FAQ
Questions, answered.
Plain answers to the questions we hear most, from where we can fly to what we deliver. If yours is not covered here, call 0480 099 885 or email info@factum.au. We respond to every enquiry within one business day.
About Factum Aerial.
What does Factum Aerial do?
Factum Aerial is a drone imaging and data business based in Newcastle. We provide aerial photography and video, real estate and property marketing, construction progress and site documentation, roof and asset inspections, mapping and orthomosaics, events, and insurance and incident documentation. Each job is scoped, flown and edited by us, and delivered as ready-to-use files.
Where do you work?
Based in Newcastle. Servicing Lake Macquarie, Maitland and the Hunter, Port Stephens, Sydney and regional NSW by arrangement. Travel to each site is covered in the quote.
Are you connected to Factum Investigations?
Yes. Factum Aerial is the aerial arm of the Factum group, which also includes Factum Investigations, licensed private investigators based in Newcastle. Aerial work is quoted and handled as its own service.
Are you licensed?
Yes. Our pilots hold remote pilot licences issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). Every flight is planned around the site, the airspace and the weather on the day.
How we fly.
Do you fly in any weather?
No. We do not fly in rain, fog or strong wind, and flat or harsh light affects stills and video. We watch the forecast in the days before a job, confirm the day before and check again on the morning. If conditions on the day are not suitable, we reschedule.
How high and how close can you fly?
That depends on the site, the airspace and the brief, and it is settled at the planning stage. We do not fly directly over people, and the plan sets the heights and angles used at each site.
What about the privacy of neighbours?
Each flight is planned to capture the client's property or site, not the ones beside it. Camera angles are set to keep neighbouring homes, yards and people out of frame as far as practical. Imagery of adjoining properties is not supplied as a separate deliverable. Where a flight path needs to pass near a neighbouring property, we raise it at the quoting stage.
Can you fly over a construction site?
Yes. Construction sites are a regular part of our work. Flights are planned with the site manager around activity on the site, the airspace and the weather, and flown by licensed pilots from positions agreed before we arrive.
What we deliver.
What file formats do you deliver?
Stills are delivered as edited high-resolution JPEGs, with RAW files available on request. Video is delivered as edited files in the format agreed for the job; image and video quality, resolution and outputs are discussed when we quote. Mapping work is delivered as orthomosaic images and, where part of the job, 3D models in common formats. Inspection sets are delivered as annotated image sets.
How long does delivery take?
Stills are typically delivered within two business days; video within five. Mapping and inspection sets vary with the size of the site, and we give a delivery date when we quote. Files are supplied by secure online transfer.
Are the raw files available?
Yes. Raw footage and RAW stills are available on request, and we confirm this when we quote. Raw files are large, so they are supplied by download link rather than by email.
Booking and quotes.
How does quoting work?
Every job is scoped and quoted after a short conversation about the site, what the imagery is for and when it is needed. We confirm the deliverables and send a written quote. There are no packages or set prices. We respond to every enquiry within one business day.
How much notice do you need?
For most jobs a few days' notice is enough. Sites that need landowner or council permission take longer to arrange. We confirm whether a date is achievable when we quote.
What happens if the weather cancels a job?
If weather stops a job, we agree a new date as soon as a suitable window appears and the quote stays as it was. Where a deadline is fixed, we build a backup date into the plan when we quote.
Do you travel outside Newcastle?
Yes, by arrangement. Sydney and regional NSW jobs are quoted with travel included, and we group regional work where we can. A fixed date for a regional job needs a little more notice, which we confirm when we quote.
Cost and quoting.
How much does drone photography cost?
Every job is quoted, because the cost depends on the site, the brief and the files. The main drivers are the size of the site and how easy it is to access, the number of flight positions and passes, whether the job repeats, what is delivered and how much editing it needs, travel, and any approvals the site requires. A short conversation settles those and a written quote follows.
Do you charge by the hour?
No. Jobs are quoted as a whole, with the flight, the editing and the delivery included, so the figure in the quote is the figure you pay. Half-day and full-day rates apply to longer shoots and are set out in the quote.
How much does a drone roof inspection cost?
It depends on the size and height of the roof, how many structures are on the site, how much detail the image set needs and whether a video walk-around is included. Repeat inspections of the same asset cost less to plan because the positions are already set.
How much does drone mapping cost?
Mapping is quoted on the area to be covered, the resolution required, whether ground control is needed and which outputs are produced: an orthomosaic, an elevation model, a 3D model or measurements. Larger areas take more flights and more processing time.
How much does it cost to hire a drone pilot for video?
Video is quoted on the time on site, the number of locations, the length and style of the edit and whether raw footage is supplied. Event and marketing shoots are usually a half day or a full day on site, plus editing.