CHALLENGE B
Y THE TIME YOU READ THIS, THE FAA may well have issued its notice of proposed rulemaking for the long-awaited Part 108 of the federal aviation regulations govern-
ing beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) in the National Airspace System (NAS). Enabling UAS operations beyond the sight of their remote pilots will remove a key barrier preventing this sector of aviation from reaching its full potential. While VAI supports the full integration of UASs into
the NAS, the association argues that to be successful, that integration must preserve—if not improve—the current level of safety in the NAS. While not a certainty, the proposed regulations are expected to embrace key recommendations made in the 2022 final report of the UAS BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). Over the past two years, VAI has voiced concerns about several of the ARC’s recommendations, primarily in the areas of airspace segregation, deconfliction, and right- of-way when it comes to manned and unmanned aircraft sharing the same low-altitude airspace.
The Push for BVLOS Operations The breadth and scope of the ARC’s recommenda- tions could outpace practical enabling technology, warns Chris Martino, VAI senior director of operations and international affairs. “Commercial UASs must be operated at a level of technical maturity that enables their safe and efficient integration into the airspace,” he says. “There is a push to get these things into the air, but preserving the current level of safety for the manned aircraft that are already in that airspace is essential.” The momentum that Martino refers to is great, in
part because BVLOS operations will be a turning point for enabling a dramatic expansion of commercial drone operations. “Success in aviation is closely tied to the operator’s ability to pursue economic efficiencies while keeping safety paramount,” says James Viola, VAI pres- ident and CEO. “Opening up BVLOS operations for UASs will enable more operators to do just that. Some VAI members are already leading the way by fielding mixed fleets containing both helicopters and UASs, with great results.” In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
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