DGCA invites EoI for experimental BVLOS operations of remotely piloted aircraft
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from consortia of experts for “conducting experiments beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in India, leading to submission of proof of concept (PoC) for safe BVLOS operations”.
May 17, 2019: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) from consortia of experts for “conducting experiments beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in India, leading to submission of proof of concept (PoC) for safe BVLOS operations”.
The move is likely to pave the way for use of drones for e-commerce.
According to the note issued by joint DG G Rajasekar, the scope of this operation includes beyond visual line of sight RPA operation, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) traffic management system deployment, supplementary services for 3D maps, weather data, surveillance and telemetry data of manned and unmanned aircraft.
The DGCA note adds that “experimental BVLOS operations followed by submission of PoC should be completed before DGCA issues any regulations for BVLOS operations”. It further said: “Drones have traditionally been used for military applications and now are being increasingly used for commercial applications at low altitudes for purposes like photography, monitoring, surveying, mapping, precision agriculture, delivery, search and rescue, disaster relief and public safety. However, the true economic and social potential of UAS technology can be harnessed by enabling BVLOS operations.”