Aerial Data Service

What Aerial Data Service does

Aerial Data Service, Inc. (ADS), founded in 1964 and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is a privately held, 100% woman-owned geospatial solutions firm delivering aerial photography, airborne and mobile LiDAR, UAS/drone-based data acquisition, photogrammetric mapping, GIS database development, and professional land surveying services. The technology stack combines manned aerial acquisition via a Piper Navajo equipped with a Vexcel UltraCam Falcon large-format digital camera, a Teledyne Optech Orion H300 airborne LiDAR (up to 300 kHz), an Optech LYNX Mobile Mapper (400,000 points per second), and a DJI Inspire2 UAS with a Zenmuse X4S camera and high-precision direct-geopositioning GNSS; data products are processed using Cardinal System's VR softcopy photogrammetry software and delivered in industry-standard formats including AutoCAD, MicroStation, and ESRI. The firm is led by long-tenured certified photogrammetrists, an ATP-rated commercial pilot, and a registered professional land surveyor, with management averaging 29 years of tenure and LiDAR technicians averaging 27 years of experience.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue generated through direct engagement with federal, state, municipal, and engineering-firm clients, with delivery structured around prime and subcontract federal contract vehicles. Customer concentration in federal work is anchored by a 30+ year relationship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including a five-year March 2022 contract from the USACE Omaha District with $45 million of shared capacity, alongside Department of Defense, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Intelligence Community GEOINT work mapping over 89 countries. Commercial and public-sector work spans engineering firms, state Departments of Transportation (supported by DBE certification in 12 states), municipal projects (e.g., City of Fort Smith, Arkansas), and oil & gas, wind energy, railway, and aviation sectors. ADS competes and operates under several SBA certifications (HUBZone, WOSB) that confer set-aside and bid-preference advantages in government contracting channels. The company is independently owned by President Regina M. Carter with no disclosed institutional, PE, or VC backing.

Name

Aerial Data Service

Legal name

Aerial Data Service, Inc.

Website

https://aerialdata.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aerial Data Service is a Tulsa-based, 100% woman-owned geospatial firm (founded 1964) providing aerial photography, airborne and mobile LiDAR, UAS/drone, photogrammetry, and GIS services to federal agencies (USACE, NGA, DoD), state DOTs, and engineering firms across more than 89 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Geospatial Surveying and Mapping Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFACAIAJ

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Agricultural Aerial Services (Crop Dusting, Drone Application)

Keywords

• Aerial surveying services
• LiDAR mapping services
• Photogrammetry services
• Geospatial data collection
• GIS database development

Headquarters

HQ city

Tulsa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Geospatial Surveying and Mapping Services: Professional services revenue from aerial photography, digital mapping, LiDAR scanning, and GIS database development for engineering firms and government agencies. Projects range from municipal mapping to federal defense contracts.
2. Federal Government Contracts: Prime contract holder for NGA and DoD agencies, providing geospatial products and services under standard (MILSPEC) or custom specifications. Five-year contract with USACE Omaha District valued at $45 million shared capacity.
3. Mobile LiDAR Data Collection: Transportation infrastructure data collection services using mobile LiDAR technology for roadway, railway, and utility corridor projects. Data delivered in industry-standard formats.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aerial Data Service provides end-to-end geospatial surveying and mapping services using airborne LiDAR, mobile LiDAR, aerial photography, and UAS/drone platforms to capture high-density 3D terrain and infrastructure data. Data is processed through photogrammetric and GIS workflows and delivered as engineering-grade planimetric, topographic, orthophoto, and GIS database products to engineering firms, government agencies, and defense/intelligence clients. All work is delivered in industry-standard formats (AutoCAD, MicroStation, ESRI) under standard or MILSPEC specifications.

Product overview

Aerial Data Service (ADS) is a full-service geospatial solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of complementary services. The core offerings include aerial photography acquisition (using a Piper Navajo with UltraCam Falcon camera), airborne LiDAR (Optech Orion H300 system), and mobile LiDAR (LYNX Mobile Mapper) for 3D data collection. These primary data acquisition methods are supported by digital mapping (using Cardinal System's VR software), digital orthophotography, GIS database development, and professional land surveying services. ADS also offers UAS/drone services using DJI Inspire2 with high-precision GNSS for specialized projects. The company delivers data in industry-standard formats including AutoCAD, MicroStation, and ESRI, serving transportation, oil & gas, government, defense, aviation, and railway sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airborne LiDAR Active remote sensing service using the Optech Orion H300 system to generate high-density 3D point cloud data models of terrain, structures, and ground surfaces, with up to 300 kHz sampling rate and in-air true coverage verification. Sold to engineering firms, government agencies, and defense/intelligence clients requiring topographic and corridor mapping.
• Mobile LiDAR

Quantifiable outcome

• RMSE of 0.011 feet achieved on Vance AFB runway project by comparing LiDAR data to 58 control points
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aerialdataserviceinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aerial-data-service-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aerial Data Service