A Zipline P1 drone flies over the city of Muhanga, Rwanda. [Courtesy: Zipline]
Key Takeaways:
Zipline completed the first drone delivery flight in the U.S. operating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) without human visual observers (VOs).
This milestone was achieved through an FAA waiver, allowing Zipline's onboard acoustic detect and avoid (DAA) system to replace VOs, significantly enabling the scaling of drone delivery operations.
The FAA's approval, alongside similar waivers for other firms, indicates a broader shift towards establishing permanent BVLOS rules and streamlining future drone operation authorizations.
Zipline's DAA technology is currently involved in a patent infringement lawsuit, and the expansion of BVLOS operations raises future airspace management concerns, such as potential conflicts with urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft.
If a delivery drone flies and nobody is there to see it, did it really fly?
Trick question—the FAA requires commercial drone operators to station humans on the ground, called visual observers (VOs), to keep an eye on every flight. So, the aircraft technically aren’t allowed to fly where no one sees them.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
