Historic Aerials Blog

Delving into the past, one story at a time — exploring historical people, places, and events that shaped our world.

What Historic Aerials Reveal About Wildfire Risk

Many people remember the day Paradise burned. But fewer have seen what it looked like years before. From above, the town didn’t look fragile. It looked settled. The neighborhoods were

2022 aerial view of Memorial Glen subdivision in Humble, Texas showing partially developed streets and open lots.

The Hidden Footprint of Humble’s Oil Pits

A subdivision that stops halfway From above, it looks like something went wrong. Streets form a clean grid. Curbs are in place. Streetlights stand at regular intervals. Houses line one

How HistoricAerials Helps Authors Rebuild The Past

There’s a certain poetry to seeing the past from above. The faint outline of a gravel lot, the ghost of a screen’s shadow, the looping pattern of old car ramps.

Collapsed beach house on an eroding bluff along the shore of Lake Michigan near Montague, Michigan.

The Truth About Owning Waterfront Property

So you’ve found the perfect waterfront property and you’re already imagining the dock you’ll build, the backyard barbecues, the early‑morning kayak trips, and the long, quiet evenings by the water.

Drone view of flood-damaged roadways and bridges along the Guadalupe River near Comfort, Texas, after flash flooding.

Aerial History of Flash Floods: Texas 2025 to SoCal 1938

Flash floods have shaped American history for generations. Each one reminds us that we cannot stop extreme rain, but we can reduce its impact. After every major event, local agencies,

World War I Caquot kite balloon in flight, showing stabilizing lobes and tether lines used for aerial reconnaissance and artillery observation.

Balloons Of War Part V Twilight Over The Trenches

High above the mud, wire, and shattered earth of the Western Front, tethered observation balloons swayed in the wind. To soldiers below, these elongated hydrogen-filled shapes—often likened to sausages—were a

Cold Case From Above: Aerial Imagery and the Dean Corll Investigation

I’ve lived in the Houston area most of my life. But I knew nothing about Dean Corll, nicknamed the “Candy Man.” The story hit harder when I dug in. Corll

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