The FAA has granted the New York UAS Test Site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York approval to fly UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) within the first segment of New York's 50-Mile Unmanned Aircraft System Corridor, which is currently under development.

Considered the first “true” BVLOS authority granted to the FAA-designated test site, the approval will allow UAS testing to be conducted without the need for ground-based observers.

“This Federal designation is an incredible milestone for New York State and will ensure that Central New York and the Mohawk Valley regions remain the global hub for Unmanned Aircraft System advancement and integration for generations to come,” says New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

To date, Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) and the New York UAS Test Site have flown more than 2,500 test flights; all of which required multiple people in the field to have a visual line of sight for the aircraft.

With this “true” BVLOS flight approval, those observers will no longer be required in the field thanks to NUAIR and the Test Site demonstrating to the FAA that they can safely conduct BVLOS operations thanks to a combination of the proper safety measures and technologies.  

“The ability to fly with this new authority will help develop and advance many aspects of an air traffic management system for unmanned aircraft,” says NUAIR CEO Michael Hertzendorf.

“In order for us to fully employ, operate and unlock the true potential of unmanned systems and achieve a reality where drones are conducting routine missions such as inspecting power lines, protecting critical infrastructure, or delivering medical supplies, we need to ensure the proper safety elements are in place. This authority greatly enhances our ability to test towards that end state.”

The designation process for the BVLOS testing took approximately 14 months. NUAIR and the New York UAS Test Site received the approval by showcasing the high-tech equipment and safety technologies that have been established, as well as the flight data from the 2,500-plus UAS test flights that they have conducted since 2015, when operations began.