Iprosurv, a leading UK aerial survey, inspection, mapping and maintenance provider, that uses drones for much of its work, has secured Beyond Visual Line of Sight authorisation from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for its network of remote operators.
Standard aviation regulations state that drones must remain within the pilot’s sight at all times during flight which has limited distances to around 500m, but Iprosurv’s new authorisation allows its remote operators to fly drones up to 2km from the launch site, with no direct line of sight required. This special permission issued by the CAA has so far been granted to less than 1 percent of the nation’s commercial drone operators.
Commenting on this development, Iprosurv co-founder and CEO, Rebecca Jones, said, “We are delighted that the CAA has recognised the high level of training, safety and monitoring that takes place across our network of remote operators and has seen fit to provide us with these new permissions.”
She continued, “This is a major step forward in the capabilities of drones, especially with the early assessment of disaster areas, assisting the emergency services and in the survey of inaccessible buildings.” Adding: “These exemptions allow us to stream footage and data direct to the client’s desktop even before a site has been physically visited.”
Currently, when faced with a large survey area, operators often have to end a flight once the limits of line of site have been reached, then drive to the next launch area and start the process all over again. Iprosurv says its new level of functionality will allow insurers, property managers and the emergency services to view an entire area and assess and triage the situation in real time.
Jones concluded, “Drones have always had the potential to change the way we respond to disasters or large-scale surveys but having the ability to remain in the air for longer, going further distances, and relaying real time data back to the client, is a huge leap forward.”
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(News Source: https://www.commercialdroneprofessional.com)