FAA grants approval for DFR BVLOS operations up to 400 ft

Elk Grove Police Department in California has secured a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver enabling their Drone as First Responder (DFR) system to fly unrestricted, without a human observer, up to 400 feet across its entire jurisdiction. 

The FAA granted this beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waiver for the use of Flock Aerodome from Flock Safety. The multi-dock, multi-drone DFR system has an average response time of 85 seconds to calls for service.  

Flock Aerodome’s radar-based Detect and Avoid (DAA) system enables drones to fly, directed by a remote pilot, while self-mitigating potential collisions with aircraft and other hazards.

Flock Safety says the BVLOS waiver expands DFR operations by permitting flights twice as high as those permitted in any previous BVLOS waivers for an entire jurisdiction. Among other benefits, a drone at 400 feet has four times the field of view as one at 200 feet. 

The Flock Aerodome system has completed thousands of flights across the United States, with Elk Grove Police recently reaching the 1000-flight milestone.

For more information

Flock Safety

Image: Elk Grove Police Department

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