Creston Airport Runway Mapping: How LiDAR & Photogrammetry Support Smarter Aviation Planning in BC

When most people think of small regional airports, they picture a quiet runway tucked between mountains and farmland. What they don’t often see is the precision, planning, and data required to keep those runways safe, efficient, and ready for the future.

Recently, Inflight Robotics partnered with HM Aero Aviation Consulting and the Creston Airport Society to complete a LiDAR and photogrammetry runway mapping project at the Creston Valley Regional Airport (CAJ3). The goal: deliver accurate, engineering-ready visuals and spatial data to support planning and infrastructure assessment.

Wet pavement, shifting fog, and cold temperatures set the scene—but challenges like these are exactly where our expertise shines.

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Why Airports Are Turning to LiDAR & Photogrammetry

Airport environments demand data that is:

• Accurate

• Repeatable

• Safe to acquire

• Integratable into engineering workflows

Traditional ground-based measurements take longer, involve more personnel, and often introduce unavoidable gaps. By contrast, LiDAR and photogrammetry allow airports to capture detailed 3D information faster, safer, and without disrupting operations.

For aviation consultants and airport authorities, this type of aerial data can support:

• Runway maintenance and resurfacing planning

• Drainage, grading, and elevation analysis

• Obstacle and vegetation review

• Long-term airport development

• Visual aids for committees and stakeholders

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Working on a Live Airport Requires Precision

Creston Airport may be small, but it’s an active airfield—meaning safety and compliance come first.

During operations, our team maintained Transport Canada-compliant airside procedures, including:

• Strategic placement of visual observers

• Active airband radio communications

• Defined flight corridors

• Flexible mission plans allowing us to yield immediately to manned aircraft

• A dedicated, marked landing zone

Even in wet and low-visibility conditions, the workflow remained safe, controlled, and efficient.

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Field Conditions: Fog, Wet Pavement, and November Skies

November weather in Creston delivered:

• Low ceilings

• Patchy fog

• Wet asphalt

• Muted seasonal colours

• Limited visibility windows

While most would consider this a challenge, these conditions allowed us to demonstrate the importance of:

• Flight flexibility

• Situational awareness

• Careful visual observer coordination

The final results remained consistent, accurate, and engineering-grade—regardless of weather.

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What We Captured at Creston Airport

Inflight Robotics completed full-runway LiDAR and photogrammetry capture, providing:

• Oblique north-to-south runway visualisation

• Full high-resolution orthomosaic

• DSM (Digital Surface Model) for grading and elevation insight

• 3D airfield reconstruction

• CAD-ready exports for integration into engineering software

• Geo-referenced dataset for long-term reference and future planning

Below is the style of digital output used in engineering

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These deliverables help aviation consultants and airport societies make informed decisions about resurfacing, drainage, vegetation encroachment, future expansion, or overall runway health.

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Why This Project Matters for Regional Airports in BC

Creston Airport is one of many regional airfields across British Columbia that play essential roles in:

• medical transport

• tourism

• agricultural support

• wildfire response

• local connectivity

Yet these airports often operate with limited resources and aging infrastructure.High-accuracy aerial data helps bridge that gap—bringing clarity to planning conversations and supporting long-term sustainability.

Inflight Robotics’ local presence (BC Interior) means projects like this can be completed with faster mobilization, lower travel cost, and shorter turnaround than larger out-of-province operators.

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Project Advantages

• ✔ Fast turnaround from flight to final deliverables

•  ✔ High-accuracy engineering-ready outputs

•  ✔ Safe operations within a live airport environment

•  ✔ Minimal disruption to airport activity

•  ✔ Cost-effective compared to traditional survey methods

•  ✔ Visual clarity for stakeholders and decision-makers

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Final Thoughts

This was a rewarding project from start to finish—combining field expertise, safety coordination, and advanced data processing to support aviation planning in the Creston Valley.

Inflight Robotics remains committed to providing precise, dependable, and collaborative aerial data services across British Columbia and Western Alberta. Whether it’s a regional airport, an infrastructure corridor, a mine site, or a forestry block, our goal is always the same:

Deliver clarity. Improve decision-making. Support safer operations.

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Need Accurate Aerial Data for an Airport or Engineering Project?

We’re always happy to discuss upcoming projects, planning needs, and custom solutions.

📧 info@inflightrobotics.com

🔗 www.inflightrobotics.com

📍 Serving BC & Western Alberta