To win approval to fly commercial UAS flights requires data, maps and analysis. Over the last 5 years Stratsoft has developed this capability for over 25 FAA BVLOS approvals and many more internal business cases.

As infrastructure managers switch to UAS services so they need to obtain authorization for UAS operations from within their own organizations (service cost estimates, business cases, safety due diligence etc.) and other authorities (FAA, other flight path jurisdictions and populations).Using data sources, data unification methods and analysis algorithms that Stratsoft has already developed and proven for these uses we can provide the data needed to support these authorizations. Both infrastructure managers and their UAS operators use these datasets together to facilitate flight preparation.

Unlike plane flights that need mostly departure and arrival information, commercial UAS flights need comprehensive overflight data for the whole distance of the flight. Stratsoft establishes a database, analysis and output (Maps and Statistics) specifically to meet UAS needs. Initially data sourcing, development, conditioning and unification is developed in these main categories;

  1. Inspection Targets: regions and assets that are to be inspected. Third party data to supplement and cross-check data from the asset owner. In our experience the asset owner often does not have data on its own assets that are sufficiently comprehensive and accurate for UAS flight planning.
  2. Hazard: all structures that are not to be inspected that could be a flight hazard (topology, towers, buildings, powerlines, trees, high land etc.). Stratsoft has originated algorithms that use LiDAR and other data to establish elevation (most public data sources are patchy and insufficiently accurate) and to build a “canopy” data layer that identifies high points for all structures along the UAS flight route.
  3. Habitation and human traffic: population and other human-related data inside the flight path that may affect flight preparation, potentially including busy roads, airports and other human concentrations and structures. Stratsoft methods to quantify these data that have been used many times for Federal flight authorizations.
  4. Boundary and regulatory. Jurisdiction, political, and district boundaries, “No Fly” zones, distance from locales (e.g. 500 Ft. from Class 1 highways) are all data sets that Stratsoft has used for UAS flight preparation and authorizations.
  5. Notification and outreach: The UAS operator and its customer can be required to identify and notify the multiple communities that may be affected by UAS flights. Data on community buildings, First Responder structures, privately-owned buildings are examples of data needed to provide notification and community outreach.
  6. Multi-customer opportunities. Commercial UAS operators can gain economies by using the same UAS flight for multiple different opportunities. For example, a drone inspection for a weather-damage insurance claim could also include inspection of adjacent towers. Stratsoft has developed this type of aerial inspection database to allow the UAS operator to maximize the utility of its flights.

Stratsoft data and analysis is “submission ready” for UAS flight approvals. The resulting data contains the most up to date and comprehensive data with analysis and output that has been accepted and approved by regulatory authorities and company review boards.