Certified, insured, and safety-first — with data you can defend.
Every flight is flown by an FAA Part 107–certified pilot carrying $1M commercial liability insurance, with airspace and site safety handled before we mobilize.
A perfect 5.0-star rating from 271 verified clients — earned on real projects.
Arizona-based crews plus a vetted Part 107 pilot network in every state — multi-site programs stay one account and one standard.
RTK mapping and radiometric thermal, with analysis-ready deliverables in 48 hours.
A perfect 5.0 across 271 verified reviews.
“John and team are the consummate professionals! Very reliable, quick, and high quality deliverables!”
“Professional, efficient, and easy to work with. The team delivered clean, high-quality aerials and communicated clearly throughout the project.”
“Needed work done quickly. They responded fast, knew exactly what was required, and explained it well — great customer service.”
Stockpile volumes, site maps, and safe facility inspection from a Part 107 team that delivers nationwide.
