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This is an exciting opportunity for ANRA Technologies to contribute to and shape the future of unmanned aircraft integration into the United States’ National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA is establishing this new committee of external stakeholders to make recommendations to the agency for regulatory requirements to enable routine BVLOS UAS operations. Participation on this ARC is invitation-only. 

In June 2016, the FAA issued Part 107 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR part 107). This rule set forth requirements for routine operation of small unmanned aircraft in the NAS. It requires operators to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate, but does not include requirements for UAS design, manufacturing, or production. Instead, it limits small unmanned aircraft operations to certain areas (e.g., at or below 400 feet in class G airspace) and conditions (e.g. operations within visual line-of-sight), with the intent to prevent UAS from interfering with other aircraft in flight or posing an undue hazard to people or property on the ground. This rule was a critical step toward normalizing low risk VLOS small UAS operations in the US..

UAS capability to fly BVLOS is what offers the most economic and societal benefits. The FAA’s existing regulatory framework must change to better support the long term viability and sustainability of this evolving aviation sector. 

The UAS BVLOS ARC will provide recommendations to the FAA for performance-based regulatory requirements to normalize safe, scalable, economically viable, and environmentally advantageous UAS BVLOS operations that are not under positive air traffic control (ATC). This ARC will take a holistic approach in recommending a performance based, technology agnostic regulatory framework for BVLOS operations.

ANRA looks forward to helping shape the regulation on BVLOS with our fellow stakeholders and the FAA.

More general information on ARCs and other types of Committees can be found here.