A 70 km Corridor LiDAR Survey in Namibia with the CHCNAV AA15P
2026-07-09
Airborne LiDAR teams know the cost of a fragmented survey workflow. Hardware and software sourced from different manufacturers, multiple bolts, cables and connections at the aircraft, data downloaded from three devices in three formats, and range limits that leave gaps over complex terrain. On a recent corridor survey in Namibia, Strydom & Associates Land Surveyors replaced that model with a single connected workflow built around the CHCNAV AlphaAir 15 Pro (AA15P). The team captured a 70 km pipeline corridor in two days, processed and exported the data by the end of the following day, and delivered an average point density of around 80 points per square metre.
The Project: A 70 km Pipeline Corridor on Namibia's West Coast
Strydom & Associates Land Surveyors is a professional land surveying company based in Windhoek, Namibia. Established in 1993, the company specialises in cadastral surveying, engineering surveys, topographic mapping, airborne LiDAR, photogrammetry and large-scale corridor mapping. For this project, the team flew an aerial LiDAR corridor survey for a proposed pipeline route in the Tumas mining area on the western coast of Namibia, south of the existing Bannerman and Langer Heinrich pipelines.
The brief set clear targets across length, accuracy and turnaround:
Corridor length: approximately 70 km along the proposed pipeline route.
Deliverables: a Digital Elevation Model, contour lines at 25 cm intervals, and classified point clouds.
Point density: a high target of up to 80 points per square metre.
Corridor coverage: a required swath of approximately 200 m.
Schedule: a survey window of two days.
Overview of the 70 km survey corridor through the Tumas mining area on Namibia’s western coast, south of the Bannerman and Langer Heinrich pipelines.
The CHCNAV AlphaAir 15 Pro (AA15P) Solution: One Connected Workflow
The AA15P replaced a multi-vendor toolchain with a single ecosystem that runs from flight planning to final CAD-ready deliverables. Mounted to a Cessna 182 aircraft flying at 150 km/h, the system pairs the airborne LiDAR sensor with a high-resolution medium-format camera and a tool-free mount, all driven by one software suite.
Item
Product and details
Aircraft platform
Cessna 182, flying at 150 km/h for high efficiency
LiDAR system
CHCNAV AA15P airborne LiDAR system: 3200 m max range, 2400 kHz max pulse repetition rate, 600 Hz IMU update rate
Camera and imaging
R10ProS, 100 MP medium-format sensor (43.8 × 32.8 mm) with a 50 mm lens
Mounting system
Alpha Mount wing-strut installation with a tool-free quick-release design
Planning and flight software
BortBiZ-Plan for flight planning and payload settings; BortBiZ-NAV for pilot guidance and LiDAR and camera operation
Processing software
CoPre for pre-processing and quality checks; CoProcess for classification, DEM, contours and extraction
The Workflow, Flight Planning to Final Deliverables
The strength of the AA15P in this project was the way the whole pipeline stayed inside one ecosystem, from mission planning to final production, with no third-party format conversions in between. The survey ran in five steps.
Step 1: Flight Planning with BortBiZ-Plan
The team created the corridor flight lines and set payload parameters in BortBiZ-Plan, then checked how changes in speed, altitude, overlap, pulse rate, reflectance and point density would affect the final mission. This made the mission easier to visualise, explain and adjust before take-off.
Corridor flight lines and payload parameters are set in BortBiZ-Plan, which previews how speed, altitude, overlap and pulse rate affect point density.
Step 2: Mounting and Aircraft Setup
After the mission parameters were confirmed, the team installed the AA15P on the Cessna 182 using the integrated Alpha Mount system. Its tool-free quick-release design simplifies payload installation and reduces pre-flight setup complexity by eliminating many of the bolts, cables, and connection points commonly associated with traditional payload integration workflows, streamlining preparation and improving operational efficiency.
The Alpha Mount wing-strut system enables tool-free quick-release installation of the AlphaAir 15 Pro (AA15P), reducing setup time and connection points.
Step 3: Flight Operation and Navigation with BortBiZ-NAV
Once the aircraft was prepared and the system was ready for flight, the team used BortBiZ-NAV to manage the mission and monitor payload status in real time. During the flight, BortBiZ-NAV provided pilot guidance, enabled real-time adjustment of the laser pulse repetition rate, allowed data acquisition to be paused and resumed, and displayed real-time storage levels for both the LiDAR and camera. This real-time visibility was essential for efficient data management and continuous monitoring of system status.
The Cessna 182 aircraft prepared for the survey mission alongside the BortBiZ-NAV in-flight navigation display.
