In-Flight Data has been awarded three Guinness World Records for UAS flights it recently conducted as part of a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) project in collaboration with senseFly.

Through the project, In-Flight Data conducted the longest cumulative BVLOS battery-powered UAS flight, covering 2,723.04 kilometers; the longest cumulative urban flight for a BVLOS civilian UAS (small class – up to 25 kilograms), covering 414 kilometers; and the longest single urban flight for a BVLOS civilian UAS (small class – up to 25 kilograms), covering 40 kilometers.

The Guinness World Records were awarded specifically for BVLOS flights conducted by In-Flight Data in Calgary, Alberta, as the company was commissioned by the City of Calgary to collect mapping data for the development of Calgary’s first new cemetery since 1940.

As a result, In-Flight Data, along with senseFly, completed North America’s first urban BVLOS UAS project in a major urban area, using a senseFly eBee Plus fixed-wing UAS to successfully conduct a 257-mile BVLOS flight, at an average distance of 1.46 miles from the pilot.

“The success of this groundbreaking project was a real milestone for us and the wider UAS industry, and we are over the moon to now become GUINNESS WORLD RECORD holders,” says Chris Healy, owner of In-Flight Data.

“Not only did we demonstrate that BVLOS operations can be carried out in urban environments, thanks to the senseFly drones and the other airspace intelligence technologies built into their eMotion software that made it possible, we were also able to show that BVLOS is a safe, efficient and cost-effective tool that has the potential to revolutionize both rural and urban commercial drone operations.”

BVLOS operations helped In-Flight Data’s team navigate challenging ground access restrictions at the site, while reducing the environmental impact of the cemetery project, ensuring there was minimal disruption to local wildlife.

Once the project was complete, the data was delivered to the City of Calgary and is currently being used to support the development of the new graveyard site. The data will also be used to help drive future innovation in High River, Alberta, Canada, and the city of Calgary as a whole.

“The City of Calgary is working to make city-owned land like Ralph Klein Park and the Southeast Cemetery, in this case, more accessible for the testing of technological innovation,” says Monique Nesset, Smart City Lead with The City of Calgary.

“This can help support increased economic diversification and jobs for Calgarians.”