After purchasing, you receive access credentials and can immediately begin self-paced onboarding.
Week 1: Meet Your Customer Success Engineer
Introduction to your dedicated Customer Success Engineer, who guides you through setup and best practices.
Access to self-paced learning resources and quick start guides for initial familiarization with hardware and software.
Unboxing and setting up drones and AeroPoints (Propeller’s smart ground control points).
Charging, registering, and activating AeroPoints.
Reviewing care, maintenance, and firmware updates for all hardware.
Data Capture Preparation
Planning survey missions and configuring drone settings.
Reviewing flight checklists, airspace regulations, and ground control best practices.
Setting up the Propeller Corrections Network, if required.
Platform and Portal Configuration
Creating your first site in the Propeller platform: naming, locating, and setting coordinate systems.
Inviting team members and assigning user permissions.
Uploading initial site data and setting up data management preferences.
Data Capture and Upload
Executing your first drone flight and capturing survey data.
Collecting ground control data with AeroPoints.
Uploading survey and AeroPoint data to the Propeller portal for automated processing.
Training and Platform Usage
Participating in platform training: navigation, measurement tools, and site management.
Learning to perform volume, distance, and elevation measurements, generate reports, and collaborate with your team.
Accessing mobile app features for field use and information sharing.
Ongoing Support and Optimization
Continuous access to help center resources, video tutorials, and live support.
Propeller Aero offers a variety of customization features and options, enabling businesses to tailor the platform to their unique operational requirements and workflows. Below are key areas where Propeller Aero can be customized:
Custom Templates: Users can create, save, and reuse measurement templates for specific project needs. Templates allow customization of data fields, style attributes (such as color, labels, line thickness), and naming conventions for measurements, supporting consistent reporting across projects.
One-off Customization: Measurements can be individually customized for specific use cases without saving as a permanent template.
Custom Surface Comparison: The platform allows precise adjustment of measurement bases for volume calculations. Users can move, edit, or shift individual or multiple vertex points to reflect real-world site conditions, such as uneven ground or complex stockpiles.
Measurement Units: Distance, area, volume, and density units can be changed between imperial and metric, ensuring reports match client or regulatory standards.
Grid Customization: Users can adjust grid spacing and orientation to fit the layout and scale of their specific worksite maps, ensuring that spatial data aligns with site requirements.
Heat Map Grading: Visualizations such as heat maps can be customized to highlight specific site metrics or performance indicators.
Public API: Propeller Aero offers a read-only public API, enabling organizations with development resources to build custom integrations with internal systems, automate workflows, or import/export data according to business needs.
Custom SSO: The platform supports custom Single Sign-On (SSO), allowing integration with existing authentication systems for streamlined and secure user management.
Workflow Automation: Certain platform tools allow automation of repetitive tasks and integration with other internal systems, enhancing efficiency and supporting unique business processes.
Custom Reports: Businesses can tailor reports to include only the data fields, measurements, and visualizations relevant to their projects, improving clarity and decision-making.
Data Export: All site, measurement, and analytics data can be exported in various formats for further analysis or integration with other business intelligence tools.
Industry Focus: Propeller Aero’s solutions are designed to be adaptable for construction, mining, civil engineering, surveying, and infrastructure projects, with customization options to address the unique challenges of each sector.
Hardware Compatibility: The platform integrates with a range of drones and smart ground control points, allowing businesses to select hardware that best fits their operational environment.
Propeller Aero provides a suite of training and support resources to ensure new users can confidently adopt and maximize the platform’s capabilities.
Customer Success Engineer: Each new user is paired with a dedicated Customer Success Engineer who guides them through onboarding, setup, and best practices tailored to their workflow.
Guided Onboarding: The onboarding process covers hardware setup, data capture, and platform navigation, ensuring users are equipped from day one.
Live Webinars: Twice-monthly webinars led by Customer Success Engineers cover essential topics such as platform navigation, data collection, measurement tools, and exporting data. Each session includes a live Q&A for real-time assistance.
PropellerU Video Library: Users have access to an extensive library of on-demand training videos, including step-by-step guides, essential workflows, and advanced features.
Knowledge Base: The online help center contains hundreds of articles and tutorials on topics like drone activation, ground control, data upload, and troubleshooting. Users can search for specific topics or browse curated content.
Interactive Courses: Training modules are broken into easy-to-follow sections covering hardware, data capture, and platform features, allowing users to learn at their own pace.
