An aerial data gathering firm has received Canada’s first approval to regularly fly small drones beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) of an operator, Unmanned Systems Canada said on February 24. Ventus Geospatial, of Lethbridge and Calgary, Alberta, will conduct flights under BVLOS conditions at the Foremost unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) range in that province, according to the announcement.
Ventus Geospatial is a geomatics firm that uses drones to collect geospatial data that companies use to manage mines, pipelines, roads and other infrastructure, land tracts and buildings. It will operate the Aeryon SkyRanger quadcopter built by Aeryon Labs of Waterloo, Ontario, as well as the Bramor fixed-wing drone produced by C-Astral Aerospace of Slovenia.
Unmanned Systems Canada, a not-for-profit association that represents the Canadian unmanned vehicle systems community, has assisted Ventus Geospatial. “This year we entered our second decade of working with Transport Canada on developing UAV regulations,” stated Mark Aruja, the association’s chairman. “We expect the approval shortly of several more applications for BVLOS operations, at various locations across Canada.”
In the U.S., the FAA in August granted data acquisition firm PrecisionHawk of Raleigh, N.C., a waiver to the agency's Part 107 regulation to conduct BVLOS drone flights for commercial purposes. PrecisionHawk is participating in a “Pathfinder” research effort the FAA announced in May 2015. Regular BVLOS drone operations await further regulatory guidance from the FAA.