On July 13 and 14, Microdrones completed a series of test flights that were beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS). These flights were completed with the standard configuration of RC, telemetry and batteries on the md4-1000 aircraft that is available and being sold today.
BVLOS flights are a significant achievement in the commercial drone industry. These flights require special permission and few companies have performed them.
BVLOS flight tests make an important contribution to advancing the industry by demonstrating the capabilities of these drones to perform tasks that require distance, such as delivery, corridor mapping, and infrastructure inspection.
The BVLOS Tests – and the Results
The first set of tests Microdrones completed were long-range tests over the Alma airport runway. The longest of these was three kilometers back and forth. The md4-1000 aircraft made the six-kilometer trip with battery life to spare.
The second set of tests consisted of altitude flight testing in which the drone climbed to a height of 850 meters.
“We are very excited about the results,” said Jocelyne Bois, Microdrones’ Flight Operations Manager. “All flights went well and we easily exceeded our intended flight lengths. Our goal was to test the remote control, telemetry and battery endurance for those distances. Both performed beautifully.”
Transport Canada granted permission for and attended Microdrones’ testing at the Unmanned Aerial System Centre for Excellence (UAS CE) in Alma. Last month, Microdrones’ popular md4-1000 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was added to TC’s exclusive list of Compliant Unmanned Air Vehicles.
According to Microdrones only seven other companies worldwide have this distinction.
Microdrones is a BVLOS Veteran
Microdrones is hardly a newcomer to BVLOS flying. A Microdrones UAV, flying with a custom configuration, flew more than 12-kilometers to cross the North Sea. This flight was repeated 32 times, with 2 different md4-1000 aircraft, establishing it as a viable option for delivering urgent medicines and other badly needed supplies in emergency situations.
Frank Schroth is editor in chief of DroneLife, the authoritative source for news and analysis on the drone industry: it’s people, products, trends, and events.
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[…] On July 13 and 14, Microdrones completed a series of test flights that were beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS). These flights were completed with the standard configuration of RC, telemetry and batteries on the md4-1000 aircraft that is available and being sold today. BVLOS flights are a significant achievement in the commercial […] The post Microdrones Completes 10 New BVLOS Test Flights appeared first on DRONELIFE. See Original Article […]