Our story
Since 2014, Alto Drones has continued to evolve year after year, alongside advances in technology and the changing demands of modern surveying. What began with simple camera drones has grown into a range of airborne laser scanners, deployed from unmanned rotary-wing aircraft or manned helicopters depending on the application.
2014
Alto Drones was founded by Alex Fabbro and Thomas Fontana and specializes in professional UAV solutions for surveying, inspection and film production. As one of the first providers in the region, the company received approval from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) for the professional operation of unmanned aircraft. Shortly afterwards, Austro Control also granted approval for operations in Austria.
2015
Alto Drones established itself as a provider of high-quality professional aerial systems and increasingly expanded into photogrammetric surveying. Thomas’s expertise in surveying and Alex’s many years of flight experience combined to open up new possibilities.
2016
Following Alex’s decision to leave the company, Alto Drones focused on technical UAV services, particularly in surveying and geoinformation. In addition, the company offered consulting services for drone purchases and training for their professional use.
2017
As a surveying service provider, Alto Drones experienced its most successful year to date, with more than 50 projects across the entire Alpine region. From small quarries to large-scale ski resorts, the company covered projects of widely varying sizes. Our accumulated experience, high-quality results and specialization in demanding, large-scale aerial surveys have made Alto Drones known well beyond national borders.
2018
Alto Drones was one of the first companies in the region to combine drone technology with a high-precision RIEGL laser scanner. The miniVUX-1UAV opened up new possibilities, enabling projects that had previously been impossible with the available technology.
2019
Growing demand for surveying services led Alto Drones to hire its first employee, Florian, and expand its technical equipment. An additional RIEGL laser scanner and new drones increased efficiency and expanded our capabilities. With his technical expertise, curiosity and strong interpersonal skills, Florian quickly became a valuable addition to the team.
2020
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the team continued to grow the following year: Georg joined Alto Drones with his broad range of technical skills and soon took on drone piloting himself.
2021
After completing her internship at Alto Drones, Martina joined the team as a permanent member in autumn. At the same time, both miniVUX systems were upgraded to the latest standard and a brand-new RIEGL VUX-120 was purchased. A Soleon multicopter specially developed for the larger scanner completed its first operational flight. Alto Drones now had three fully equipped teams, each able to operate independently in the field.
2022
2022 was all about diversity – in the team, in our equipment and in our projects. Over the course of the year, four interns provided valuable support to Alto Drones. The RIEGL VUX-120 was combined with a high-resolution Phase One camera and tested on a helicopter, with surprisingly positive results right from the start. Our projects took the team from the mountains to the sea and ranged from just a few hectares to projects covering more than 200 km².
2023
Alto Drones entered a new field of application with the acquisition of the RIEGL VQ-840-G, a green-wavelength laser scanner designed for surveying underwater areas. The comprehensive aerial survey of water bodies opened up new perspectives while presenting exciting challenges in both technology and application. This field continues to offer a wide range of applications, new insights and valuable experience.
2024
In 2024, our sensor fleet expanded: growing demand for helicopter-based surveys led to the acquisition of a VUX-160. At the same time, our workflows for bathymetric laser scanning were further consolidated and optimized. With more than 1,000 kilometers of water bodies surveyed, Alto Drones gained valuable experience in the acquisition and analysis of bathymetric scan data.
2025
In 2025, the more powerful RIEGL VQ-860-G replaced the VQ-840-G. At the same time, new point cloud processing software made data processing more efficient and streamlined. With a total of 235 completed projects, we finished an average of one project on every working day of the year. Our operations covered almost the whole of Europe – from Madrid in the west to Bratislava in the east, and from Hamburg in the north to Cagliari in the south.