Phoenix Air Unmanned Granted Nationwide Exemption from BVLOS Power Line Inspections
DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
The Federal Aviation Administration Phoenix Air Unmanned, LLC (PAU) Regional exemption to allow flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) to perform utility power line inspections. This approval applies nationwide and is based on thousands of miles of flight experience with BVLOS power line inspections.
“PAU is thrilled to offer scalable BVLOS UAS inspection services to utilities nationwide. Our past track record and commitment to aviation safety have led to this complex approval,” said Managing Director of PAU. said William Lovett. “We have flown his 13,000-plus mile inspection for Xcel Energy under FAA BVLOS exemption and can now extend the same service to all utilities across the United States.”
This authorization allows the PAU to operate beyond the remote pilot’s line of sight and fly over people and moving vehicles. This exemption relies on a safety case that incorporates electronic airspace surveillance, defined operational areas, and performance standards to ensure operational safety.
“Many of the BVLOS exemptions issued require visual observers throughout the flight route, adding cost and complexity. The authorization cites electronic airspace surveillance as an alternative risk mitigation measure. To build our operations, we have selected key partners with a proven track record of reliability and aviation experience,” said William Wheeler, Director of Operations, PAU. “For electronic airspace surveillance, PAU relies on the IRIS terminal developed by Kongsberg Geospatial. The IRIS terminal provides UAS operators with real-time BVLOS airspace visibility. and by displaying the trails of cooperating and non-cooperating aircraft all through the same glass window within our mobile monitoring stations.”
” Freefly Systems The Alta X is the perfect aerial platform, with payload mounts that can be adapted to include a Phase One camera or LiDAR. With Alta X he has more than 10,000 miles of power line inspection experience and the reliability of the system goes a long way in proving safety to regulators,” he continues Wheeler.
The company’s flight crew steers the Freefly Alta X over the centerline of power lines, navigating between structures and capturing data sets, including high-resolution inspection images. In June 2021, one of his PAU flight teams collected 134.4 miles of power line inspection images in his one day, conducted under the same BVLOS exemption. This enhances the scalability of his BVLOS transmission line inspections utilizing UAS.
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Ian attended Dominican University in California and graduated with a BA in English in 2019. With his lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and keen interest in technology, he now contributes to his DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. With her 3,000+ articles focused on the commercial drone space, Miriam is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and high tech she has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing of new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, please email Miriam.
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