Yilan residents spooked by aircrafts conducting land surveys

Yilan residents spooked by aircrafts conducting land surveys

2026-06-15

Local residents in Yilan have been panicking over the sight of aircrafts hovering close to the ground recently. More precisely, at less than 300m above ground. Some people even joked that the aircrafts may have been carrying out a reconnaissance mission. On Monday, the county government clarified, after consulting with the central government, that the aircrafts were conducting land surveys.

Two lightweight aircrafts hover in the air, their loud noises attracting Yilan locals’ attention. It’s a curious sight indeed, in a town without an airport. What’s more, it’s flying quite close to the ground, at around 200m to 300m above, over Dongshan, Luodong and Jiaoxi, making onlookers nervous.

- Aircrafts must fly above a certain limit from the ground. If it’s flying too close, the public may worry that it might crash.
- Even more so in crowded areas.
- Yes, it would make people nervous.

Member of public
Local resident
It’s rare to see this kind of lightweight aircraft. There isn’t an airport in Yilan, so it’s quite surprising to see a lightweight aircraft. It’s really not flying high above the ground.

The planes have caught the attention of netizens online. One commented that they’re ultralight aircrafts, while another joked that the aircrafts are on a reconnaissance mission. One knowledgeable commenter identified the aircrafts as the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, which the government deploys for aeriel photography, 3D topographic laser scanning, and GIS data capture.

Huang Chih-liang
Yilan County Transportation Department
We’ve confirmed with the transport ministry’s Civil Aviation Administration that the aircrafts are operated by RealWorld Aviation Corporation, which is commissioned to conduct national land surveying and mapping. Subsequently, we’ve asked the Civil Aviation Administration and other central government agencies to give local governments an early notice should they plan to conduct such missions, so that local governments could communicate with residents accordingly.

Turns out the aircrafts are for land surveying, only the local Yilan government wasn’t notified. The county government urges central authorities to notify locals in advance, to prevent public panic.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#cartography #GIS #3Dmodeling #maps #survey

宜蘭驚見小飛機"低空偵蒐"? 縣府交通處解謎:國土測繪

2026-06-15

最近有不少宜蘭居民，發現天空中有小飛機低空來回飛行，離地才兩三百公尺，讓不少人好驚慌，擔心可能墜機，還有人懷疑，是進行偵蒐任務，不過，縣府交通處回應，是公務機執行任務，進行國土測繪，也讓大家鬆口氣。

兩架小飛機，來回盤旋，巨大聲響，讓不少宜蘭人探出頭來，因為宜蘭沒有機場，怎麼會有小飛機飛行，而且飛得又低又近，離地才兩三百公尺，飛過冬山、羅東和礁溪，讓一些民眾感到不安。

-飛行高度一定要在限高的管制以上，如果太低的話，對我們民眾也是會擔心它會不會有墜落的可能。
-如果在人群比較密集的地方更是會有?
-對，民眾會驚慌。

[[民眾]]
看到這種小型飛機是非常的稀少。宜蘭地區也沒有機場，會出現這種小型飛機，當然是很驚訝。它飛行的高度確實不高。

民眾好擔心、網友也關注，猜測是輕航機、滑翔翼，還有人懷疑是偵蒐任務，不過內行網友分享，這是大篷車飛機，長期配合政府進行空照、地形三維雷射掃描、地理資訊測量。

[[宜蘭交通處長黃志良]]
“那我們經過跟交通部民航局確認，那是一家詮華航空公司，它進行的國土測繪的一個航測。後續我們也請民航局這邊或者中央的相關部會，如果有進行這方面的航測，也能夠告知地方政府，那地方政府接到民眾的資訊，我們也能夠進一步來傳達給民眾。”

原來是公務機執行任務，縣府交通處也呼籲，中央未來如果還有航測，希望能提早告知地方，避免民眾驚慌。

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The 36.5km mark has been cleared. The 18.2km mark is more heavily obstructed. We’ve asked the county government’s contractor to report back, and they said it’ll only be cleared at around noon.

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In the small village of Shiguangjian in Pingtung’s Jiadong Township stands a century-old bishop wood tree. It’s not just a landmark for the locals, who have grown up alongside this iconic tree. Now it’s also a popular photo destination, since it looks just like an Easter Island Moai statue.

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- It used to be here, around here. She moved it back here. The road is wide now. There shouldn’t be as many accidents.

Voice of Ms. Yang
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The road is meant for people to use. If it makes things easier on everyone else, it’s easier for me too. Besides, if someone hits the tree and it needs to be replanted, it wouldn’t grow back the same.

The road around the tree sees a lot of traffic since it’s near the local swimming pool. By volunteering to move her wall back by a meter, Ms. Yang gave up her own property to straighten the path. Now it’s about 4.5 meters wide, protecting both the tree and motorists.

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We moved the utility poles to the opposite side and laid a fresh layer of asphalt thanks to the efforts of everyone here.

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It’s great. Protecting the tree like this is wonderful. It has history. We shouldn’t let it be destroyed.

The township office is currently drafting plans to promote the tree along with other nearby tourist attractions. Thanks to the generous neighbor who recognized the benefit to donating her land, this story proves that a little community spirit can go a long way.

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