I am guessing MS falls under "things planes/helicopters can be used for" category. There are rapidly expanding uses for aerial mapping using digital film and other parts of the radio/thermal spectrum. There is a much bigger application in helping large scale farmers monitor conditions of the fields on a week-to-week basis to determine hydration, fertilizer and pesticide applications. Aerial mapping can produce excellent information over large tracts. The US military is using similar technology to find where IEDs are buried on roads each night.