No Visual Observers Or Case Approvals Required

Ohio-based drone manufacturer and commercial delivery service provider DEXA has gained FAA approval for BVLOS, or beyond visual line of sight, operations nationwide, eliminating the company’s need for visual ground observers as well as the requirement for approvals on a case-by-case basis.

DEXA designs and manufactures its own aircraft and software, and this waiver gives DEXA approval for national deliveries alongside others including Amazon Prime Air, Wing, and Zipline.

The BVLOS waiver is the third FAA approval in DEXA’s toolbox in addition to an airworthiness certificate for its DE-2020 delivery aircraft as well as a Part 135 Air Carrier certification that enables drone deliveries. Its DE-2020 is also on the S-1 List of approved UASes with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Taken together the three certifications are considered the essential elements for legal operation of a fully autonomous, scalable drone delivery service in the country.

Beth Flippo, CEO of DEXA said, “Operationally, we built a strong safety case through our certification as an FAA Part 135 Air Carrier, demonstrating safe and consistent operations. Our approach included comprehensive risk mitigation, robust ground-based surveillance and procedural separation, and scalable fleet management practices.”

“DEXA achieved these milestones and started operations with just $15 million in funding. In contrast, other drone delivery companies had to raise hundreds of millions or needed the backing of massive parent companies,” she added.

Customers can receive deliveries to a live location without an actual street address. This is due to DEXA’s geolocation technology similar to rideshare apps like Lyft or Uber, which programs drones to fly directly to the recipient’s location whether it’s in a rural area, city park, or even a back yard.

DEXA has a direct-to-consumer delivery app called DEXA NOW that allows a customer to order groceries, medications, pet supplies, or other items for rapid delivery. The service has a $6 monthly subscription fee.

FMI:  droneexpress.com/