Bringing drone operations in-house means equipping your team for the conditions on site. Alongside the aircraft, batteries and controller, a dedicated take-off and landing surface is a practical part of that setup.
Whitetail weighted drone mats provide a portable launch surface for construction inspections, surveying and progress monitoring, with 3ft and 5ft options to suit different aircraft and working areas.
Protect Your Drone Investment from the Ground Up
Enterprise drones carry valuable cameras, sensors and other equipment close to the ground during take-off and landing. Prop wash can disturb loose grit, dust and small stones, exposing the aircraft and its payload to debris.
A landing mat covers loose surface material directly beneath the drone, helping reduce the debris disturbed in that area. It also provides a separate surface for positioning the aircraft while preparing for flight.
For companies investing in drones and staff training, looking after that equipment starts before the aircraft leaves the ground. A dedicated launch surface is a straightforward addition to the working kit.
Spend Less Time Setting Up
When your team is moving between inspection, survey or progress-monitoring locations, setup time adds up. Whitetail’s weighted edge removes the need to peg the mat down—simply unfold it and position it on a suitable surface.
There are no ground pegs to push into compacted stone or find somewhere to secure on hardstanding. The weighted perimeter helps resist lifting under prop wash, making the mat practical for locations where pegging down a conventional mat would be difficult.
It’s a quick way to prepare a dedicated take-off and landing area, pack away and move on to the next location.
Prepared for Changing Site Conditions
Whether the task is recording construction progress, inspecting a structure or collecting survey imagery, the aircraft needs somewhere suitable to take off and land.
Ground conditions can change as a project develops. An area that was clear during one visit may be covered in loose aggregate or affected by nearby work on the next.
A weighted landing mat gives the team a surface they can reposition as access and working conditions change. It is another part of arriving prepared, alongside charged batteries, checked equipment and a plan for the flight.
Equip Your In-House Drone Team
Drone work may be one of several responsibilities for the person operating the aircraft. A site engineer, surveyor or other trained member of staff needs equipment that fits into the working day.
A portable mat can travel with the drone kit, ready for use as the team moves around a site or between projects. It gives operators a clearly defined surface for preparing the aircraft and returning it to the ground.
Operators still need to select suitable ground, check for obstructions and surrounding vegetation, and assess the conditions before flying.
Choose a Mat to Suit Your Aircraft
Check the drone’s landing footprint and propeller clearance, allowing space around the aircraft rather than choosing a mat that only just accommodates its landing gear.
3ft: A Compact Option for Smaller Enterprise Drones
The 3ft mat provides a compact take-off and landing surface for smaller enterprise aircraft, subject to checking their dimensions and clearance.
It suits teams looking for a smaller mat to carry with their equipment while covering the loose material immediately beneath the drone.
5ft: More Coverage for Larger Aircraft
The 5ft mat provides a wider surface for larger drones and additional ground coverage around the aircraft.
That extra width is also useful when a smaller drone is operating on loose ground, covering more of the surrounding material that prop wash could disturb.
View the 3ft and 5ft Whitetail weighted drone mats.
Developed from Experience on Location
Whitetail was founded by Scottish filmmaker and drone operator Steven Gourlay. The weighted mat design began after a conventional take-off mat repeatedly lifted at the edges under prop wash during a mountain filming job.
That experience shaped a design intended to be quick to deploy without relying on ground pegs. Construction filming is another setting where a portable launch surface earns its place in the kit, with loose stone, hardstanding and changing working positions all part of operating on site.
Equip Your Team
Choose a mat that suits your aircraft and the conditions your team works in. The 3ft and 5ft options provide different levels of coverage, with a weighted perimeter designed for straightforward deployment.
Explore Whitetail weighted drone take-off and landing mats
Equipping several operators or sites? Contact Whitetail about multiple-mat requirements.