The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the first beyond-sight drone flight. As part of a joint program with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a drone was flown over an oil pipeline to test beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights. In-sight flights can only travel under two miles, depending on visibility and drone size, whereas BVLOS flights can travel much further. In this case, the drones were flying in formation at about 10,000 feet above ground level when they encountered some turbulence caused by wind shear that prevented them from seeing each other.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the first beyond-sight drone flight. As part of a joint program with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a drone was flown over an oil pipeline to test beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights. In-sight flights can only travel under two miles, depending on visibility and drone size, whereas BVLOS flights can travel much further. The development is a big advance for large retailers like Amazon, which are seeking to make deliveries via drones, but the University of Alaska Fairbanks has prioritised the technology for medical supply delivery and pipeline surveillance.