Aerial Photography in Illinois

A Brief History

The first actual aerial survey in Illinois was attempted in 1952. In 1955 the Division of Highways leased a plane and took several pictures for reconnaissance work. These aerial pictures were very popular among the engineers who had an opportunity to use them. In March 1956 the Division of Highways made the decision to establish a section to obtain reconnaissance photography. The Aerial Surveys Section had two employees as of April 1, 1956 and twenty employees one year later. The interstate system, which was in its infancy, was one of the first projects flown in Illinois. Since that time, the Section has become a full scale photogrammetric unit, fulfilling the topographic mapping needs of the Department of Transportation.