One of the most common mistakes in drone work is treating “legal to fly” as though it means “authorized to perform land surveying services.” Those are different questions. The FAA governs airspace and aircraft operations. State licensing boards govern who may perform, certify, and take professional responsibility for land surveying work.
This is why Aerotas consistently draws a clear line: Aerotas is not a licensed land surveying firm. Aerotas provides data processing, drafting support, and mapping deliverables to licensed surveyors and engineers. The final professional determination stays with the licensed professional of record.
Simple rule: a drone does not replace licensure. It is a data-collection tool inside a regulated professional workflow.
What this means in practice
- A legal Part 107 flight does not automatically make the resulting work a legal survey deliverable for the general public.
- State law may reserve certain survey functions, representations, and certifications to licensed land surveyors.
- Engineering licensure questions may also matter, depending on the project and jurisdiction.
That is why the safest and most professional model is the one Aerotas already uses: support licensed professionals, work within their standards, and do not blur the line between useful data production and regulated final surveying authority.
Who should clients talk to with state-specific questions?
The right source is the relevant state board of professional surveying or engineering. These are not questions to settle by guesswork, forum posts, or social-media confidence.
The smart posture is conservative and transparent. If the project implicates surveying licensure, make sure the licensed surveyor is involved from the beginning.