UltraNav Guide #1: 3D Flight planning with TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER
5 August 2024
Last updated on 30 Mar 2026
TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER is a powerful 3D flight planning software for aerial surveying, designed to support efficient and accurate mission preparation with any UltraCam system. As part of the UltraNav flight management and direct georeferencing ecosystem, it provides a structured and intuitive workflow that guides users from initial project setup to a fully validated flight plan.
With a focus on terrain-aware planning and data quality, TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER enables aerial mapping professionals to design missions that meet strict accuracy requirements while improving overall operational efficiency through intelligent mission management.
TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER enables true 3D flight planning by incorporating a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) across the entire project area, not just along individual flight profiles.
This allows operators to:
- Plan accurate flight paths across complex terrain, including mountainous regions and deep valleys
- Optimize forward and sidelap based on real terrain conditions
- Integrate oblique sensors directly into flight planning and visualization
By leveraging terrain data throughout the workflow, users can ensure consistent ground sampling distance (GSD) and reliable coverage across the entire mission area.
Additionally, the system supports the exclusion of images intersecting restricted zones, helping ensure compliance and avoid unnecessary data capture.
Pre- and post-flight quality control for reliable data acquisition
Integrated preflight quality assurance (QA) tools allow operators to validate mission parameters before takeoff, reducing the risk of errors and costly re-flights.
Using color-coded quality control maps, users can verify:
- Ground Sampling Distance (GSD)
- Forward and side overlap
- Height Above Ground Level (HAGL)
- Coverage consistency and building lean
This ensures all project requirements are met in advance, supporting accurate and reliable geospatial data acquisition.
TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER also enables cost estimation during planning, improving budget control and efficiency.
Beyond planning, post-flight quality control allows comparison of planned and actual flight data. Operators can quickly identify deviations, assess coverage, and detect gaps using visual tools such as deviation vectors and QC maps. This makes it easy to determine if targeted re-flights are needed and ensures consistent data quality across the project. Learn more about the advanced mission management features in TOPOFLIGHT here.
How does the process work?
#6 | VIEW
See your project in 3D
Display your project in 3D directly in MISSIONPLANNER.
TOPOFLIGHT MISSIONPLANNER is available as a desktop application for Windows.
Ready to elevate your flight planning? For more details or personalized help, feel free to reach out to our Sales team.
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