Sky Land Management provides quality land management solutions to a broad range of clients, including the mining and resources industry.
We use an unmanned aerial system (UAS), more commonly referred to as drones, for aerial applications such as weeds spraying, vegetation establishment and enhancement through seeding and fertilising. Areas of application include rehabilitation, topsoil stockpiles, infrastructure, tailings and aquatic areas, offset and buffer lands management.
We combine our extensive technical land management knowledge and experience, with the deployment of precision drones for aerial application purpose, providing innovative solutions tailored to our client’s needs. We work with you to develop a programme that achieves your desired outcomes while harnessing the capabilities of our drone fleet to their maximum, providing effective and efficient land management solutions.
The advantages of using drones for aerial application are multi-faceted.
They provide a safety benefit by accessing areas that would otherwise be inaccessible or be high risk for ground equipment and personnel. Drones provide environmental benefits of precise application, as well as reducing waste and the volume required of products such as herbicides and water. Drones have the added benefit of zero impact on the soil such as compaction and site disturbance. In turn, these environmental benefits provide cost savings.
Aerial weeds spraying using drones
We fly the latest industry-leading spray drones for the control of weeds and other undesirable vegetation. The XAG P30 spray drones provide targeted and precise application of herbicides.
Weeds are a constant management issue on any site and particularly those in areas that traditionally have been unviable or unsafe to treat using ground-based methods. Using our drones, we provide solutions to these problems for our clients.
We are one of only a few organisations in Australia to be SWARM certified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). This means we are licensed to fly up to five spray drones simultaneously, so our single P30 with its 16l capacity turns into a potential 80l. Not only are our drones effective and efficient in difficult areas, but our SWARM capability also provides an alternative to equipment such as boom sprays or manned aircraft for larger areas such as paddocks and rehabilitation areas.
The flexibility of our highly tuned and precise spray drones means we can undertake small spot spraying operations, through to larger-scale operations.
Aerial seeding rehabilitation using drones
Site rehabilitation is very crucial to any operation and with regulators constantly raising the bar there are many challenges.
Aerial seeding is nothing new across the industry. However, our P30 drones fitted with the latest air-driven ‘Jet Seeder’ provides greater precision than can be achieved with manned aircraft, as well as reduced safety risks and site disturbance and impact, which is associated with ground seeding, either by machinery or hand.
With the capability and scalability of our drone fleet, clients can think differently about how they approach their rehabilitation. For example, instead of waiting for a large area to be prepared to justify the cost of traditional aerial seeding, our drone capability enables the progression of seeding rehabilitation in smaller lots. This has the benefit of minimising the length of time the soil is exposed and susceptibility to drying and erosion.
We can also tailor the rehabilitation to a small scale that may be appropriate for micro-relief, for example.
Aerial mapping vegetation
Sky Land Management’s UAS includes the XMission, an aerial vegetation mapping drone.
The XMission is used to map a site and the data applied to the P30 application drones.
Data can be refined and manipulated for a variety of applications, including spot spraying or apply ameliorants such as fertiliser only where it is needed.
Industry leaders
Sky Land Management is an industry leader in the deployment of aerial application drones in Australia for vegetation management. In 2014, we commenced operations using the only unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) available at the time for weed spraying.
Along with only two or three other licensed operators in Australia at the time, we aimed to further develop the industry.
We have learnt a lot along the way and moved with the technology as it has rapidly developed.
As industry leaders, we have always been innovating and breaking new ground, which remains our philosophy today. With more than 20 years of land management experience, we continue to work with our clients to provide industry-leading solutions across a broad range of applications.
If you would like further information as to how our drones, backed by our land management experience and knowledge, could benefit your operations, please enquire below and we will be in touch.