Canada has authorized the operation of drone swarms beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for fighting wildfires.
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Canadian drone service provider IN-FLIGHT Data is a Canadian SAIL 6 operator, holding three Guinness World Records for its drone flights. Now, IN-FLIGHT has earned a first-of-its-kind authorization for simultaneous drone operations up to 2,500 feet high, in Class F and Class G airspace, day or night.
The permission has been granted as wildfires continue to burn in the country, ravaging landscapes and threatening towns. Drones offer a safe and effective means of collecting data, providing critical information to firefighters.
Drone Swarms: SIMOPS
Drone swarms represent a huge opportunity for commercial drones. “Simultaneous drone operations, or SIMOPS, is a specific type of advanced drone operation, where an advanced pilot is able to control multiple aircraft from a single control station,” explains IN-FLIGHT Data. SIMOPS is an efficient way to operate routine missions, shifting the return on investment for enterprise drone programs.
Transport Canada has not yet released a rule on low-risk BVLOS operations: the proposed regulations are currently in the public comment phase.
“Transport Canada’s long-term goal is to safely integrate drones into Canadian skies. This is similar to other ICAO countries who are developing similar transportation innovation, such as the US, European Union, Australia and New Zealand. These technologies, such as remote traffic management and SIMOPS, marks a new type of innovation and efficiency in aviation in Canada,” says IN-FLIGHT Data.
Read more:
- Draganfly Drones Will Help Put Out Canada’s Wildfires
- Two Innovative Canadian Drone Companies Join Forces to Fight Kelowna Wildfires
- Canada’s First BVLOS Approval Without Visual Observers
- AirMatrix, IN-FLIGHT Complete SAIL 4, BVLOS Drone Ops Over Urban Areas: Pushing the Boundaries of Complex Missions
- BVLOS Flight in Canada: Volatus Granted SFOC to Fly Across the Country
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker
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[…] Drones have become an increasingly important part of firefighter’s arsenals, providing unparalleled up-to-date real time information on blazes, which have grown more frequent and damaging as a result of climate change. Last year, Dronelife reported on Canadian efforts to use swarms of BVLOS drones to battle wildfires there. […]