Did you know that most commercial drone operations in the USA today are conducted within the Visual Line of Sight of the Remote Pilot in Command? In fact, no individual or organization can fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) in U.S. airspace without first obtaining a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). What this means is that we’ve not yet realized the full potential or cost and time-saving benefits of drone technology here in the USA. The ability to operate BVLOS will undoubtedly open up innumerable opportunities for businesses to streamline their operations across a wide range of industries. So what does it mean to fly BVLOS, and how can an organization go about getting certified to do so?
What is BVLOS?
Under the current regulatory framework, the FAA requires pilots to “see and avoid” other aircraft. In traditional manned aviation, this is easy enough to achieve by simply having a pilot onboard scanning the horizon for other vehicles that may be close by. The same can’t be said for unmanned aviation, where the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) is on the ground instead of onboard. For this reason, the current FAA rules dictate that drone operations be conducted within “visual line of sight” of the RPIC, unaided by any technology other than prescription glasses or contact lenses. The way around this is to obtain an appropriate waiver from the FAA to fly BVLOS, which means beyond the RPIC’s direct line of sight.
What are the benefits of flying BVLOS?
Over the past decade, drones have proven themselves an invaluable asset for data collection and intelligence across the spectrum from agriculture to public safety. These tools have allowed us to gather data more quickly, with higher precision, and with less expense. But we would argue that the actual benefits of drone technology have not yet been realized because of the requirement to fly within the Visual Line of Sight of the RPIC. The true potential of the drone industry lies in the ability to fly Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). This is especially true for long-range missions with significant data collection requirements like asset inspection, reconnaissance, and search and rescue. BVLOS capabilities will allow the businesses to cover more ground within a shorter period, thus significantly improving ROI for commercial operators.
What rules do I need to follow to fly BVLOS?
To conduct commercial BVLOS operations in the U.S., businesses must first obtain a waiver under Part 107 from the FAA (107.31). To be granted a waiver, operators need to show the FAA that their missions can be conducted safely without endangering other aircraft or people and property on the ground. The FAA also requires that:
(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the personmanipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight in order to:
(1) Know the unmanned aircraft’s location;
(2) Determine the unmanned aircraft’s attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;
(3) Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and
(4) Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.
Most operators achieve this by having a visual observer (VO) maintain visual contact with the drone or by utilizing detect-and-avoid technology onboard — for instance, the Iris Automation Casia system. Once the waiver is granted, the operator would be able to fly their drone beyond the VLOS of the Remote Pilot in Command.
The waiver process has multiple components, including:
Determining that the operator has sufficient risk mitigation strategies and procedures in place
Demonstrating that appropriate technology will be used and finally that the operators have been sufficiently trained to conduct safe operations BVLOS.
To learn more, please visit: faa.gov