The New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII) congratulates American Aerospace Technologies, Inc. (AATI) and Chevron Pipe Line Company (CPL), a Chevron Corporation subsidiary, for receiving a groundbreaking 91.113 Waiver and 44807 Exemption from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This waiver and exemption allow for routine commercial Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) unmanned aircraft critical infrastructure surveillance flights equipped with onboard detect-and-avoid capability in the San Joaquin Valley in California.
The NJIT (New Jersey Insititute of Technology)/NJII New Jersey Unmanned Aviation Systems Test Site (NJUASTS), along with additional supporting aviation related organizations, played a crucial supporting role in this achievement. The NJUASTS enabled AATI’s AiRanger™ integration and test research flights in New Jersey and the California San Joaquin Valley over several years through the establishment and utilization of multiple NJIT (New Jersey Institute of Technology) Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COA’s), as well as providing UAS Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) and Range Safety support personnel (RSO’s).
NJII’s support for American Aerospace included hundreds of research flights, spanning technology integration and validation, crew proficiency and training, and post-disaster reconnaissance and situational awareness flights. These flights operated within NJIT’s 850 square mile airspace ranges located in Cape May County, NJ, and a separate 3000 square mile airspace range in the California San Joaquin Valley. Various technologies were integrated, tested, and vetted during these flights, including Detect-and-Avoid systems (DAA), electro-optic payloads, RF/Satcom and cellular Command and Control systems (C2), and aircraft situational awareness lighting. Visual observers flew in NJ and Ca chase aircraft to maintain visual line of sight safety and compliance, with flights in the San Joaquin Valley often extending beyond 60 miles downrange from the mobile operations center (MOC).
During these flights, NJII provided two primary areas of expertise: UAS subject matter expertise and operational support. This included airspace planning, safety procedure generation and oversight, regulatory compliance oversight, and Range Safety Officer support, ensuring the safe execution of flight operations within the National Airspace. NJII’s support remained continuous throughout the COVID pandemic, with minor disruptions only due to travel bans.
The New Jersey Unmanned Aviation Systems Test Site was formally established by a grant from the State of New Jersey and operates since 2016 as the UAS management organization reporting to the New Jersey Innovation Institute Defense Division. NJII has contractually supported American Aerospace research and disaster response demonstration flights since the inception of NJUASTS, with the New Jersey Institute of Technology serving as the public proponent for all Part 91 flight activities.
To date, NJII/NJIT NJUASTS has secured approval for approximately 20 COAs and renewals, spanning more than 26,000 square miles of complex National Airspace. Our mission is the safe, efficient, and knowledge-based facilitation of unmanned research flight activities here in New Jersey as well as across the entire United States.
Congratulations again to AATI, Chevron, NJIT/NJII NJUASTS, as well as all supporting organizations involved in this historic milestone in the Unmanned Aviation Systems industry. Safe flights and prosperous futures to all involved!
Read the full Yahoo Finance article here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chevron-pipe-line-company-american-100000811.html
Learn more about NJII USASTS here: https://www.njii.com/uasts/
For any questions/inquiries feel free to reach out to the contact below:
Ed Celiano Executive Director
NJII (New Jersey Unmanned Aviation Systems Test Site)
edward.celiano@njii.com / 267-228-3163