You can’t produce a survey or a very useful map with a drone, or the software that runs on it, or the software that is used to plan and fly its missions. Responses here seem to be discussing all three components of the system(s) used to produce a deliverable.
Drones collect data (typically photos) that can be used by post-processing software/services, using automated photogrammetric techniques, to produce orthographic photos, point clouds, topographic “lines,” etc. Drones can also carry LIDAR instruments that can collect a point cloud directly. In any case, this data is not typically very useful until a “mapmaker” manually adds or draws curb lines, sidewalks, buildings, roads, streams, drainage channels, property lines (based on a boundary survey performed by a licensed surveyor), and other data and features that post processing software can’t recognize. This information is also important to the map user.
In most states, drone pilots can’t do “surveys,” especially boundary surveys. They can only collect aerial data that can be use to facilitate a survey when done under the direct supervision of a licensed engineer or surveyor.
In most states, licensed engineers are limited to producing “engineering surveys” (however that is defined by the state) for engineering studies and designs and only licensed surveyors can do boundary surveys to establish property lines.
Boundary surveys typically require deed research and the field location or reestablishment of boundary stakes or markers, which frequently requires professional opinions and interpretation of the available data. Drone-collected data doesnt do this.
If you show what you think are the approximate locations of property lines on a drawing that aren’t base on a boundary survey, you better show appropriate weasel words on the drawing too, or you may be prosecuted for practicing surveying without a license.
RTK GPS technology can improve aerial survey post processing speed and accuracy, but you need ground control points (GCPs) to correct distortions in the data due to limitations in the aerial data collection tools and process. GCPs are typically manually placed and surveyed targets on the ground that show up in the aerial photos. You define the coordinates of the GCPs in the post processing software which uses this additional info to reduce the error in the data set caused be optical distortion and drone/camera position errors.
To get good aerial data for a photogrammetric survey, you need the following:
A good camera (the higher the resolution the better with 12-MP being the minimum),
GCPs,
Low altitude,
A steady drone, and
Good lighting.
You don’t necessarily need RTK GPS. Depending on the end user’s needs, you may still get useful data if you skimp on some of the things listed above.