Drone technology company PrecisionHawk is releasing its final Pathfinder Report today, which provides a blueprint for conducting beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) UAS operations. The fieldwork was performed in partnership with the U.S. FAA and Mitre under the Pathfinder Program. The report outlines a comprehensive safety case and standards to fly drones BVLOS.

“The final report determined there are three necessary components for BVLOS flight operations: detection, safety, and drone operator training,” said Dr. Allison Ferguson, director of airspace research at PrecisionHawk. “Technology must be integrated to identify cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft, pilots must be aware of existing airspace classes, temporary flight restrictions, and no-fly zones, and pilots must receive BVLOS-specific training to ensure a safety ecosystem around BVLOS drone flight.”

To date, more than 1,200 BVLOS waiver applications have been submitted to the FAA by commercial drone operators, 99 percent of which have failed to demonstrate an acceptable level of safety. Under its own BVLOS waiver, PrecisionHawk has already begun working with enterprise clients to integrate BVLOS operations that address applications, such as pipeline inspection and environmental monitoring. “The ability to fly drones BVLOS represents the next big opportunity for commercial drone operators across such industries as energy, agriculture, insurance, construction and government, and with the proper assistive technology, training, and hardware, BVLOS operations can be conducted safely,” said PrecisionHawk CEO Michael Chasen.