With more and more industries relying on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capabilities for their operations today - and many more expected to in the years ahead - the UAS industry broadly agrees that enabling routine operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) is critical for high-value drone uses.

However, updates to existing regulatory frameworks will need to be made before the drone industry can fully take advantage of opportunities, such as small package delivery and infrastructure inspections, in a way that is repeatable, scalable, and economically viable. 

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and its members have been consistently calling for federal regulations regarding advanced UAS operations, including policies and regulations to enable BVLOS operations.

To that end, AUVSI was pleased with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson’s announcement of a BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to develop a regulatory pathway. Announced during Episode III of the UAS Symposium – Remotely Piloted Edition, a virtual event co-hosted by FAA and AUVSI, proposed membership for the BLVOS ARC includes AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne and representatives from several AUVSI member organizations.

Together, these committee members will consider airspace security needs as well as the societal benefits of complex drone operations and the importance of maintaining U.S. competitiveness in airspace industries.

AUVSI supports UAS regulations that are performance-based, enabling much-needed flexibility for emerging technologies, and that are developed through collaboration with industry stakeholders.

We look forward to working closely with the FAA to demonstrate the value of routine BVLOS operations, bring safe solutions forward, and support the development of outcomes-based standards.

As a goal for the ARC, AUVSI will not only work towards recommendations for a new rulemaking, but also encourage the FAA to use existing authorities to enable low-altitude, close-proximity BVLOS operations in the interim period.