A system and method for mission planning and flight automation for an unmanned aircraft comprising generating an aerial imagery map of a capture area; generating a flight plan based on criteria for capturing images used to create a model of a feature present in the images; comparing the generated aerial imagery map with the generated flight plan; determining whether there is a possible collision between an obstacle associated with the generated aerial imagery map and the unmanned aircraft along a flight path of the generated flight plan; and executing, based on the determination, the generated flight plan.