Beyond Visual Line of Sight — BVLOS — is the single most transformative capability in commercial UAS operations. The ability to fly a drone beyond the pilot’s unaided visual range opens entire categories of work that are economically impractical under standard visual operations: long linear infrastructure inspection, large-scale agricultural survey, package delivery, emergency response coverage, and telecommunications network monitoring across vast geographic areas.
It’s also the most tightly regulated capability in the Part 107 framework, for good reason. Here’s what commercial pilots need to understand about BVLOS — where it stands today, how to pursue it, and what the near-term future looks like.
The Standard VLOS Requirement
Under standard Part 107, the Remote Pilot in Command must maintain Visual Line of Sight with the aircraft at all times — meaning unaided human visual contact (no binoculars, no FPV camera as a substitute). The aircraft must be close enough that the pilot can determine its attitude, altitude, and direction of flight.
This requirement exists because visual contact is the primary collision avoidance mechanism in the current regulatory framework. Without it, the pilot cannot see and avoid other aircraft, obstacles, or hazards that weren’t anticipated in pre-mission planning.
How BVLOS Operations Are Authorized Today
BVLOS operations require a Part 107 waiver from the FAA, applied through FAADroneZone. This is not a simple application. The FAA reviews BVLOS waiver requests against a detailed set of safety standards covering:
- Detect-and-avoid capability — how the aircraft detects and avoids other aircraft and obstacles without pilot visual input
- Command and control link reliability — how the operation maintains control in the event of signal degradation
- Contingency procedures — what happens when the plan doesn’t go as planned
- Operational area characterization — airspace class, traffic density, population density along the flight path
- Pilot and crew qualifications — relevant BVLOS experience and training
Waiver approvals for BVLOS are technically demanding, take months to process, and are most commonly granted for operations in low-traffic airspace with established detect-and-avoid solutions and thorough safety cases.
The Visual Observer Option
One practical near-BVLOS technique is the extended visual operations model using multiple Visual Observers (VOs) positioned along the flight path, each maintaining VLOS with the aircraft in their segment. The aircraft is technically never beyond visual line of sight of at least one VO, while covering distances beyond any single pilot’s visual range.
This is currently used for linear infrastructure inspection — transmission lines, pipelines, railroads — where the flight path is predictable and VO positioning is practical. It requires careful crew coordination, standardized communication, and clear handoff protocols between VOs.
Building Toward a BVLOS Authorization
The FAA evaluates BVLOS waiver applicants partly on their demonstrated operational experience. Pilots with extensive documented standard VLOS commercial operations, clean safety records, and evidence of systematic operational discipline are better positioned to make the safety case for BVLOS authorization than those without that foundation.
This means that the work you do today — logging missions systematically, maintaining clean airspace authorization records, documenting your risk management practices — is directly relevant to your future BVLOS capability.
Where the FAA Is Headed
The FAA has been developing a framework for routine BVLOS operations — a scalable pathway that doesn’t require individual waivers for every operation. The UAS Integration Pilot Program, the BEYOND program, and the advanced air mobility regulatory work all point toward a future where BVLOS operations in appropriate airspace and with appropriate technology will be accessible to commercial operators without the current waiver burden.
That future requires the industry to demonstrate safety — through data, through operational records, and through the professional standards that commercial pilots build into their operations right now.
FlightDeck’s structured flight logging, airspace analysis, and LAANC tracking build the operational record that supports advanced authorization applications. Every mission logged is a data point in the safety case for what you want to do next.
Download the free 30-day trial and start building the operational foundation that positions you for the next generation of commercial UAS capability.