Step 4: Pre-processing with CoPre
After the flight, the collected LiDAR and imagery data were transferred into CoPre for initial processing and quality control. CoPre was used to calculate the trajectories, create the point cloud, colourise it using the imagery, and write out the orthophoto. It also handled strip adjustments, ground control point adjustments and quality checks, so the data was clean and aligned before final production.
Step 5: Final Production with CoProcess
With the data pre-processed and quality checked, the team moved to final production in CoProcess. The data was exported from CoPre into CoProcess for classification, DEM generation and contour production. Final deliverables were exported in formats such as LAS, LAZ and E57, ready for the client's downstream production.
CoPre and CoProcess software used for LiDAR processing, trajectory processing, point cloud production, classification, DEM generation, and LAS/LAZ/E57 exports.
The Results: 70 km in Two Days
The connected workflow turned around a large corridor dataset on a tight schedule. The full 70 km corridor was captured, processed, checked and exported by the end of the following day, and the clean, dense point cloud allowed classification to be completed in under one day. Very little noise and no layer separation were present even before noise filters or strip adjustments were applied.
Metric
Result
Corridor length
Approximately 70 km
Survey window
2 days in the field
Field to deliverable
Captured, processed, checked and exported by the end of the following day
Point density
Approximately 80 points per square metre average, up to 121 points per square metre, close to 150 in high-overlap areas
Accuracy
Target of under 5 cm RMSE, comfortably met
Corridor coverage
Around 200 m required, an average of approximately 800 m delivered, up to 812 m
Deliverables
DEM, 25 cm contours, classified point clouds, exported as LAS, LAZ and E57
The dense, clean data also made feature extraction straightforward. Detail such as power lines and a bridge along the route came through clearly in the point cloud, supporting reliable mapping outputs across the corridor.
Power lines and a bridge resolved cleanly in the corridor point cloud, captured at up to 121 points per square metre.
Previous Workflow vs AA15P Workflow
Aspect
Traditional workflow
CHCNAV AA15P workflow
Mission planning
Manual calculations, spreadsheets and specialist knowledge; speed, altitude, pulse rate and density calculated separately
BortBiZ-Plan shows the effect of each change clearly, so the team can tune, visualise and adjust every mission faster
Fieldwork and flight
Multiple bolts, cables, GNSS antenna, camera hot shoe and separate power, with manual coordination between pilot and operator
Alpha Mount simplifies mounting with fewer connection points; BortBiZ-NAV guides the pilot and controls LiDAR and camera capture
Data download
Data downloaded from three different devices in three different formats
The CoPre data copy tool collects LiDAR, trajectory and camera data automatically, with centimetre-accurate photo centre positions
Processing and classification
LAS still needed refinement before cleaning and layer separation; classification was slow and manual
After processing, very little noise remains and data can be compared to GCPs directly; classification is automatic, accurate and efficient
3200 m range, 2400 kHz PRR, 600 Hz IMU update rate, with a flexible camera option and multi-platform use
Cost and benefits
High cost across a multi-vendor setup
Higher performance and workflow benefits without the excessive cost
The decision to choose the AA15P was based on the complete workflow solution, not only the scanner itself. Strydom & Associates Land Surveyors needed an airborne LiDAR system that could improve capture efficiency, simplify field operations, provide high-quality imagery, increase range, reduce processing time and deliver reliable final outputs. CHC Navigation achieved exactly that by offering a simpler, more comprehensive workflow across both hardware and software. The AA15P also brings improved range and acquisition, with a 3,200 metre range and 2.4 MHz pulse repetition rate, giving teams greater flexibility when planning aerial surveys and helping mitigate the limits of complex terrain.
For survey teams running large corridor projects where a multi-vendor airborne setup is slow and costly, the Namibia survey is a clear data point: the CHCNAV connected ecosystem, combining the airborne LiDAR with integrated planning, navigation and processing software, delivers high-density, standards-ready mapping in a fraction of the time. This connected workflow, built around the AlphaAir 15 Pro and its integrated software ecosystem, is part of CHCNAV's 3D mobile mapping solutions portfolio.
CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) develops advanced mapping, navigation, and positioning solutions designed to increase productivity and efficiency. Serving industries such as geospatial, agriculture, machine control and autonomy, CHCNAV delivers innovative technologies that empower professionals and drive industry advancement. With a global presence spanning over 140 countries and a team of more than 2,200 professionals, CHC Navigation is recognized as a leader in the geospatial industry and beyond. For more information about CHC Navigation [Huace:300627.SZ], please visit: https://geospatial.chcnav.com/about/overview
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