national aerial resources || things you may want to know

nar's frequently asked questions...

What is aerialsearch^TM?

national aerial resources aerialsearch^TM aerial photograph research summary is a listing of all aerial photography available for a given site based upon nar's comprehensive database of over 1.5 million records. Information such as flight date, negative scale, price and delivery time is included on each and every aerialsearch^TM report.

What information does a research summary provide?

The results of the search that is run for our specific site area provide the following information: the years and negative scales of available coverage, prices for monoscopic or stereopair coverage, and approximate shipping time to your location. The photography will usually be 9"x9" contact prints, unless otherwise noted.

What information is included in the "comments" section?

The comments section contains information pertaining to the source and the coverage range for the year. Some examples include: "NAPP, color infrared", "20% coverage", "$25 research fee", "city of Albany".

What is the price range for photographs on the aerialsearch^TM summary report?

The prices of the photos vary from source to source and are listed, along with the delivery time, on the aerialsearch^TM report. The typical price range is from $45 to $105 per photograph.

What kind of photography does this listing cover?

Unless otherwise noted, our research summary lists vertical photography - that is, photography that is produced with the camera axis directed vertically, perpendicular to the ground.

What is needed to run an aerialsearch^TM request?

State, county, city, latitude and longitude information is required to run an aerialsearch^TM report. This will provide the most complete and accurate listing of photography from our database. If the aerialsearch^TM report lists a photograph of interest, a more detailed analysis of the flight path will need to be conducted and additional information, including site address and a map outlining the area of interest, will need to be provided to nar in order to acquire photography.

What if I need my photos "yesterday"?

Most state and federal sources do not provide a rush service, however many private sources will provide that service for an additional charge - usually between 50% and 100% of the regular purchase price. Please contact our Customer Service Representatives for more information.

What if my site is very large? Will one monoscopic photo or stereopair cover my site?

Because we won't know how large your target area is until we receive you site map, we cannot tell you in advance if it will take additional frames to cover your site area. You will be notified of the exact number of frames and the additional cost associated with them before we have them produced, to allow you the opportunity to approve the additional frames, or make another selection.

Why choose national aerial resources for your research and acquisition service?

While it may appear to be a cost savings to do your own research, what you may initially save in dollars you lose in time. And that can be invaluable. nar has done the work for you. The search fee is a very small price to pay in order to gain access to the country's most complete database of current and historic coverage. We have over 1.5 million records of information from virtually all the major repositories and private companies in the U.S., and many smaller collections as well. While we cannot guarantee we have every possible photograph listed - no company can do that - we do strive to give you the very best service we can.

Why a search fee?

While some companies may provide lists at no charge, nar is the only company we know of that continually updates and defines the collections. We have incorporated into our database most of the data from the Aerial Photography Summary Records System (APSRS) put out by the USGS. We have updated much of that data, refined it and the search process to produce a much more accurate search result. We have also added flights made after its last publication in 1996. Many of the collections referenced in the APSRS listing have since disappeared or been sold to other sources. To our knowledge, we are the only company to continuously update our database and keep track of these important changes.

Why are photos listed on the aerialsearch^TM report if they are not available?

The nar database was compiled using scores of lists and databases from government sources, private companies and experience. There are situations, however, when the best information we can obtain is incomplete or general in nature; therefore there is a possibility that a desired photograph for a given year will not be available for a specific address. The nar database is updated on a regular basis to ensure the most up-to-date information we can provide.

What are the sources of the photos?

The sources are various private (e.g., national aerial resources, Tobin) and government (e.g., USGS, USDA) aerial photography providers.

Does nar own an in-house collection of aerial photography?

nar owns the Jack Ammann collection, as well as other private collections that were obtained over the years. These are included, when possible, on the aerialsearch^TM summary report. We are in the process of indexing the collections, and add the information as its availability to be retrieved is assured.

all contents copyright ^©1998 - 2006 national aerial resources
6 highland avenue, albany, new york 12205
phone: 1-800-827-2994 FAX: 1-518-694-9903
e-mail: info@nar.com
all rights reserved
please address any comments & questions to the webmaster