Soaring Eagle Technologies Granted New BVLOS Waiver for Commercial Inspection Missions

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) drone data collection company Soaring Eagle Technologies has received one of the first BVLOS Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waivers authorizing the deployment of small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) commercial inspection missions following operational guidelines, as opposed to specific operations in limited geographical areas. The new nationwide approval is based on meeting operational parameters, rather than being restricted to certain areas within specific time limits. Clients of Soaring Eagle Technologies will now be able to gather data such as high-resolution images or LiDAR with greater speed and security than would be possible using manned aviation.

The new FAA approval enables asset managers to partner with Soaring Eagle Technologies for the inspection of infrastructure and the gathering of information on assets or vegetation conditions with increased performance and cost-effectiveness. The waiver permits commercial and industrial clients alongside utilities and infrastructure managers to conduct inspections of 800-3000 acre areas within a day for light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or photogrammetry, with a high degree of granularity.

These long-range BVLOS inspections are utilized to carry out vegetation and other audits and complete detailed mapping of large areas more efficiently than by foot or manned aircraft. BVLOS is also deployed for controlled burn overwatch, right-of-way audits, farming and agriculture, and other large distance use cases.

“This is big news for clients needing more efficient, reliable, greener and safer inspections of large geographic areas and critical infrastructure. The advanced technology is long-awaited for uses ranging from transmission and distribution, engineering and construction,and other critical infrastructure as well as for post-disaster assessments to recover power promptly and safely,” said Noah Ruiz, Chief Pilot for Soaring Eagle Technologies and recipient of the waiver. “There is high demand for the BVLOS inspection missions this waiver allows to conduct in one flight. Soaring Eagle has completed over 60 BVLOS missions across the country under SGI (special government interest) waivers, more than any other competitor. We currently have the capability to patrol up to 100 miles per day with each BVLOS sUAS in our fleet. This allows us to provide a cleaner and safer alternative to using fossil fuels. Asset owners can potentially save up to 30% when conducting BVLOS inspections compared to using manned aircraft—helicopters and airplanes—to do the same work.”

Prior to this new waiver, Soaring Eagle Technologies had received approval to inspect a maximum range of 61 linear miles, one of the largest distances approved by the FAA for commercial infrastructure and transmission and distribution inspections. The remote pilot-in-command (RPIC) missions make use of Casia, Iris Automation’s advanced detect-and-avoid technology (DAA) system and the safety component enabling the BVLOS flights. BVLOS waivers are distributed by the FAA on the basis of the proven safety standards of the pilots and management.

Read more about Soaring Eagle and BVLOS flight:

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.