Press Releases
2009
Aerial Services Seeks Systems Administrator/Help Desk Coordinator
Position Filled
Cedar Falls, Iowa, August 2009 – Aerial Services, Inc. is a high technology, growing mapping company that uses high-end graphics workstations and PCs to produce quality mapping products to clients throughout the USA. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Administer several MS Windows XP and 2003 and 2008 servers: MS Exchange 2007, MS SQL Server.
- Administer Firewall, DMZ, and some Linux servers.
- Administer the corporate networks: connect users, identify and resolve networking problems, VPN support.
- Provide night and weekend on-call coverage as directed. Responsible for rapid response during department operating hours to aid all clients. Provide status reports on a regular basis for assigned active projects.
- Ensure successful completion of hardware installation, rollouts, and software installation/distribution.
- Maintain a help desk for corporate computer users. Resolve problems as they occur. Provide top-notch support and training of users.
- Supervise other IT professionals.
- Lead strategic direction for our technology platform and drive innovation on our technology platform in order to meet strategic goals.
- Support new initiatives and business driven projects.
- Participate in preparing departmental goals, standards, and procedures that contribute to the effectiveness of the department in accordance with organizational goals.
- Must be trustworthy, reliable and show initiative, have the flexibility to work independently and as part of our team.
- Ability to multi-task and set priorities in a dynamic environment.
- Proven ability to mentor/develop others. Can you make others look good?
- Strong problem solving skills and technical aptitude with applicable experience.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and able to explain technical terms and solutions to technical and non-technical clients & users.
- Must be able to rapidly research problems and deliver sound solutions by leveraging existing knowledge bases and information stores.
- Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer credentials & 2-3 years administering MS Windows XP/2003/08 servers.
- Microsoft Exchange 2007 experience.
- 2-3 years of solid experience installing, configuring, and administering workstations and servers in a Microsoft networking environment.
- Experience using and configuring the following products is preferred: MS Internet Information Server, MS Exchange Server, MS Windows XP, Microsoft SQL Server, Linux.
- Experience with programming in Batch, VB, .NET, Java, or other similar technology is preferred.
- Full benefits package
- Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience
Mike Tully
Aerial Services, Inc.
P.O. 336
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
319-277-0436 (phone)
mtully@asi-gis.com
www.AerialServicesInc.com
North Dakota Orthoimagery Buy-Up Opportunity
Cedar Falls, Iowa, August 2009 – You may have heard Aerial Services, Inc. was chosen for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) to acquire one-meter GSD resolution aerial orthophotography of North Dakota during the summer of 2009. That one-meter data will eventually be available for your use from the USDA. This acquisition is coming to a successful close, but what is really exciting is what you may not know about Aerial Services’ acquisition of the State.
While Aerial Services is required to deliver a one-meter GSD deliverable to the USDA later this Fall, thanks to our state-of-the-art Leica ADS80 digital sensor, Aerial Services actually were able to acquire the entire State at a higher resolution than needed. This means your entity, no matter where your project(s) are located in the State, can “buy-up” to higher resolution orthophotography at a reduced price.
Do to this unique arrangement, Aerial Services can offer color (RGB) two-foot GSD resolution orthophotos for any county in the State for only $10,000 per county. Buy-up orders by default are being taken on a County by County basis, but larger or smaller areas of interest can also be quoted. Color infrared (CIR) imagery is also available upon request. Please contact Aerial Services for quotations. However, due to productions schedules, orders must be place by November 30, 2009 to receive the stated pricing.
If you decide you are interested in a buy-up, want a quotation on multiple counties or smaller areas, or have specific questions, please contact Aerial Services’ Marketing Manager, Joshua McNary, at 319-277-0436 or jmcnary@AerialServicesInc.com.
Aerial Services Breaks Ground On New Headquarters In Cedar Falls
You may also view up-to-date construction images at Aerial Services Facebook Page. Cedar Falls, Iowa, July 2009 – Aerial Services, Inc. has begun construction of a new office in the Cedar Falls, Iowa Industrial Park. In 2008, Aerial Services was displaced from their home of thirty some years, at 2120 Center Street, when it was flooded beyond repair in the devastating Midwest floods. Since that time, the company has operated from 6221 Chancellor Drive, a leased property which is adjacent the new building site.
