BVLOS UAV Waiver Achieved for Infrastructure Consulting Firm

Censys Technologies has confirmed that it has achieved a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations waiver approval for Architecture, Engineering, Constructions, Operations, and Management (AECOM), thus maintaining the company’s 100% approval rate. AECOM provides architecture and design, construction management, engineering, and environmental services within the energy, healthcare, and government sectors. The AECOM waiver team is looking to leverage Censys Technologies’ industry knowledge and high approval rate as they continue to submit new waivers for future projects.

The AECOM team plans to utilize this waiver for a wide area mapping project launched by the Department of Defense (DoD). The area covered in the approved submission covers 19.22 square miles, and the waiver enables the remote pilot-in-command (RPIC) to fly within a 3.3 mile radius, providing seven times ROI (return on investment) per flight. This calculation is determined by comparing the area of circle with the radius of the visual line of sight (VLOS) ― which is a 1.25 mile radius ― to that of the radius listed in the approved waiver.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires pilots of commercial drones to maintain a visual line of sight at all times with any drone they are operating, unless they have secured a BVLOS waiver. The Censys Technologies team utilizes its industry expertise and proven technology to help get clients’ aircraft in the sky quickly and efficiently for advanced operations.

The team also leverages Censys Technologies’ advanced drone technology when drafting said waivers. The Censys Technologies’ Sentaero BVLOS drones have been seamlessly equipped with onboard detect-and-avoid technology with both the forward-facing electro-optical sensor and an ADS-B receiver. This technology allows pilots to be ahead of the curve when it comes to in-flight airspace deconfliction.

Created to fulfil the need for better efficiency, human factors, additional layers of risk mitigation, and the BVLOS Safety Case, the Censys Technologies’ Mobile Command Center was introduced to boost safety protocols across the board. Mentioning the Mobile Command Center has proven to be critical for Censys Technologies’ waiver team, as this technology demonstrates the knowledge and expertise necessary to secure an approval.

Matt Nanney, mobile technology and remote sensing manager at AECOM, commented: “With each approval, our waiver team becomes more confident about writing complex waivers. In terms of waivers, 2021 is the tip of the iceberg for us. I am looking forward to all the current and future possibilities this will bring to support our clients.”

John Lobdell, AECOM CTO and Waiver Team Lead highlighted the unique nature of the waiver: “This approved waiver pushes the boundaries. It gives the RPIC more mission capability in a large area compared to other waivers we have gotten approved.”