L3Harris Technologies has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as a member of a new Advisory and Rulemaking Committee, or ARC. The committee will help the agency develop a regulatory path for routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Operations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS).
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson announced the new committee at the FAA UAS Symposium earlier this year. The UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight ARC will “consider the safety, security and environmental needs, as well as the societal benefits of these operations,” said Dickson during his announcement.
The main tasks of the committee will be to identify safety and environmental considerations for BVLOS UAS operations, and the committee—including two designated L3Harris members—will play a key role in the development of potential regulatory framework for the FAA to oversee the integration of the UAS operations.
The committee is comprised of a variety of aviation and drone stakeholders, including state, local, tribal, territorial community representatives; privacy, noise and environmental experts; UAS operators, manufacturers, and technology industry representatives; traditional aviation representatives; and security stakeholders. L3Harris has been a trusted partner of the FAA for more than three decades, working together with the FAA to help deliver NextGen program initiatives. L3Harris committee members are Jon Standley, Strategy & Business Development Lead, and Robert Gettler, Advanced UAS Solutions Architect.
“For years, our developments have helped create more efficient airways, reduce flight delays and better manage air traffic and fuel costs,” stated Jim Eck, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development at L3Harris. “Jon and Robert bring a wealth of UAS knowledge to the ARC to help solidify a scalable path forward for BVLOS operations in the NAS. I look forward to their contributions.”
L3Harris has supported and powered true BVLOS operations since FAA Pathfinder in 2016. The L3Harris UAS network, along with other commercial UAS solutions, enable the integration of UAS into the NAS for BVLOS Operations that save time, money and lives.
Jon and Robert were selected in large part due to their combined decades of conventional Part 61 pilot experience, Part 107 remote pilot in BVLOS operations, air traffic management and NAS operations, and aerospace industry experience. “The knowledge of what it takes to operate safely in the national airspace system will be critical to recommend regulations encouraging open, non-proprietary solutions that are safe, scalable, and economically viable,” stated Jim Eck, Vice President for Strategy and Business Development.
“We look forward to participating in the committee and continuing our support for BVLOS operations.”