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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the recent Category 2 and Category 3 Declaration of Compliance (DOC) for the Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc. (AVSS) PRS-M3DT, a drone parachute for the DJI Dock 2.
Operators can now legally fly over people by equipping the DJI M3D or DJI M3TD, (the drone platforms for the Dock 2), with the AVSS PRS-M3DT. This can be carried out without needing to submit an FAA 107.39 flight over people waiver.
This DOC is reportedly the first approved Category 2 drone by the FAA. The DOC approval also includes higher wind limitations for the DJI Dock 2 when operating under Category 3 conditions. AVSS leveraged its previously approved FAA Means of Compliance (MOC) for this DOC approval.
Category 2 and Category 3 delineate performance-based eligibility and operational criteria for conducting drone operations over individuals using unmanned aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds, without an airworthiness certificate under part 21.
Category 2 enables sustained flight over open-air gatherings, while Category 3 imposes additional safety limitations.
Under Category 3, drone operations over groups of people are not allowed unless the flight occurs in closed or restricted-access areas where people have been informed about potential drone activity. Drones may also fly over individuals directly involved in the operation or those protected by structures or stationary vehicles.
Mariah Murray, V.P. of Operations of AVSS, commented; “After several years of working to receive approval for the MOC with key partners and the recent completion of ASTM F3322 and ASTM F3389 for the DJI Dock 2, these Category 2 and Category 3 Declaration of Compliance approvals by the FAA is a major milestone for AVSS.
“The work for the MOC and DOC required our team to adapt and innovate to ensure our drone parachute product lines could enable flight over people in the USA. With these DOC in hand, AVSS looks forward to bringing more drones to the DOC approval list, including the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise, Skydio X10, and Brinc Responder.”
