Information-technology and avionics company Rockwell Collins has completed nine months of test flights on an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which could be used with railway lines.
The UAS performs Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) long linear operations that can be used to improve railway safety and efficiency by conducting track inspections. The test flights were conducted with BNSF Railway at the railway’s Clovis, New Mexico, operational subdivision.
BNSF flew the UAS using a control-radio data link network after the Federal Aviation Administration authorized the railway to fly without visual observers
Rockwell Collins’ data link, CNPC-1000, had been flown on other flights, but this is the first UAS flight. The technology has not been approved by the Federal Communications Commission.
“The use of UAS has enormous potential for industries that need to monitor and inspect critical infrastructure, particularly in BVLOS scenarios like railroads, pipelines and power lines,” Ken Schreder, vice president of Strategic Programs, Information Management Services at Rockwell Collins, said. “Rockwell Collins’ avionics and communications capabilities combined with our aviation network and rail industry experience make us uniquely positioned to provide these types of solutions. Ultimately, our goal is to offer a service that will enable companies to reap the benefits of connected UAS in their business operations.”