Drones

FAA Publicizes ARC for BVLOS Flight

At last week’s UAS Symposium, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson gave a keynote address outlining the FAA’s progress in deploying drone rules: Ops Over People, Ops Over Moving Vehicles, Remote ID. Dickson also had very good news about the next big step in drone regulation and announced a new ARC for the BVLOS flight.

The Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) is a collaboration between industry and regulators. It’s a model that may not be perfect, but has proven effective in defining new regulations: and it gives the drone industry a voice in creating critical regulations that will affect commercial operations. “… I am pleased to announce that the FAA is establishing a new Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to help the agency develop a regulatory pathway for routine out-of-sight operations. This committee will review the safety, security and environmental needs and societal benefits of these operations. The committee will submit a recommendation report to the FAA within six months, ”said Dickson.

“I think we all agree that this is a big step forward and will help pave the way for routine package delivery, infrastructure inspection and other more complex drone operations beyond the remote pilot’s line of sight.”

Iris Automation, developer of the Casia on-board detection and avoidance system, has announced that it will become a member of the ARC for the BVLOS flight.

More than the ARC for BVLOS Flight

The announcement was the latest indication that out-of-sight flights are high on the agency’s priority list. The FAA is also continuing the FAA UAS IPP or Integration Pilot Program with the new BEYOND program, which aims to help inform performance-based BVLOS flight rules.

Dickson said the BEYOND program “would advance and expand the scope of the repeatable and scalable Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations under the present day.”s rules. “

“… My role as the FAA administrator is to figure out how to adopt these new technologies while delivering the unwavering security commitment that the public has come to expect from the FAA.”

“I like to say that safety is a journey, not a destination, and this journey requires all of us to constantly learn and grow as aviators. TheThat’s how we – all of us here – keep things safe … ”said Dickson.

“… The FAA is here to help, and we areWe will continue to work together as a community to go beyond that and make sure drones stay here forever. “

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