AirData has detailed how Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) uses its drone fleet management platform to automate regulatory compliance and support the expansion of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Read more >>
PG&E provides natural gas and electricity across a 70,000-square-mile service area in California and uses drones for infrastructure inspections, including operations in areas with a high threat of wildfire. As one of the first utility providers to receive an FAA BVLOS waiver, the company faces extensive requirements for documenting aircraft activity, flight personnel, and maintenance.
To address these requirements, PG&E has configured AirData to automatically synchronize flight logs from its enterprise Skydio and DJI aircraft. The platform displays flight paths, flight participants, wind conditions, and flight advisories, while supporting the capture of flight data required for PG&E’s compliance records. Customizable checklists provide additional documentation, while AirData’s Standard Flight Report and Enterprise API support the export of flight records.
Aircraft maintenance is another significant component of PG&E’s BVLOS authorization. The waiver requires detailed aircraft service histories, maintenance in accordance with manufacturer instructions and recommendations, and documented functional flight tests following each maintenance service. PG&E uses AirData to automatically track aircraft flight counts and flight hours, configure maintenance schedules based on manufacturer recommendations, and set alerts for upcoming servicing. Supporting documentation can be uploaded against individual service events and retrieved when required for regulatory review.
Consolidating these workflows within AirData has allowed PG&E to replace previously fragmented processes with automated flight data collection, centralized maintenance records, and more streamlined compliance reporting. The full AirData case study examines how automated flight logging, maintenance tracking, and centralized reporting are helping PG&E manage the operational and regulatory demands of its expanding drone program.
Read the full AirData case study to explore PG&E’s approach to automating BVLOS compliance.
