Iris Automation Gets First BVLOS Waiver In South Africa
Iris Automation announced that customer United Drone Holdings (UDH) has been granted the first BVLOS flight approval by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to conduct long-range commercial flights with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
The SACAA's approval for the flight was granted based on the utilization of the Iris Automation Casia onboard detect-and-avoid system, which was demonstrated during live flight operations that included the Casia system making automated maneuvers to avoid collisions with manned aircraft. The approval from the SACAA requires no visual observers or ground-based radars, enabling BVLOS flights with only two crew members.
Iris Automation unlocks commercial drone operations by enabling Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to fly BVLOS. The Iris Automation Casia system is a plug-and-play turnkey solution that detects, tracks and classifies other aircraft and makes intelligent decisions about the threat they may pose to the drone. It then triggers automated maneuvers to avoid collisions, and alerts the pilot on the ground in command of the mission. The industry-leading collision avoidance system helps drones see and react to the world in the same way pilots do.
South Africathe United StatesAlexander Harmsen
UDH utilizes drones to conduct long-range infrastructure inspection, mapping and surveillance for customers throughout South Africa. The company also provides certified training, SACAA-approved operations, equipment supply and hosts one of Africa's largest drone conferences.
Sean Reitz
Source: Press Release
