Flight executives from two California utilities,


both VAI members, that are currently conduct- ing BVLOS operations, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), recently participated in a VAI webinar, “Integrating UAS Aircraft into a Helicopter Operation.” SCE operates a fleet of 350 small UASs (sUASs, a class of aircraft weighing less than 55 lb.) and has more than 200 remote pilot employees, while PG&E flies 75 to 90 sUASs daily from its fleet of 200. The utilities use the aircraft for infrastructure


inspection and wildfire mitigation. Deconfliction issues that arise between each company’s mixed fleet of UASs and helicopters are handled in-house during preflight briefings or in the field with communication between company person- nel. PG&E partnered with Skydio in 2023 for its BVLOS operations. Skydio has developed a line of UASs equipped with technology that allows the aircraft to avoid obstacles as small as a half-inch wire. Kellen Kirk, PG&E manager for UAS and


fixed-wing operations, says his main concern is that other UAS operators will use the utility’s infrastructure, such as rights-of-way, for their own BVLOS operations. “I don’t think we’re at a point yet where they’ve [industry and the FAA]


figured out how to broadcast ADS-B In or Out from drones. There’s a gap that needs to be closed before people are flying drones along our rights-of-way.” No matter what is contained in Part 108, the


future low-altitude airspace is likely to be an even busier place. And once BVLOS operations are fully launched, VAI expects that more of its members will field mixed fleets of manned and unmanned aircraft, taking advantage of the UASs’ lower operating costs and ability to handle the dull, dirty, and dangerous missions. But when it comes to the question of how to solve the BVLOS challenge, VAI is adamant that the rules governing those operations must preserve, not downgrade, the current level of safety in an already immensely busy and highly complex airspace. “The aviation community must work together


to solve the challenges around BVLOS operations and build a future that allows us all to operate safely,” says Viola. “But we can’t create a sys- tem that gambles with the lives of pilots, crews, and passengers by placing them at the mercy of unmanned aircraft that have no duty to avoid other aircraft.” Mark Huber is an aviation journalist with more than two decades of experience in the vertical flight industry.


DEC 2024 POWER UP 47


BVLOS rules must


consider the needs of current low-altitude airspace users, which include many critical public-service missions, such as law enforcement, utility patrol and construction, search and rescue, and firefighting. (VAI/ Paul Smith Illustration)


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