BVLOS Drone Operations: The Next Frontier in Commercial UAV

Under current FAA Part 107 rules, commercial drone operators must maintain visual line of sight (VLOS) with their aircraft at all times. This requirement limits the range of drone operations to roughly 1–2 miles from the operator — a significant constraint for applications like pipeline inspection, corridor mapping, and large-area surveys.

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations remove this constraint. A drone operating BVLOS can fly tens or hundreds of miles from the operator, opening up applications that are impossible under standard VLOS rules.

Pipelines, transmission lines, roads, and railways extend for hundreds of miles. Mapping these corridors under VLOS rules requires repositioning the operator every mile or two — a logistically complex and expensive operation.

BVLOS allows a single operator to fly a drone along an entire corridor without repositioning, dramatically reducing the cost and complexity of corridor mapping.

Agricultural operations often cover tens of thousands of acres. Under VLOS rules, surveying a 50,000-acre ranch requires dozens of flight operations from multiple locations. BVLOS would allow continuous flights covering the entire operation from a single launch point.

Inspecting thousands of miles of pipeline, transmission line, or railroad track under VLOS rules requires enormous field crew resources. BVLOS inspection can cover the same distance with a fraction of the personnel.

The commercial drone delivery applications being developed by Amazon, Wing, and others all require BVLOS operations. Delivery drones need to fly from distribution centers to customer locations — distances that far exceed VLOS range.

Currently, BVLOS operations require an FAA waiver under Part 107. These waivers require operators to demonstrate that the proposed operation can be conducted safely — typically through a detailed safety case that addresses detect-and-avoid, communication, and contingency procedures.

BVLOS waivers are difficult to obtain and have historically been granted only to operators with sophisticated safety systems and extensive operational experience.

Some commercial drone operators have obtained Part 135 air carrier certification, which provides a pathway to BVLOS operations under a different regulatory framework. Part 135 certification requires significantly more rigorous safety management systems than Part 107.

The FAA's BEYOND program is a research initiative that has been testing BVLOS operations in controlled environments to develop the data and standards needed for broader BVLOS authorization.

Safe BVLOS operations require technology that compensates for the loss of the operator's visual awareness:

A BVLOS drone must be able to detect other aircraft and avoid collisions without the operator's visual input. DAA systems use radar, ADS-B receivers, and computer vision to detect traffic and automatically maneuver to avoid conflicts.

BVLOS operations require reliable command and control links over long distances. Cellular networks, satellite communications, and dedicated radio systems are all used for BVLOS C2.

The FAA's Remote ID rule (effective September 2023) requires drones to broadcast identification and location information. Remote ID is a prerequisite for BVLOS operations, as it allows air traffic control and other aircraft to identify and track drones.

The FAA has signaled its intent to enable routine BVLOS operations through a combination of:

• Performance-based standards — defining what safety performance is required rather than prescribing specific technology
• Type certification — certifying specific drone models for BVLOS operations
• Operational approval — streamlining the approval process for operators with demonstrated safety records

Industry analysts expect routine BVLOS operations to become available within the next 2–5 years, initially in low-risk environments (rural areas, over water) and expanding to more complex environments as the safety record develops.

When BVLOS becomes routinely available, it will transform the economics of large-area drone mapping. Operations that currently require multiple field crews and days of flying will be achievable with a single operator and a single flight.

The cost per acre of drone mapping will decrease significantly, making drone surveys economically viable for applications that are currently too expensive — large agricultural operations, long infrastructure corridors, and remote terrain.

BVLOS is the next major evolution in commercial drone operations. The technology is ready; the regulatory framework is developing. For operators and clients who rely on drone mapping for large-scale applications, BVLOS will be transformative.

Contact Blackridge Geospatial to discuss how current and future drone capabilities can support your large-scale mapping requirements.