The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved drones to be flown 30 miles outside visual range of operators at the Northern Plains unmanned aircraft systems test site for the next two years.
Under the new certificate of authorization, large UAS will no longer require a “chase” plane accompaniment, allowing General Atomics to begin taking its flights further as of August 20. Proponents say that this will advance the development, testing, and evaluation of new UAS applications.
“This authorization continues to build North Dakota’s competitive edge when it comes to UAS development, testing, and research and is an important factor in General Atomic’s decision to more than triple its presence at Grand Sky,” U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) said. “In 2016, the Northern Plains Test Site became the first place in the nation with authorization to fly large UAS beyond line of sight by relying on a ground-based system to ensure flight safety. The test site has now demonstrated that this system is safe enough to eliminate the need for a manned plane to observe the UAS flight.”
Hoeven has lobbied for the advancement in UAS allowances for some time now. Acting FAA Administrator Dan Elwell granted the COA clearance.
As of today, the Senate is also expected to consider extending authorization for UAS test sites like Northern Plains into 2024.