Multirotor remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flight logs collected during the ENRICH voyage (IN2019_V01)

Updated: 2026-07-06

This record describes multirotor remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flight log data collected during the Marine National Facility (MNF) RV Investigator voyage IN2019_V01, ENRICH (Euphausiids and Nutrient Recycling in Cetacean Hotspots), conducted in the Southern Ocean between January and March 2019. During the voyage, RPAs were deployed to support cetacean research, including whale photogrammetry, photo-identification, blow sampling, behavioural observations, surface water sampling for trace metal analysis, and scenic imagery collection. A total of 139 flights were conducted between 25 January and 25 February 2019 using DJI Inspire 2, DJI Phantom 4, and DJI Phantom 4 Pro platforms. The dataset contains flight telemetry decoded from DJI flight logs, including RPA type, unique flight identifier, date and time (UTC), geographic position, flight duration, distance from the launch location, total flight distance, and flight height. Flights were launched from deck 2 of RV Investigator, approximately 12 m above sea level; consequently, recorded flight heights are referenced to the launch point and may include negative values when the aircraft flew below deck height.