Vigilant Aerospace Systems participated with Oklahoma State University (OSU) in the first beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone flights authorized under a new, unique FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) allowing flights in a 13-mile long corridor in central Oklahoma. The COA, released by the FAA on 6 December 2018, allows the university to waive rules requiring drone operators to keep their aircraft continuously in line-of-sight. There are currently only 29 similar commercial BVLOS authorizations. The COA allows the university and partners like Vigilant Aerospace to pioneer new unmanned flight and safety systems that enable long linear inspection operations and remote surveying flights. These linear flights are required for pipeline, utility, road and bridge inspections and for monitoring remote assets like oil and gas wells and farm and ranch operations.
