AUVSI’s big XPONENTIAL conference is continuing for another day. We took in an expert panel discussing the challenges – and the promise – of Beyond Visual Line of Sight.
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Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority will allow a West Sussex-based drone company to operate regular flights beyond the pilot’s line of sight. It’s to test the safety of the technology. And it could be the beginning of a logistical transformation, leading to delivering parcels by drone.
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Drone company SkyTask has announced it has received an FAA waiver to conduct BVLOS flights at the Colorado State University Drone Center. The waiver is a large milestone for the company, allowing it to continue testing its drone-based asset monitoring and inspection programs.
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Latvian mobile network LMT has partnered with airBaltic to further develop BVLOS drone operations in Latvia and test its network to make sure it’s suitable for long-distance BVLOS drone flights. The announcement comes a few months after drones began deliveries in the country.
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Latvian mobile network provider LMT has partnered with Dimetor to explore the integration of drones into very low level (LLV) airspace. The new partnership builds on an earlier one, which saw both companies validating BVLOS drone flights on a mobile network.
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Avidrone Aerospace is set to show off its 210TL dual-rotor drone at IDEX 2021 in Iris Automation’s booth as the drone uses its Casia onboard detect and avoid technology. The show will allow the two companies to find and cut deals with potential clients.
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For many commercial operations, being able to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight opens the door to new opportunities. Now, Iris Automation has partnered to help offer a solution to operations in Canada seeking to get to this next stage.
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FlyBy Technology, based in North Yorkshire, England, has developed a drone pilot course to fly drones across the pond in other countries. The course is a first of its kind and will allow international beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights piloted from a single location.
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Reforestation company DroneSeed has been given FAA approval for its drone fleet to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. The approval will mean the company can begin to reforest large areas after wildfires.
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In a recent eight-day test, 369 drone flights were completed to answer how drones could share the airspace with crewed aircraft most safely and efficiently as possible. As many as 12 drones were flying simultaneously at a test site just outside of Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Over the next few months, medical delivery drones will take flight in the Netherlands between two hospitals to deliver emergency medicines, blood, and other time-sensitive samples. The drones will be flying between the Isala Diaconessenhuis Meppel hospital and the Isala Ziekenhuis hospital.
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SkySensus has announced that it has been chosen for Canada’s RPAS traffic management trial to commercialize beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones for future use. The trial will take place in partnership with UTM provider Unifly.
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North Dakota has taken the next step in integrating drones into everyday life with Vantis, a statewide BVLOS network for commercial drone research. This latest announcement adds to the hard work North Dakota has put into its commercial drone network.
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North Dakota’s statewide BVLOS network has begun the initial stages of implementing infrastructure at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS). The milestone means North Dakota is one step closer to beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights.
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California-based drone delivery company Volansi has just had its VOLY C10 drone accepted for testing and use-case development for North Dakota’s statewide beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) network. The VOLY C10 will allow testing of installed hardware for the BVLOS network.
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Avidrone Aerospace has chosen Iris Automation to be its detect and avoid (DAA) provider, allowing for safer beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights. The partnership will allow Avidrone Aerospace’s customers to take advantage of BVLOS drone flights.
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Asteria Aerospace is the first company in India to receive drone insurance for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations continuing to push India forward within the commercial drone space. The insurance was given by the state-owned General insurance company.
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A drone company in Canada has been granted a one-year permit for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights. Transport Canada is allowing In-flight data to use drones day or night, anywhere in Canada, providing the risk to public safety is low.
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Terra Drone has been granted the first commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) permit in Indonesia marking another first for the company. The company is now allowed to fly long-distance surveying, surveillance, and patrol missions.
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Altitude Angel has entered India partnering with Sagar Defence to provide beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights in a trial supported by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The trial will help India define its regulatory framework for UAVs.
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ANRA Technologies and partners, Swiggy, the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, and BetterDrones have been approved to begin beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone deliveries in India after the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted exemptions to the company.
The Federal Aviation Administration is a very conservative organization, and rules for commercial drones are strict. But the agency does have a mechanism for issuing waivers to these rules. And it appears that the FAA has finally issued its first COVID-19 drone waiver.
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Drones are already key components of the economy. Most uses must be within the line of sight of the operator however. The next phase will be expansion of flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for jobs like package delivery. Now there’s a new camera and AI system that could make new use cases much more practical.
Japan is reportedly planning to bring in a licensing system for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights in preparation for an increase in drones flying in the skies above delivering goods and assisting government agencies in day-to-day tasks.
