FAA Allows Night Flights in North Dakota
The FAA is now permitting night flights in North Dakota of platforms like the eBee, shown here flying over Bismarck in May. Photo: AUVSI.
Today, the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site in North Dakota announced the Federal Aviation Administration has approved expanded operations in the area that will allow for night flight tests throughout the state.
The FAA authorized the new flights under a certification of authorization.
“The addition of night flying opens up the opportunities for industry partners to test sensor payloads in all lighting conditions,” says Robert Becklund, executive director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.
The night flight COA is in addition to the blanket COAs FAA-approved operators have that allow them to fly in the airspace under a 200-foot ceiling.
Currently, night flights are one of the sticking points for many of the entities that have submitted comments to the FAA on its proposed small UAS rule, which is due to be finalized around the new year. AUVSI submitted comments that stress a risk-based, technology-neutral approach to regulating SUAS in the national airspace.
In its comments, the association said, “The limitation on nighttime operations should be removed to align better with risk, as has been done in countries such as New Zealand. Many SUAS have lights that make them highly visible at night and operations in controlled settings make SUAS essential assets at night. For example, SUAS have been used in Australia to help fight wildfires at night when manned operations cannot continue.”
To read AUVSI’s comments in entirety, click here.
