Canada plans to introduce in 2021 certification that would allow pilots to undertake beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) flights in isolated areas without the need for a waiver. This opens the possibility of more frequent, low cost inspection possibilities for transmission utilities with large stretches of line running through vast open areas or forest corridors.

Background

Transmission line inspections for vegetation management and other purposes are essential in ensuring grid reliability and resilience.  They are generally performed by manned helicopters or by a ground crew.  Data is collected with cameras and analyzed to detect diseased trees that could fall and hit a powerline (fall ins) or trees that were encroaching on power lines (grow ins).  These inspections are mandated by NERC in North America and are not optional.  Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drones (UAVs) and software analytics using machine learning has made it possible to approach completely automating this expensive process.  Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has estimated that the reduction in cost with using an automated UAS compared to a helicopter inspection is between 55% and 28%. Automating transmission line inspections for vegetation management using BVLOS drones not only saves money but also could improve the resiliency and reliability of the transmission grid.

There are other important use cases as well including precision agriculture, public safety for search and rescue missions and delivery services to remote and rural communities.

Currently, there are two levels of drone pilot certification in Canada – basic and advanced – which roughly correspond to the FAA’s Part 107 waivers in the US. New rules for commercially operating UAVs in the U.S. were published in 2017 by the FAA as Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.  For non-standard flights, such as BVLOS missions, Canada require operators to acquire a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) which requires operators to fly their drones beyond visual line-of-sight in isolated areas outside of concentrated population centres and not near restricted airspace such as airports.  In addition there are special provisions for drones with onboard detect-and-avoid (DAA) solution which allows them to fly safely without human intervention even in populated areas.  For example, in March 2020 first approval for BVLOS drone flights was granted in Canada for Iris Automation’s Onboard Detect-and-Avoid technology.

However, Canada plans to introduce in 2021 a tier of certification that would allow pilots to undertake BVLOS flights in low-risk conditions without need for a waiver. This opens possibilities for transmission utilities with large stretches of line running through vast open areas or forest corridors.

Proposed routine BVLOS flights without a waiver

In January 2019, Transport Canada (TC) published new RPAS regulations for operations within visual line of sight (VLOS), and these regulations permit BVLOS operations under low-risk conditions with the issuance of a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC). In April 2020 Transport Canada posted a new Notice of Proposed Amendment (NPA) to update Canadian regulations to allow for routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations in “Low Risk” environments. The proposed regulatory amendments would be the first of a series of steps towards allowing more routine BVLOS operations. These amendments will not address more complex and higher–risk BVLOS operations in populated areas. Higher risk BVLOS operations will be subject to a separate regulatory process at a later date.

This proposal aims to begin to unlock the potential for beyond visual line-of-sight operations in Canada. Specifically Transport Canada is proposing the following amendments for isolated areas.

• 250 g to 25 kg BVLOS operations in isolated areas; within 1km of an area with a population of more than 25 people per square km; over an area with a population density of more than 25 people per square km; and, in controlled airspace;
• 25 kg to 150 kg BVLOS operations in Isolated Areas, and within 1km of an area with a population of more than 25 people per square km; and,
• 150 kg to 650 kg BVLOS operations in Isolated Areas with a max altitude of 400 feet above ground level.