3 Businesses that Rely Upon Complex UAS Operations Explain Why BVLOS Drone Flight is Critical for the Industry to Succeed

At the AUVSI New England UAS and AAM Summit this morning, a panel representing three drone industry players that rely upon complex UAS operations explained why flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) is critical to the success of the drone industry.

Continue reading below, or listen:

Before an audience of regulators, researchers, and industry stakeholders in UAS and AAM, 3 panelists openly discussed their business models: and talked realistically about the challenges that arise from being among the front runners in an emerging industry.

Rob Knochenhauer is the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Censys Technologies, a fixed wing, long-endurance aircraft.  Censys has emerged as a leader in the field in part due to the fact that they offer their clients the support required to get BVLOS waivers – to date, with a 100% success rate.  Their effots have meant that Censys clients can utilize the capabilities of the drone: but the process still limits the company’s ability to scale at speed and operate at the limits of their technical capabilities.

While for a small drone like a Mavic, flying within visual line of sight might mean a distance of about a half mile, the 7 foot wingspan of the Censys aircraft can be seen for about a mile.  To meet the requirements of FAA BVLOS waivers, Censys has integrated the Iris Automation CASIA Detect and Avoid system on the aircraft.  Additionally, Rob says, the Command and Control (C2) link becomes a critical consideration for longer distance operations.  “We’ve recently implemented a solution that uses cellular connection,” he explains. “Theoretically, that could go an unlimited distance.  Right now, we’re getting permissions for our clients to fly 10 miles: in the future, it will be further.”

One of the biggest hurdles to making complex UAS operations commercially viable right now, Rob explains, is the need for visual observers – having people stationed along a route to keep eyes on the aircraft.  There has been progress on this issue: this year, regulators offered more waivers for “shielded operations.”  Shielded operations are those that take place near buildings or physical infrastructure that would pose a hazard for manned aircraft: the idea is that since manned aircraft cannot fly directly next to a structure, the risk of collision between manned and unmanned aircraft is greatly reduced.  Waivers for shielded operations have offered some stakeholders the opportunity to fly BVLOS without visual observers.

Dr. Susan Roberts is the VP Strategy and Business Development at Ondas Holdings, the parent company of drone in a box (DIAB) solutions American Robotics and Airobotics.   DIAB solutions are designed to be operated remotely, often embedded permanently or long term at a location.  That has allowed them to take a different approach to getting their products into use.

American Robotics has embedded a detect and avoid (DAA) solution into their offering, Susan explained. That DAA system has enabled a nationwide waiver for use without visual observers.  The system uses sophisticated acoustics technology to detect obstacles: but it must be tuned to the specific location in order to be optimally effective.  Since the American Robotics solution is permanently or semi-permanently place, the company can take the time to tune the DAA as required.

With Airobotics, however, the company simply decided that the business would be better served by doing business outside of the United States.  Airobotics has been deployed in different countries including throughout the city of Dubai, where they have been able to reduce emergency response time for public safety calls from 15 minutes to 1 minute.  Airobotics has used their deployments outside of the US to gather the safety data that has enabled a recent Type Certification for the Airobotics solution.

“We’re beginning to enter the Americas,” says Susan.  “Type certification gives us the leverage to get easier waivers – but we still believe that those waivers are going to be a barrier to entry.”

Suzanne Herring is the CEO of AviSight, a drone services provider specializing in long linear inspections.  The company has received a 100 mile BVLOS waiver without visual observers to survey a pipeline that goes through multiple states.  But technical challenges prevent AviSight from being able to take full practical advantage of the 100 mile waiver, and from being able to replicate it at scale.  AviSight flies Harris Aerial’s H6 Carriers with alternative fuel: the drone carries an Iris Automation CASIA 360 DAA system.

Not only does the waiver exclude about 8 miles for Bravo airspace, “there just isn’t an aircraft that can fly the entire route without about 5 stops,” says Suzanne.  “Our challenge is in getting the technology to allow us to realize all of the benefits that the waiver provides.”

In addition to technology limitations, following the pipeline in the terrain that begins in West Virginia can make it difficult to match all of the DAA constraints in the waiver.  AviSight is continuing to work with regulators to mitigate some of the requirements and expand the technology options available.

As a business, however, balancing what the mission will cost AviSight to execute with what the customer will pay is of paramount importance.  “I know we can offer better data, more quickly,” says Suzanne. “But I’m an accountant.  I need this to make sense.”

Asked by an audience member whether drone business are yet at a point of profitability, Suzanne says yes.  “I refuse to be in the red,” she says.  “We are making money.  But as a DSP, [profitability] is going to be based on volume.  It’s about how many miles I can fly.  There is money there now – there is going to be more money 5 years from now, 10 years from now.”

Ondas Holdings says that the time to deployment – dramatically impacted by the regulatory hurdles –  is a major issue for growth.  In an emerging industry like drone technology, Susan Roberts says, “You need an innovative and patient customer.  You can usually get one or the other, but you don’t get both.  We’ve seen customers and investor groups come and go as they wait for regulations.”

All stakeholders agree that prompt passage of the 2023 FAA Reauthorization package, with the timelines for a BVLOS rulemaking defined in the version passed by the House of Representatives, would help industry growth.  “A 5 year authorization will help the FAA move forward without worrying about the whiplash of what’s going to happen next,” says Susan.  “Removing regulatory hurdles is still the number one impediment to the industry.”

Read more:

• An Open Conversation with the FAA: Remote ID, BVLOS Rulemaking Date, and More
• FAA Grants Phoenix Air Unmanned Waiver for BVLOS Flight with Swiss Drones Uncrewed Helicopter
• Part 108 and BVLOS Flight; When Will it Happen, and What Will it Look Like? From Law-Tech Connect, at the Energy Drones and Robotics Summit
• FAA Reauthorization Clears the House of Representatives: Package Calls for More Progress on BVLOS Flight, Drone Integration