The new office, which will house all the operations formerly at the Center Street location, will include approximately 15 offices with space for over 30 employees. In addition, a large open workspace in the center of the building will allow for up to 20 more productive employees. Other features will include a formal entry, executive boardroom with a view of the nearby nature preserve, and employee/visitor amenities (such as a cafe kitchen with deck & grill, plus shower & locker facilities). Lastly, the property's existing fruit trees, trails, and sightlines to the nature preserve behind the lot will be kept intact for employee and visitor use.
Currently, Aerial Services hopes to move into the new building as 2010 begins, but an exact date has not been set. At such time there will be a number of opportunities for friends, clients, and employees to celebrate the grand opening. Please check back at the Aerial Services website for more information as the building progresses.
To see the progress, please visit http://www.AerialServicesInc.com regularly and view the "Live Construction Webcam" along with new status information and updated pictures.
You may also view up-to-date construction images at Aerial Services Facebook Page.
Five Aerial Services’ Experts Named Certified Geographic Information Systems Professionals (GISP)
Cedar Falls, Iowa, March 2009 – Aerial Services, Inc. is proud to announce five of their geospatial experts have recently been awarded the title of certified Geographic Information Systems Professionals (GISP) by the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI). The GISCI, an independent institute supported by representatives from national and international GIS professional organizations, has the task of certifying GIS experts who are held to professional standards and ethic behavior.
- Mike Tully, President & CEO, #46777
- Walter Ertz, Vice President & COO, #61404
- Coral Schneberger, Project Manager/Digital Mapping Manager, #61213
- Chris Berggren, Aerotriangulation Specialist, #61542
- Craig J. Thede, GIS Manager, #61214
- meet minimum standards for educational achievement, professional experience, and manner in which he or she contributes back to the profession.
- abide by higher guidelines for ethical behavior.
- be educated and reeducated while preparing for recertification.
- have had their professional background scrutinized and reviewed by an independent third party organization.
- be more than a practitioner of GIS technology.
- be a professional.
Aerial Services Providing Iowa Statewide Orthophotography In 2009 & 2010, Buy-Ups Available To Governments/Private Entities
Cedar Falls, Iowa, January 2009 – Aerial Services, Inc. is proud to have been chosen by their native State of Iowa to acquire aerial orthophotography of 82 of the 99 counties during the next two years. This is the first wide-area contract Aerial Services has been awarded since the November 2008 announcement of their purchase of Leica’s ADS80 Aerial Digital Sensor. In addition, subcontractor Pixxures, Inc. will be an integral part of the Aerial Services’ team. Read more about this announcment, along with up to date status of the project, on the Iowa Ortho Project page.2008
Aerial Services Adds Leica’s ADS80-SH82 Airborne Digital Sensor To Arsenal Of Professional Mapping Tools
Cedar Falls, Iowa, November 2008 – Aerial Services, Inc. has become the first U.S. geospatial firm to purchase the ADS80 Airborne Digital Sensor, Leica Geosystems’ third generation state-of-the-art line sensor technology. This sensor is capable of numerous applications including orthophotos and 3D feature mapping. The ADS80-SH82 is Leica’s most advanced digital sensor ever. When coupled with their robust software tools, XPro, the sensor can turnaround finished orthophotography to clients faster than any other digital solution on the market. It approaches the speed of one hour of processing for each hour of acquisition. Further, the ADS80 provides a new level of accuracy and detail providing the ability to handle advanced mapping applications.
“Aerial Services is excited to be one of the first to fly with the ADS80. The ADS platform is the most mature digital aerial camera in the market, having proven itself on projects of all sizes for nearly a decade. The new ADS80 model is an incremental improvement on the ADS40 design enabling higher accuracy, greater reliability, better color, and faster acquisition. It helps us and our clients move into the next era of aerial acquisition,” stated Aerial Services’ President & CEO, Mike Tully. “We have deliberated over the decision to go with Leica for some time, and have confidence our clients will be happy with the spatial accuracy and stellar 4-band imagery the ADS80 produces.”
