Authorized To Fly Up To Five Kilometers From A Licensed Pilot Observer

In collaboration with drone engineering and consulting specialists AL Drones and geotechnology company Santiago & Cintra, senseFly has announced that the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has approved beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights to be carried out in Brazil for the first time in the country’s history, using UAS technology from senseFly.

senseFly’s UAS can now be used for future BVLOS missions conducted by Brazilian drone operators.

“This is a momentous step forward for BVLOS operations in Brazil, and a really exciting time for the country’s expanding commercial drone industry,” says Pierre-Alain Marchand, regulatory compliance manager, senseFly. “We’re delighted that our robust drones—offering the appropriate safety mechanisms and exceptional navigational performance needed for BVLOS—have played a part in this landmark achievement and are helping to define frameworks and regulations that will support the growth of future BVLOS operations.”

With this approval, senseFly’s UAS are the first and only in the country permitted to fly 400 feet in height with a five-kilometer (3-mile) radius from a licensed pilot or observer. Visual line of sight (VLOS) operations restrict the current use of UAS to a 500-meter radius.

senseFly notes that one of the major benefits of this authorization is that UAS operators can now navigate and map larger and more remote areas, which will expand the professional use of UAS in a diverse range of sectors, the company says. “We’re very proud to be the first company in Brazil to receive authorization to commercialize ANAC-certified drones for BVLOS flights,” says Eduardo Oliveira, president, Santiago & Cintra. “This approval is a major achievement for us and is something we have been working towards, in collaboration with senseFly and AL Drones, for a long time.”

"This is our biggest achievement to-date and is a testament to the extensive planning and hard work that went into receiving this approval. With correct planning, and communications with local air traffic control, BVLOS operations can be an incredibly efficient mapping tool,” said André Arruda, drone associate, AL Drones.

The BVLOS authorization comes almost two years after regulation RBAC-E94 was published in 2017. This regulation legislated the use of UAS for civil applications in Brazil.

That same year, senseFly became the first drone operator to be granted ‘anytime’ BVLOS authorization in Switzerland. The company’s UAS are also approved for BVLOS use in France, Spain, Denmark and China.

(Source: senseFly news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.sensefly.com