Wiktionary
n. A method of collecting information by utilizing aerial photography. or from remote sensing technology using other bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma-ray, or ultraviolet.
Wikipedia
Aerial survey is a method of collecting geomatics or other imagery by using aeroplanes, helicopters, UAVs, balloons or other aerial methods. Typical types of data collected are aerial photography, LiDAR, remote sensing (using various visible and invisible bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as infrared, gamma, or ultraviolet) and also geophysical data (such as aeromagnetic surveys and gravity. It can also refer to the chart or map made by analysing a region from the air. Aerial survey should be distinguished from satellite imagery technologies because of its better resolution, quality and atmospheric conditions. Today, aerial survey is sometimes recognized as a synonym for aerophotogrammetry, part of photogrammetry where the camera is placed in the air. Measurements on aerial images are provided by photogrammetric technologies and methods.
Aerial surveys can provide information on many things not visible from the ground.
Usage examples of "aerial survey".
Kenjo, appearing like magic from his distant Honshu plateau, headed the aerial survey.
To get a proper reading you'd need a full print-out, and about the only way of getting that would be to track down the original processor that programmed the source-data - in this case, probably a bank of large-scale aerial survey maps, reduced to micro-dots.
He makes plain he felt the survey of that area was only an off-chance, but since a free aerial survey had been presented to us, and since Photo-Geology felt there had to be some reason for the different vegetation, the expense could be justified.
The opening itself would be in the basement - on the angle nearest the foothills - of a vast five-pointed structure of evidently public and perhaps ceremonial nature, which we tried to identify from our aerial survey of the ruins.
The young inventor added that he planned to take off in an hour for an aerial survey of the proposed highway route to East Ngombia, and then leave for the United States.
We set off on a frantic ground-search then, me driving the Volvo and Denis, entranced, sitting beside me with his finger hovering over a tattered aerial survey sheet.
Niall had already experienced the sensation of flying under the guidance of Asmak, chief of the aerial survey.
As they exchanged formal greetings, Niall realized that he had already met the commander of the aerial survey.
He had no doubts of reaching the cache-Baku's aerial survey would guide him-but soon his mounts would be past rough travel.