24/7 Support Access: Users can reach the support team at any time through the platform’s chat feature, email, or the support tab for quick help with technical issues or workflow questions.
Help Center Integration: The support tab within the platform provides direct access to articles, videos, and the latest release notes, ensuring users are always up-to-date on new features and improvements.
Propeller Aero employs a multi-layered approach to data security, combining advanced technical controls, robust organizational practices, and industry-standard infrastructure. Here are the key measures in place to safeguard customer and operational data:
AWS Hosting: The majority of Propeller Aero’s platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which provides state-of-the-art data center security and complies with major standards such as SOC, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001. Physical security for these environments is managed by AWS.
On-Premises Servers: For intensive data processing, Propeller operates private servers housed in secure buildings with self-closing swipe-access doors, alarms, security cameras, and locked barriers around server racks.
Office Security: Offices are protected by electronic access controls, security cameras, alarm systems, and fire suppression systems. Access is logged and restricted to trusted personnel.
Encryption: All data transmitted to and from the Propeller Platform is encrypted using HTTPS with TLSv1 or higher (128-bit cipher or stronger). Data at rest is encrypted using full-disk encryption on servers and private AWS S3 buckets.
Firewalls and WAFs: Network firewalls restrict access to systems, allowing only necessary ports and protocols. Dedicated web application firewalls (WAFs) protect against malicious payloads, SQL injection, XSS, and DDoS attacks.
Server Isolation: Servers are isolated within private subnets and are not accessible from the internet except via hardened bastion hosts, minimizing attack vectors and enabling detailed access logging.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): All staff devices and services require MFA where possible, and devices are password-protected with automatic locking and full-disk encryption.
Principle of Least Privilege: Access to data and systems is strictly limited to those who need it, with permissions carefully managed and reviewed.
Audit Logging: All requests and access to Propeller services are securely logged to provide an audit trail and support rapid incident investigation.
Intrusion Detection: Continuous monitoring of network traffic and API calls, with alerts triggered by suspicious behavior detected via threat intelligence feeds and machine learning.
Change Control: All configuration and code changes are managed in version control, peer-reviewed for security and quality, and tested in staging environments before deployment.
Vulnerability Management: Static analysis and dependency scanning are performed on all code to detect vulnerabilities. Third-party penetration testing is conducted, and any identified issues are promptly addressed.
Data Classification: All user-submitted information is classified as confidential and essential, with strict controls over storage, access, and deletion.
Data Residency: Customer data is stored in AWS regions closest to the customer, with options including the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and others. Data is encrypted during transfer between regions and during storage.
Data Retention and Deletion: Data is retained only as long as needed for service delivery and is securely deleted when no longer required or upon customer request, in line with privacy regulations.
Industry Standards: Propeller Aero’s infrastructure and processes align with leading standards such as SOC, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and GDPR, ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.
Regular Releases: Propeller Aero releases updates to its web platform and mobile app on a frequent and ongoing basis. Major feature releases, enhancements, and performance improvements are typically rolled out every 1–2 months, with some updates occurring even more frequently, depending on the nature of the changes.
Recent Examples: Notable updates were released in March, April, and June 2025, as well as in October 2024 and throughout the previous year. These updates included new features, performance enhancements, and quality-of-life improvements for both the web and mobile platforms.
Incremental Rollouts: Updates are deployed incrementally, often over a 7-day period, to ensure stability and allow for prompt issue resolution if needed. This phased approach helps minimize disruption for users while ensuring access to the latest features.
Transparent Communication: Each update is accompanied by detailed release notes published in the Propeller Aero Help Center. These notes outline new features, improvements, bug fixes, and any changes to workflows, making it easy for users to stay informed.
User Notifications: Users are notified of upcoming updates and new features through in-app notifications, emails, and the release notes section, ensuring they are prepared for changes and can take advantage of enhancements as soon as they are available.
Quality Assurance: Updates are tested and reviewed prior to deployment, and user feedback is actively solicited to guide future improvements and address any issues quickly.
Customer Ownership: All data uploaded, generated, or processed through the Propeller Aero platform—including survey data, measurements, and files—remains the property of the customer. Propeller Aero does not claim ownership over user data and is not in the business of collecting or using personal data for purposes beyond service delivery.
Data Use: Propeller Aero only processes customer data to provide its services, such as enabling drone survey workflows, data processing, and platform functionality. The platform does not sell or share user data for marketing or advertising purposes.
