This 191lb drone has been approved by the FAA to operate beyond (the operator's) visual line-of-sight (BVLOS).
It will be used primarily for pipeline and power line survey and inspection. According to this article, this is the largest drone approved for BVLOS operation.
There are significant restrictions on where it is allowed to operate BVLOS. From the article:
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The article mentions many other operators are seeking to operate BVLOS, I'm guessing they will want fewer restrictions.
Be careful out there. Mutual see-and-avoid for VFR ops is not the universal expectation today. Obviously, if the drone operator can't see the drone, he can't see aircraft that may be a conflict for the drone.
It will be used primarily for pipeline and power line survey and inspection. According to this article, this is the largest drone approved for BVLOS operation.
There are significant restrictions on where it is allowed to operate BVLOS. From the article:
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- In Class G airspace;
- In sparsely populated areas;
- Over pre-planned flight paths designed to avoid any known obstacles;
- Over linear infrastructure with right-of-way, except for takeoff and landing; and
- Within 100 feet above and 20 feet right or left of the centerline of the infrastructure that is being inspected
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The article mentions many other operators are seeking to operate BVLOS, I'm guessing they will want fewer restrictions.
Be careful out there. Mutual see-and-avoid for VFR ops is not the universal expectation today. Obviously, if the drone operator can't see the drone, he can't see aircraft that may be a conflict for the drone.
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