The ADS80 Airborne Digital Sensor is the profession’s leading “pushbroom” sensor. Rather than acquiring traditional frame based photography, it uses calibrated rows of sensor heads to “scan” the ground in strips of red, green, blue, and near infrared high resolution imagery through a single optical path. This technology, proven by years of use, provides quick acquisition of large areas without the use of “false imagery” tactics like pan-sharpening. Then, Leica’s improved backend software makes the imagery into usable services such as orthophotos. Aerial Services is currently testing the new sensor in their aircraft while adding hundreds of terabytes of storage and processing capacity to their office operations.
Full technical details regarding ADS80 can be found at Leica’s Geosystem’s website at www.leica-geosystems.com. If you would like to learn more about Aerial Services’ capabilities, including acquiring imagery with the Leica ADS80, please visit their website at www.AerialServicesInc.com. You may also contact Aerial Services toll-free at 877-274-4447 to discuss project quotations, equipment availability, and other mapping questions.
Aerial Services' President Shares Flood Disaster Experience With U.S. House Committee on Small Business
Washington, D.C., September 2008 – On Wednesday, September 24, 2008, the House Committee on Small Business (Subcommittee on Contracting & Technology) held a hearing titled “Small Business Recovery from the Midwest Disasters of 2008". Congressman Bruce Braley invited Aerial Services' President & CEO, Mike Tully, to share the companies' experience regarding Federal aid and how they were recovering from the flood of 2008. You may view Mr. Tully's testimony via YouTube video clip or see his written testimony as provided to the House Committee on Small Business. Aerial Services was proud to be involved in this endeavor and hopes their contribution to this proceeding will improve Federal response to disasters in the future.Orthorectified 1/2' Resolution Photos Of Eastern Iowa Flooding Near Crest
Cedar Falls, Iowa, July 2008 – Aerial Services flew missions to acquire aerial photography as all major cities in Eastern Iowa were near or just past their highest levels. All photography was acquired at 1/2' resolution from 6,000' above ground level. The orthophotography is georeferenced to Iowa State Plane North (US Feet) and was rectified using USGS NEDs.
Intersection of Interstate 380 & 1st Avenue in Cedar Rapids, just west of the Cedar River.
Efforts were made to acquire the major flood zones near or just past their river crests. All areas were acquired at 1/2' resolution. Please see the table below regarding areas of interest to you.
| City | Crest Date | Photography Date |
| Cedar Falls | 6/11/08 | 6/10/08 |
| Waterloo | 6/11/08 | 6/10/08 |
| Vinton | 6/12/08 | 6/15/08 |
| Cedar Rapids | 6/13/08 | 6/15/08 |
| Iowa City | 6/15/08 | 6/14/08 |
Cedar Rapids & Vinton Areas (Larger)
Iowa City Area (Larger)
If you, your organization or municipality, or constituents are interested in obtaining this photography, you are encourage to contact Aerial Services for additional details and pricing for the areas of interest. Aerial Services, its employees, and partners wish you and all of our friends in Eastern Iowa the very best as we begin to recover from the floods of 2008.
Aerial Services’ Seeks Director of Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Position Filled
Cedar Falls, Iowa, February 2008 – Aerial Services, Inc. (ASI) of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is seeking a talented and well-rounded individual to help grow their established Geographic Information Systems (GIS) department. This position would provide the expertise, leadership, and vision for Aerial Services’ corporate GIS efforts as well as serve as a project manager and programmer. The position will further lead GIS sales efforts and product development by guiding the creation, implementation, and documentation of efficient software systems. Duties- Develop and sell professional GIS services
- Manage the support of all internal GIS activities
- Develop support for automated and semi-automated GIS and database systems of moderate size and complexity
- Contribute to the development of internet-based applications to provide web access to data
- Create and maintain GIS coverages, perform spatial analysis for projects, create cartographic output
- Lead strategic direction for our technology platform
- Drive innovation on our technology platform in order to meet strategic goals
- Support new initiatives and business driven projects
- Strong problem solving skills and technical aptitude with applicable experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and able to explain technical terms and solutions to technical and non-technical clients & users
- Must be trustworthy, reliable and show initiative, have the flexibility to work independently and as part of our team
- Ability to multi-task and set priorities in a dynamic environment
- Show considerable knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, and procedures associated with the design, development, and support of geographic information system applications, database system applications, and web-based data and map access applications. These systems may be in production and require support and/or maintenance or they may be new projects
- Display understanding of the theories, principles, practices, and procedures associated with the design, development, and support of Internet applications. This includes skills such as:
- HTML/XHTML/CSS
- Active Server Pages (ASP)
- Visual Basic
- ArcObjects
- C or C++
- ArcSDE ArcInfo
- Demonstrate experience with managing projects
- Demonstrate sufficient programming techniques and documentation skills is desirable
- Exhibit knowledge of or experience with AutoCAD Map, Microstation, and photogrammetric mapping concepts is desirable
- Display necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position, typically acquired through education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Geography, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, or closely related field
- Provide at least three years of increasing responsibility in GIS programming, system analysis, project management, and sales/sales support
- Exhibit experience with ArcView
- Show varying levels of experience with the following technology is desired:
- Visual Basic
- MS Access
- ODBC
- ESRI's Spatial Database Engine
Mike Tully
Aerial Services Inc.