Third-Party Access: Any third-party service providers used by Propeller Aero process customer data strictly based on Propeller’s instructions and only as necessary to deliver the contracted services. If data is transferred outside the EEA, appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place.
Data Export: Active customers can download all their data from the Propeller Platform at any time. This includes survey files and any data processed by Propeller’s data team. Data can be exported in multiple standard formats for use in other systems or for backup purposes.
Portability Rights (GDPR): For customers in the EU/EEA, Propeller Aero supports the right to data portability. Upon request, Propeller will provide personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, enabling transfer to another organization if desired.
Data Deletion: Users can delete their own data within the platform. If a customer’s license expires and is not renewed, all organizational data is deleted after a 14-day grace period and is not recoverable thereafter
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Propeller Aero is designed to support organizations as their operational needs change, offering flexibility to scale both up and down with minimal friction. Here are the key terms and practices related to scaling:
Unlimited User Access: The platform allows organizations to add unlimited users, ensuring that teams can grow without restrictions on user count. Access levels can be managed so that internal staff, clients, and subcontractors have the appropriate permissions for each project or site.
Granular Permissions: Administrators can assign varying levels of access (view-only, inspect, process, edit, etc.) to users or teams, ensuring that data security and operational roles are maintained as the organization scales.
Modular Plans: Propeller Aero offers different subscription tiers (such as the Scale plan) that provide advanced features, security, and integration capabilities. Organizations can upgrade to higher tiers as their needs expand or scale back to standard offerings if requirements decrease.
AeroPoints and Hardware Scaling: AeroPoints subscriptions can be managed per group, with the ability to add or remove units as needed. The software license and AeroPoints processing subscriptions are flexible, allowing organizations to adjust their hardware and processing capacity as operations grow or contract.
Annual and Monthly Billing: Subscription terms are typically annual, but organizations can discuss custom arrangements for billing cycles or feature access as their usage patterns change.
Project and Site Management: The platform is built to handle projects of any size, from small sites to large-scale, multi-site operations. Organizations can create, archive, or delete projects as needed, with no penalty for scaling the number of active sites up or down.
API and Integration: For larger organizations, Propeller Aero offers a public API for custom integrations, enabling automated user management and data workflows as operational complexity increases.
Self-Service Scaling: Most scaling actions—such as adding users, adjusting permissions, or creating new projects—can be managed directly within the platform’s admin dashboard, allowing for immediate adaptation to organizational changes.
Automatic Renewal: Subscriptions for Propeller Aero’s SaaS services typically renew automatically at the end of the initial term, unless otherwise specified in your order form or contract.
Renewal Period: Unless stated otherwise, the subscription renews for the same duration as the original term or for one year, whichever is shorter.
Fee Adjustments: Upon renewal, Propeller Aero may increase fees up to their then-current list price. Customers will be notified at least 30 days in advance of any fee increases. If you do not agree to the new pricing, either party may terminate the subscription at the end of the current term by providing the required notice.
Downgrades: Subscription downgrades are only permitted at the next renewal date and require the signature of a new order. To avoid additional charges, customers should select the appropriate tier for their anticipated needs.
Additional Features and Usage: Additional features or upgrades may be added during the subscription term and will be covered by the same agreement. Usage restrictions and limits are specified in the order form or on the Propeller website.
Notices: Propeller Aero communicates renewal and other important notices via the SaaS interface, email, or written correspondence to the address on record.
Customer-Initiated Cancellation: Customers may terminate their subscription at the end of the current term by providing written notice of non-renewal within the timeframe specified in the contract (commonly 30 days before renewal).
Early Termination: If the customer terminates for cause (e.g., Propeller breaches the agreement), Propeller will promptly refund any prepaid but unused fees covering post-termination use. If Propeller terminates for cause (e.g., customer breach), all unpaid fees for the remainder of the term become immediately due.
Non-Refundable Fees: Except in cases of termination for cause by the customer, all fees are otherwise non-refundable. Early termination by the customer does not entitle them to a refund of prepaid fees.
Effect of Termination: Upon expiration or termination, customer access to the SaaS services ceases, and all outstanding fees become immediately due. Propeller Aero is not obligated to store customer content beyond 14 days after termination; after this period, access to customer content is lost.
Data Export: Customers should export any important data before termination, as Propeller is not responsible for storing or providing access to content after the 14-day post-termination window.
