Recently, two new blue-green figures have been spotted in the skies of Taiwan. Introduced by the Aerial Survey Office of the Forestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture (ASO), two new national aerial remote sensing aircraft have now started their missions. The ASO held a press conference on February 22 (Wed) and invited guests from industry, government, and academia to witness the arrival of the new aircraft, as well as to view the handsome exterior of the new aerial remote sensing aircraft and the precision equipment for aerial photography missions at Taipei Songshan Airport. The ASO is the only aerial survey unit in Taiwan. Carrying out aerial photography missions since as early as 1954, it has more than six decades of experience under its belt. The aerial photographs taken by the ASO have been widely used by government agencies, companies, and the general public for many years. The ASO not only has a solid database of aerial images, but also the only professional aerial photography team in the government. Out of the original aerial remote sensing aircraft for aerial photography operations, only one aircraft remains and is already over 40 years old. In consideration of the quality of aerial images, flight safety, and maintenance costs, the ASO has evaluated that Taiwan’s aerial remote sensing aircraft needs to be updated to continue with the basic survey operations of image collection through aerial remote sensing. The ASO had to find the best solution for the sustainable development of Taiwan’s aerial remote surveying, and therefore started to implement the update of the national aerial remote sensing aircraft. The National Remote Sensing Aircraft Renewal Project was conducted through a public tender process in accordance with the Government Procurement Act, similar to a BOT financing lease, and the entire project would last 10 years. A private company, Executive Aviation Taiwan Corp., will provide two brand-new remote sensing aircraft with modifications, and put in around 5,000 hours of flight services during the financing period, including flight crews, aircraft maintenance, and other aviation and aircraft services, combined with professional aerial photography staff and equipment from the ASO. After the end of the commissioned operation, the aircraft property rights will be transferred back to the government. With this aerial photography capacity, it is estimated that Taiwan can be photographed in its entirety with 15cm resolution at least once a year. This innovative model can help properly maintain and strengthen the capacity of Taiwan’s autonomous aerial remote survey work, and provide high-quality aerial photography information on a long term basis to fulfill the mission of providing services to various agencies, enterprises, and the public. At the same time, it is hoped that the continuous improvement of territorial image data can indirectly create economic value and enhance Taiwan’s competitiveness to achieve sustainable development. Today, the two new aerial remote sensing aircraft are in position and ready to begin aerial photography operations. The aircraft are equipped with the Pro Line Fusion avionics system, IS&S ThrustSense Autothrottle system, and a stronger cabin pressure system, and can fly at an altitude of 35,000 feet. With the addition of extended-range fuel tanks, the flight range can be extended to 2,600 nautical miles and can go as far as the Pratas Island. To carry out the aerial remote sensing tasks, the underside body of the aircraft musthad to be modified. The modification includesincluded two standard camera portals to accommodate additional airborne sensorsequipment, such as a high resolution digital camera, hyperspectral system, and LiDAR system . Due to the specialist nature of the aviation field, the ASO appointed a third party, a team from Chaoyang University of Technology, to provide consultation and supervision for proper performance management. The registration numbers of the two new aircraft are B-36001 and B-36002 respectively, with “360” symbolizing all-roundedness, to represent all aspects of flight safety, ground safety, and human safety. The fuselage lines are in a two-color configuration, with the lines extending from the nose upward to the tail wing and ending in a circular arc, symbolizing the high level of sustainability and successful completion of remote surveying missions. The primary color of the fuselage line is turquoise, symbolizing the verdant forests and the clear blue sky, as a metaphor of the plane soaring in the sky and striving to take records of beautiful Formosa. The secondary color of the lines is gold, symbolizing the colors of the earth, which nurtures the rich diversity of life on the island of Formosa where all living beings live in harmony with one another. In addition, the ASO also designed a new logo to represent aerial photography, which was painted on the tail wing of the aircraft to showcase Taiwan’s professionalism in the field of aerial remote sensing. The press conference marked a new milestone for Taiwan’s aerial remote sensing work. In the future, the two new aircraft will be used to carry out relevant aerial remote sensing tasks, and the results will be available to all sectors for a myriad of applications. The aircraft will play an indispensable role in the establishment of spatial information for various fields such as national spatial planning and monitoring, agriculture and forestry management, economic construction, disaster prevention and relief, and academic research.
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