Dear Colleagues, O3ST Ltd is exploring the possibility of offering a UAV hire service specifically tailored to marine mammal research and photogrammetry projects, and we would be interested in gauging the level of interest within the community. The initial proposed hire package would be based around the DJI Mavic 3 Pro platform and would be supplied as a complete, ready-to-fly system in a waterproof transport case. Each kit would include: • DJI Mavic 3 Pro aircraft and controller • Six flight batteries • Charging hub and charging accessories • O3ST SF30 Laser Altimeter Data Logger • Aircraft catch handles for vessel-based operations • Pre-configured SD cards • Protective waterproof transport case (houses aircraft un-folded with altimeter and handles attached plus all the accessories) The aim is to provide researchers with rapid access to a proven photogrammetry platform without the capital investment, maintenance requirements, or logistical challenges of purchasing and setting their own system. Hire periods would be available on both weekly and monthly terms, with worldwide shipping available. We anticipate that users would be required to provide evidence of appropriate pilot certification/training and liability insurance for the duration of the hire period, although we may be able to assist in obtaining suitable insurance cover where required. Potential applications could include: • Launching new photogrammetry projects without the upfront equipment costs • Providing additional aircraft capacity during intensive field seasons • Maintaining a backup system for critical fieldwork operations • Supporting short-term or pilot studies where equipment purchase is difficult to justify Should there be sufficient demand, we would also consider expanding the fleet and adding additional aircraft models and sensor configurations to support a wider range of research applications. At this stage, we are simply interested in understanding whether such a service would be useful to the marine mammal research community. If this is something you or your organisation might consider using, I would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts, including any specific requirements or features that would make the service more valuable. Feedback would be greatly appreciated and can be sent to julian.dale@o3st.com Many thanks! Kind regards, Julian Dale Director O3ST Ltd Web: www.o3st.com PH: +44 (0)7379306378