Phoenix Air Unmanned achieves single-day pipeline patrol milestone

Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU) has achieved a significant milestone by completing 320 miles of aerial pipeline patrol in just 7.6 flight hours using a single Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), according to the company.

The pipeline patrol was conducted for Shell Pipeline Company (SPLC), and the achievement surpasses a project goal of proving that 300 linear miles of pipeline can be effectively patrolled by UAS in a single flight day, the company said in a statement. Conducted under PAU’s nationwide beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) regulatory approval, these flights represent a leap forward in critical infrastructure inspection and scalable UAS operations capability, it said.

Such BVLOS pipeline patrols are conducted under a PAU certificate of waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing BVLOS flights without the need for visual observers along the route. The US-wide waiver permits multiple unmanned aircraft operations across various critical infrastructure types, including pipelines, electric utilities, railroads, and canals.

Since 2019, PAU has completed over 16,000 miles of linear infrastructure inspection under multiple authorisations. Following successful operations and thorough safety assessments by the FAA, a new waiver was granted last year for scalable and repeatable BVLOS operations. PAU said it views this milestone as a step toward standardised regulatory approvals, supporting the FAA’s validation of UAS technology, safety, and public benefit.

“Many FAA authorisations are site-specific or limited in scope due to restrictive criteria. We built upon years of BVLOS operations and proposed a viable alternative to traditional pipeline patrol methods,” said Will Wheeler, Director of Operations of Phoenix Air Unmanned. “This authorisation solidifies the business case for routine UAS inspections required for regulatory compliance, as we achieved a substantial increase in assets patrolled beyond visual line of sight with UAS.”

PAU safely executed these UAS operations through extensive safety risk analysis and by securing FAA regulatory approvals. Mission planning ensured the flights remained within designated rights of way across southern Louisiana.

PAU utilised the Event 38 E455 UAS for 16 BVLOS flights, coordinating with SPLC and aviation operations, the company said. The fixed-wing, vertical takeoff and landing UAS, weighing under 55 pounds, carried a high-resolution camera with a live video feed. PAU logged 7.72 hours and 332.4 miles of flight, including right-of-way transit and functional check flights.