At AUVSI's Drone and AAM Policy Symposium, FAA, NASA, and industry representatives discuss the technology and standards needed to support routine BVLOS operations. As the industry awaits the FAA's proposed Part 108 rule for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, a key challenge remains: how to ensure drones can reliably detect and avoid other aircraft. At the … [Read more...] about Why There’s Still No One-Size-Fits-All Solution for Drone Collision Avoidance
BVLOS
FAA Grants First Authorization for BVLOS Drone Operations Over Gulf
Skyways will fly its autonomous V2 aircraft from a Shell facility in Louisiana to an offshore platform. The flight will combine a pipeline inspection with a simulated equipment delivery. On November 9, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration said it had issued an authorization for a drone to fly beyond the operator's visual line of sight from the U.S. coastline over the … [Read more...] about FAA Grants First Authorization for BVLOS Drone Operations Over Gulf
Satellite Connectivity for Drones Moves Closer to Commercial Scale
New agreement advances the commercial infrastructure needed to deliver and manage satellite communications for drones and advanced air mobility Galaxy 1 Communications and Viasat have announced a new agreement to expand commercial support for Viasat’s Velaris satellite communications platform. The agreement follows two years of joint development, integration, and testing. The … [Read more...] about Satellite Connectivity for Drones Moves Closer to Commercial Scale
Purdue’s Windracers ULTRA First Flyer in Indiana Drone Corridor
The heavy-lift aircraft flew more than 50 miles during the corridor's opening event at Terre Haute. Purdue will make it available to test emergency supply drops for flood-affected communities. Windracers announced on November 2, 2026 that a Windracers ULTRA autonomous aircraft owned by Purdue University was the first autonomous aircraft to complete a beyond visual line of … [Read more...] about Purdue’s Windracers ULTRA First Flyer in Indiana Drone Corridor
Defense-Proven Drone Technology Moves Into the Commercial Market
Utopia Compression brings AI-based passive sensing, navigation and autonomy solutions developed for defense applications to BVLOS, counter-UAS and other commercial drone operations By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Utopia Compression, an advanced technology company with more than two decades of experience providing services to the defense sector, is looking to branch … [Read more...] about Defense-Proven Drone Technology Moves Into the Commercial Market
