Permission to operate a drone beyond the visual line of sight of the pilot (BVLOS) is critical for the drone industry to scale. The distance a pilot can operate within visual line of sight depends upon factors including the size of the drone and the altitude: it could be as limited as 500 feet or as far as a mile or more for larger aircraft. For many applications, including inspection of linear infrastructure like power lines or railroads, or drone delivery, BVLOS flight is critical. The FAA has granted waivers for BVLOS flight, but frequently required operators to place visual observers along the route of the mission to ensure that someone involved in the operation – even if it isn’t the pilot – kept the drone in sight.
The requirement for visual observers has made many BVLOS operations at scale economically unfeasible. Now, the FAA is beginning to allow BVLOS operations without VOs. For Flytrex, building a business model around residential drone delivery of fast food in the U.S. suburbs, the authorization sets the stage for the company to grow: expanding the range of customers eligible for delivery exponentially.
“Flytrex has undergone years of rigorous testing to verify that its drone delivery service maintains the highest safety standards, and this milestone is the latest acknowledgement of those efforts,” says the company announcement. “In January of this year, Flytrex operator CAU received its part 135 certification, which allowed Flytrex to expand its drone delivery service nationwide – offering food, drinks, and other goods to the more than 82 million eligible front and backyards across the U.S.”
“We take extreme pride in our partnership with Causey Aviation Unmanned and look forward to expanding our joint operations with this highly sought-after authorization from the FAA,” said Yariv Bash, CEO and Co-Founder of Flytrex. “This BVLOS approval not only validates the strength of our drone delivery service, but also sets a precedent for profitable, expanded operations in the industry. As the DoorDash of the sky, we are always striving to offer safer, more efficient, and cost-effective alternatives to traditional delivery methods – BVLOS operations allow us to do just that, on a massive scale.”
Flytrex has continued to develop their offering, since beginning delivery services in North Carolina in 2021, when DRONELIFE was able to watch delivery of a Starbucks order (not a drop spilled.) Flytrex recently announced their Autonomous Pickup capability, which allows for a fully autonomous delivery process: a fast and easy experience for customers.
“This approval represents a landmark moment for the drone industry. We are grateful to the FAA in helping advance the regulatory framework allowing us to define the next chapter in drone delivery and encourage wider drone adoption throughout the world,” said Jeff Causey, Founder and CEO of Causey Aviation Unmanned. “We are excited to continue our partnership with Flytrex, a company that has helped elevate our service to new heights and enable drone delivery at scale.”
Read more:
- Fully Automated Drone Delivery: Flytrex Partners with National Restaurant Chains for Ultrafast Food
- Flytrex, Causey Aviation Unmanned Win Part 135 Air Carrier Certification for Long-Range, On-Demand Commercial Drone Delivery
- FAA Grants Approval for Flytrex to Double Drone Delivery Range
- FAA Authorizes Zipline for Drone Delivery Beyond Visual Line of Sight
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
Subscribe to DroneLife here.