Featured post
January 21 2021
Understanding the New FAA Rule on Remote IdentificationOn December 28, 2020, the FAA released 800 pages of new drone regulations spread across two rules. The rules were officially published on January 15, 2021. The first rule requires drones to remotely identify themselves (beginning in September 2023); the second enables operations at night and, in more limited cases, over people (beginning later this year).
On December 28, 2020, the FAA released 800 pages of new drone regulations spread across two rules. The rules were officially published on January 15, 2021. The first rule requires drones to remotely identify themselves (beginning in September 2023); the second enables operations at night and, in more limited cases, over people (beginning later this year).
Skydio is working to bring about “the age of AI-driven autonomy,” where drones are no longer powered by manual operations but are defined by software and AI with native obstacle avoidance. Manually piloted drones are so easily crashed, they require a hefty investment in qualified pilots and visual observers, as well as pilot training to try to lower the risk of pilot error that would lead to loss of equipment, property damage, or worse.
Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao has appointed Adam Bry, the Co-Founder and CEO of Skydio, to serve a two-year term on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Drone Advisory Committee (DAC).
It is an honor to be invited to build upon the great work of the FAA, local municipal governments, and a host of other leading companies in the drone industry, to support pilot programs that can help evolve the regulatory environment for all unmanned aviation.
We at Skydio have been thrilled and honored at the warm welcome the drone industry has shown us. From consumers and reviewers generating amazing footage, to first responders protecting their communities, to enterprise users conducting operations more safely than ever before, to working with the FAA to unlock the potential of unmanned aviation, every interaction with the drone market has underscored the incredible value of autonomy.
Celebrating another first-of-a-kind regulatory achievement that allows the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to fly Skydio drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) to inspect bridges with unparalleled safety and efficiency. This waiver marks a new era in unmanned flight. Until now, the FAA had required the use of visual observers (VOs) for operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).
The FAA has granted the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) a first-of-its-kind, state-wide approval to fly Skydio drones beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) to inspect bridges. The FAA has enabled NCDOT to conduct BVLOS activities without the use of visual observers or expensive technology designed to detect manned aircraft.
Every public safety agency can apply to conduct the game-changing Tactical Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations that Skydio pioneered in partnership with the Chula Vista Police Department (CVPD). This news means that appropriately authorized public safety agencies nationwide can send drones into areas that are too dangerous to send people.
The Chula Vista Police Department’s new Close Proximity, Low Altitude (CPLA) waiver to enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions in emergency situations. This waiver is the result of months of collaboration on patrol drone operations, ground risk reduction, and policy innovation between the CVPD, the San Diego UAS Integration Pilot Program, and Skydio.
