UK CAA authorises heliguy for BVLOS operations in atypical airspace

heliguy has obtained an Operational Authorisation to operate drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in an atypical air environment (AAE).

Permission from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) enables heliguy pilots to conduct remote drone-in-a-box operations with DJI Dock 2 and the original DJI Dock in non-segregated airspace. 

The approval is based upon BVLOS flights at Komatsu’s Smart Construction facility in the north of England. The company said they will use the authorisation as a blueprint to work with organisations to perform automated and remote dock operations on their behalf at site-specific locations within AAE environments across the UK. Each additional location will require CAA permission and will be subject to a thorough BVLOS implementation process conducted by heliguy – including site visit, risk assessment, drone-in-a-box installation, and using flight plans based on 3D models collected via VLOS flights.

Missions will be conducted by heliguy’s experienced pilot team using DJI FlightHub 2, from either the Remote Operations Control Centre at heliguy’s headquarters, or from the heliguy Drone Command Unit – a mobile control room that can be positioned at locations that have LTE/Data and a valid Starlink signal.

The waiver covers aerial photography, videography, mapping, and autonomous flight management, provided for the purposes of security, surveying, infrastructure inspections, search and rescue, and product demonstrations/evaluations.

Graham Hegarty, Regulatory Specialist at heliguy, said the company “aims to move towards full autonomy after a successful period of monitored operations, but this initial approval paves the way for future BVLOS operations.”