P.O. Box 336
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
Join Aerial Services’ Talented Team: Mapping Operations Employee
Position Filled
Cedar Falls, Iowa, January 2008 – Aerial Services, Inc. (ASI) of Cedar Falls, Iowa, is seeking an energetic and detail-oriented person for their mapping operations department. This department creates operational data used by clients throughout the United States in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. Applicant will need to work in 3D using specialized technologies used in the mapping profession. Testing for this ability will be done during an interview. Duties and Competencies- Digitize and quality control 3D mapping data from digital imagery
- Generate and quality control ortho-rectified digital imagery
- Document precise and accurate details based on quality control to other staff members
- Have a minimum of a two-year associate degree
- Have basic computer skills are required along with proficiency with one of the following software applications: AutoCAD, Microstation, or other GIS applications such as ESRI ArcGIS
- Be able to quickly learn software applications and technical tasks
- Be highly motivated, productive, and detailed-oriented
- Be capable of working independently without supervision, based on work priorities
- Not have a background in geography/surveying, though this is an asset
Coral Schneberger
Aerial Services Inc.
P.O. Box 336
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
2007
Aerial Services’ E-Docs Receives MAPPS Geospatial Products And Services Excellence Award
Cedar Falls, Iowa, July 2007 – The Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) has awarded Aerial Services’ “Washington County E-Docs Asset GIS” one of six inaugural Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards. Aerial Services’ E-Docs Asset Geographical Information System (GIS) was recognized in the Small Projects category. “The E-Docs Asset GIS is an innovative browser-based application. Any organization with unstructured digital or paper data can benefit by enabling the information’s geospatial nature using E-Docs. It brings out associations between documents and creates knowledge through a combination of traditional text and geographic search technology using a standard web browser,” stated Mike Tully, Aerial Services’ President & CEO, after accepting the award. “We are honored to be recognized by MAPPS. As our friends in Washington County, Iowa have seen, this solution meets real world organizational needs and truly benefits those with unstructured information.”"...this solution meets real world organizational needs and truly benefits those with unstructured information."
The E-Docs Asset GIS combines geospatial and web browser technologies creating a portal to previously unstructured information that is traditionally locked away in file cabinets and storage rooms. Because an estimated 80% of all information has a geospatial component, relating data geospatially allows unlimited quantities of information to be searched and retrieved upon request and adds location to traditional information analysis, retrieval, and visualization. Thousands of original paper and digital records residing within the Washington County Engineer’s office were consolidated into a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective GIS based on the ESRI platform. Aerial Services uses several techniques to enable efficient indexing and geospatial referencing of information. Compressed scans of historical documents, viewable to the user with a click of their mouse, removes the need for expensive data entry. To insure all future information can be incorporated into the GIS, additional tools are included to make updates to the database easy. This innovative combination of current scanning technology, compression techniques, and existing geospatial concepts make E-Docs a powerful information management system. There are additional benefits to E-Docs beyond simply organizing data. All assets are archived in a digital off-site database securing them for prosperity. Historical documents, previously locked inside files and accessible to only a few, are now available to anyone at any time and in any place. This dynamically spawns unanticipated uses of the information among new users. And because the high-value documents are converted to digital formats, administrative and filing costs are reduced saving the organization considerable expense.
"We reference our historical records on a daily basis and
[E-Docs] allows us to do so in a very efficient manner."