FAA Issues UAS Waiver Within 24 Hours

An oil and gas company was granted a waiver by the FAA in under 24 hours to fly a drone beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), according to DroneDJ.   The global pandemic COVID-19 has led the FAA to loosen its restrictions on unmanned aircraft flying beyond visual line of sight.  Since 2016, only 53 BLVOS waivers have been issued, and none was granted so quickly.

This particular waiver, which expires June 30, 2020, is contingent on the effects of virus restrictions on the company’s ability to conduct remote inspection flights.  Long considered the holy grail for drone operations, BVLOS is key to most business uses envisioned for UASs.