Sphere Drones Secures BVLOS Area Approval to Advance Commercial Drone Use in Australia

The approval by CASA marks a significant step for Sphere Drones in enhancing drone operations nationwide.

Sphere Drones has received a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Area Approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for operations near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. This pivotal approval enables the company to demonstrate its BVLOS drone operations extensively and further develop its innovative HubX platform.

According to the company, this regulatory milestone will play a critical role in accelerating commercial drone adoption across Australia. Industry projections suggest a significant increase in drone flights, expected to reach 60 million annually by 2043.

Paris Cockinos, CEO of Sphere Drones, expressed his pride in the team’s accomplishments, stating, “We’re proud of the dedication and effort the team has invested in regulatory and licensing work over the past few years, as well as their success in developing HubX to a stage where it met the requirements to gain approval. It’s truly a testament to our team’s focus and hard work.”

The BVLOS approval grants Sphere Drones the capability to operate drones across designated areas without the need for on-site spotters or observers, which are typically required for extended visual line of sight (EVLOS) and visual line of sight (VLOS) operations. This is made possible through the capabilities of HubX, a self-sustaining, rugged, and off-grid enabled mobile drone platform.

Elliot Cummins, Chief Remote Pilot at Sphere Drones, highlighted the significance of this achievement, stating, “It’s a big step to obtain your first BVLOS approval which includes extensive processes and procedures to prove safety and sufficiency in your technology solutions and redundancies. It’s fantastic news for us as a business, our clients and the wider industry. We’re proud to have achieved this approval, it’s the first of many to come.”

This approval not only enhances operational capabilities but also facilitates the permanent establishment of a demonstration site and comprehensive testing to showcase Sphere Drones’ technological and operational expertise.

The milestone represents a broader impact on Drone-in-a-Box solutions across the Australian industry, with Sphere Drones leading advancements in safety, efficiency, and innovation. The company is also planning to integrate a Remote Operations Centre (ROC) into their BVLOS operations by the end of 2024.

For further information on BVLOS and the capabilities of the HubX platform, interested parties can visit the Sphere Drones website and view their recent webinar on remote drone operations.

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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry.  Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.

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