A week after DJI became the first drone manufacturer in the world to receive the Class C1 type certificate under the new EU drone regulations, three more drones have been given class identification labels for operations in the European Economic Area.
senseFly, an AgEagle company, announced today that its eBee X, eBee Geo, and eBee Ag fixed-wing commercial drones have been designated with the C2 class identification label in accordance with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. As such, drone operators flying C2-labeled eBee drones will be able to conduct missions in the “Open” category with all the advantages that it entails.
And what exactly are the benefits of being able to operate a lightweight eBee drone in the “Open” category?
- You can operate in areas prohibited to drones above 8.8 lb. or 4 kg.
- You can fly at a horizontal distance of 30 meters from uninvolved people. By contrast, heavy drones must maintain a distance of 150 meters from people and any residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational areas, limiting their operational capabilities to remote zones.
- You can conduct visual line of sight flights at 120 meters altitude.
As Barrett Mooney, chairman and CEO of AgEagle, says:
When compared to the weight and safety profiles of other competitive commercial drones, only the eBee is cleared to fly commercial operations near people with the C2 class identification label. This represents a huge market differential for our customers in Europe, that will be able to operate around populated areas without any formal permission or regulatory waiver.
Also read: The most popular fixed-wing drone in the US, according to the FAA
The certification to senseFly drones has been provided by NavCert, which was as appointed as a Notified Body for mandatory UAS certification by Germany earlier this year.
Marcel Visser, managing director of NavCert, says:
Our background in the aviation industry and the development of the EN 4709 standard has been essential to performing the technical assessments required in the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 on UAS. We will continue to ensure the required level of quality and safety for drone operations in the European Union.
As the next step, all eBee X, eBee Ag, and eBee Geo drones shipped by senseFly in September 2022 will include the C2 label at no extra cost. Existing eBee users will likely be able to request the label on a voluntary basis.
Read more: Annoyed by its buzzing noise, Dutch vacationer fires multiple shots at high-end DJI drone
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