Contact Information:
ISight Drone Services
Tommy Kenville
218-779-9950
Tommy@isightdrones.com
www.isightdrones.com

Release Date:
August 8, 2024

[ISIGHT RECEIVES WAIVER TO FLY BEYOND VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT]

ISight Drone Services, a leading drone services company headquartered in Grand Forks North Dakota, with the Vantis Network (made up of Northern Plains UAS Test Site, and Thales and MITRE professionals) announce that ISight Drone Services has received a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) waiver through the FAA’s Near-Term Approval Process (NTAP), enabling ISight to conduct BVLOS flight operations using Vantis, North Dakota’s first-of-its-kind detect and avoid UAS system.

The NTAP assures enhanced reliability and quicker approval pathways that ensure efficient operations up to 400 feet. Being one of the first recipients of the NTAP waiver is a huge milestone for ISight.

“BVLOS flight has been the holy grail for commercial drone activity, and with this waiver we see the opportunity to expand our flight operations throughout the state and make a major impact not only in geographic and technological scope but in safety and reliability too,” said Tommy Kenville, CEO of ISight Drone Services.

With the ability to conduct BVLOS flight operations, ISight is ready to expand its services and applications, including critical energy infrastructure inspections, precision agriculture and position the company to explore Advanced Air Mobility, or delivery of goods or services via drone.

The Vantis system has been critical in securing this waiver. Vantis is the State’s advanced detect and avoid solution allowing full beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flights, meaning UAS can go farther and into areas otherwise impossible to fly safely due to dangerous conditions or lack of direct ground support.

“Requiring commercial UAS operators to bring their own infrastructure is costly, time-consuming, and doesn’t scale,” said Erin Roesler, Deputy Executive Director for Vantis. “Vantis is the solution: a shared-use suite of services to support repeatable and scalable UAS operations.”