Echodyne announced the integration of its EchoFlight radar into the American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI) AiRanger aircraft, which recently obtained a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for commercial Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) flight operations. This waiver allows AATI to utilize the onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) system to adhere to aircraft right-of-way rules during BVLOS operations, marking the AiRanger as the first unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to meet industry consensus standards for the DAA system.
This milestone represents a significant achievement for the unmanned aviation industry, reflecting years of collaborative efforts among various technology partners and regulatory bodies to introduce a next-generation BVLOS aircraft into commercial operation safely. The rigorous evaluation process involved regulatory agencies assessing new, emerging technologies previously outside their purview.
The AiRanger aircraft’s sophisticated aviation navigation technologies, integrated into a singular system for the first time, underscore the scale of this achievement. The AiRanger leverages advanced technologies to support a range of remotely piloted concepts of operation, including human on the loop, human in the loop (semi-autonomous), and human out of the loop (fully autonomous) operations.
The FAA approval grants AATI’s AiRanger, a 220-pound aircraft capable of flying for 12 hours and covering up to 750 miles at altitudes of up to 12,000 feet MSL, permission to conduct commercial operations at medium altitudes under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) beyond the pilot’s line of sight and without airborne or ground observers. The AiRanger’s primary application will be critical infrastructure patrol, threat detection, and reporting, focusing on pipeline surveillance. This operation is crucial for safeguarding pipeline integrity and safety, ensuring prompt response to potential hazards or leaks.
“With the granting of the FAA waiver, it showcases how this entire process has been truly a multi-party collaborative endeavor and AATI is grateful to Echodyne for their steadfast and exceptional support throughout the multi-year effort,” said David Yoel, CEO at American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. “Echodyne’s EchoFlight radar provides unparalleled data fidelity and precision, and this first-of-its-kind waiver is evidence of radar’s role in providing the situational awareness necessary for successful detect-and-avoid systems.”
“As all stakeholders in the unmanned aviation industry are aware, it takes a village to develop such a complex aviation navigation system that receives regulatory approval,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO at Echodyne. “The integration of our EchoFlight radar into the AiRanger is one critical piece of many in the puzzle to create the safety case for BVLOS flight operation. We’re ecstatic to share in this milestone industry moment and are proud to see the value of radar realized in the commercialization of BVLOS operations.”
The successful collaboration of multiple stakeholders underscores the pivotal role of radar in enabling the commercialization of such aircraft operations. Radar provides essential situational awareness data to search, detect, and track airspace volumes for both cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft. EchoFlight, integrated into pods on each wing of the AiRanger aircraft, delivers the necessary visibility to meet minimum operational performance standards (MOPS). The detection and tracking ranges offered by EchoFlight furnish the DAA system with ample time and information to implement avoidance measures and maintain operational safety.
Image Credit- Echodyne
