Iris Automation Launches Canada Pathfinder Program to Encourage Commercial Drone Operations at Rapid Pace

Iris Automation has launched the Canada Pathfinder Program as it recognizes the challenges organizations face when advancing commercial drone services to perform long-distance and remotely piloted missions. The program is all inclusive solution to streamline the complex steps required to achieve BVLOS approvals and experience.

Iris Automation has partnered with Canada's leading RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) test facilities for support, training to prove BVLOS flight competency. This is named as Foremost UAS Test Range in Alberta and UAS Center of Excellence (CED) in Alma, Quebec.

The program includes assistance gaining BVLOS approvals, flight training, a BVLOS safety system, test center access, and engineering and regulatory support. The program is accessible to any organizations that are interested in operating BVLOS services within Canada.

The benefits of this program are discussed below—
A base of pre-requisites is required to achieve BVLOS advanced operations approvals from Transport Canada (TC).
Expedited issuance of TC Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for BVLOS flights within test centers will be an added advantage.
Team training and standard procedures would be provided on how to perform safe BVLOS operations.
The BVLOS flight experience will be needed to apply for subsequent SFOC approvals.

On the above news, William De Keiser, Director of the Cluster of Excellence, CED mentions that there is an incredible interest in utilizing commercial drone operations. Joining Iris Automation through this program will aid many companies to embrace the potential of drone operations. As a pioneer in the civil and commercial RPAS industry, the program will continue to develop technologies and skills for drone operations. The program will also help with speeding up the approvals and operations with the advent of safe and well-integrated BVLOS flights in Canadian airspace.

In addition to it, Gabrielle Wain, vice president of regulatory affairs at Iris Automation mentions that specifically Transport Canada and the RPAS test sites in Canada have demonstrated the implausible opportunities that will flourish solutions for the advanced commercial drones. The program is set in a way to bring the expertise required to local markets and help jumpstart the efforts for organizations keen to get started.

Transport Canada provided the second Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights in October. This will be in uncontrolled airspace that will utilize infrastructure masking and Iris Automation's onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution to MVT Geo-solutions.

The UAS Center of Excellence (CED Alma) and Iris Automation are joining together under SFOC and MVT to conduct commercial missions in Alma, Quebec. Approval was given to include the utilization of Iris Automation's DAA system, Casia. It provides commercial drones with automated collision avoidance maneuvers. Iris Automation before handily participates in the Federal Aviation Administration's BEYOND program to advance more complex UAS operations BVLOS in the US National Airspace System.

About Iris Automation

Iris Automation is a safety avionics technology company. It pioneers Detect-and-Avoid (DAA) systems and aviation policy services that facilitate customers to build scalable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations for commercial drones. With this, operations will also be unlocking the potential of a myriad of industries. DAA system of Iris functions entirely with onboard Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). It allows them to fly safely at long distances and without any human intervention.