Soaring Eagle Technologies, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone data collection company servicing infrastructure owners across the continental U.S., has obtained one of the first BVLOS Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waivers to fly small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) commercial inspection missions under operational guidelines versus specific operations in restrained geographical areas.
The newest BVLOS approval is nationwide and based on meeting operational parameters, not restricted to specific areas during specific time limits. This waiver allows Soaring Eagle Technologies clients to collect data such as high-resolution images or LiDAR more quickly and safely than with manned aviation.
The most recent FAA approval for flying BVLOS for commercial missions allows asset managers to partner with Soaring Eagle Technologies to inspect electric utility corridors and other critical infrastructure and collect information on the condition of assets or vegetation with greater efficiency and return on investment. This waiver enables commercial and industrial clients as well as utilities and other critical infrastructure managers to inspect large geographical areas, ranging from 800-3000 acres in a day for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or photogrammetry, with a high degree of granularity.
The long-range BVLOS inspection is used to conduct vegetation and other audits as well as for detailed mapping over large geographical areas, all currently carried out by foot or via flying manned aircraft. BVLOS is a more competitive alternative for mapping large areas, including surveying land for large construction projects such as solar fields, electrical utility construction, and large-footprint buildings. BVLOS is also used for controlled burn overwatch, right-of-way audits, farming and agriculture, as well as other vast distance applications.
Soaring Eagle Technologies has previously obtained approval to inspect up to 61 linear miles, one of the longest distances approved by the FAA for such commercial infrastructure and transmission and distribution inspections. The remote pilot-in-command (RPIC) missions leverage Iris Automation's advanced detect-and-avoid technology (DAA) system, Casia, the safety component that allows the long-range BVLOS flights. The FAA issues BVLOS waivers based on the proven safety standards and track record of the pilots and management.
