Approved Flight Access to Airspace

Section 333 Application Process
COA Application Process

Black Swift Technologies has a team of engineers that are experts at navigating the intricate FAA regulatory environment for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Our team has applied for and successfully received permission to legally operate UAS in the National Airspace through over 150 different approvals.

The approvals Certificates of Authorization and Section 333 Exemptions span numerous states, a variety of airframes, and 10 years of operational experience with UAS. Before creating Black Swift Technologies, the founders started building their extensive experience at the University of Colorado ( http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2011-1525 ) .

Black Swift Technologies maintains a working relationship with the FAA's Unmanned Systems Program Office to ensure that we can effectively handle any unique regulatory challenge that may come up.

What FAA Regulations Apply to Me?

Section 333 Exemption Process

Commercial use of drones is not allowed under FAA regulations without a Section 333 Exemption from the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR).

The team at Black Swift Technologies and its Approved Flight services are the perfect combination of technical engineering experience and federal regulatory experience to successfully craft and file Section 333 Petitions with the FAA.

As part of the Approved Flight consulting services, Black Swift Technologies also provides a custom flight manual tailored to the conditions and restrictions listed in your specific Grant of Exemption.

PRICING

STANDARD SECTION 333 PETITION FOR EXEMPTION USING BST’S SWIFT CORE FLIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

$1499

FOR ANY OTHER UAS SYSTEM

$1649

COA Submission Process

Black Swift Technologies has nation-leading experience with obtaining US FAA Certificates of Authorization (COA). We can help you prepare the application for a COA and consult on developing the procedures and manuals that meet the FAA requirements for safe commercial UAS operations.

The Approved Flight service can also assist commercial entities in seeking a COA for operations beyond the limits of a Section 333 Grant of Exemption, such as flying above 200 feet, at night, or beyond visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS).

PRICING

STARTING AT $2499 FOR MOST REQUESTS

NASA Airworthiness & Flight Safety Review Board

Black Swift Technologies and its Approved Flight service has successfully flown sUAS in the NAS under a NASA contract. This was enabled by the successful completion of both a NASA Airworthiness and Flight Safety Review Board (AFSRB) and a NASA Flight Readiness Review (FRR).

The BST team was the first small business to successfully complete this process and perform flight operations in the NAS. Approved Flight can assist commercial entities under NASA contracts, especially small businesses working on SBIR grants.

PRICING

This is one of our specialties but pricing can vary. Please Contact Us for information.

Black Swift cannot make any guarantees, claims, quotes or reliable projections or estimates as to the timing of any given regulatory approval or denial. The FAA is very busy managing a backlog of COA Applications and 333 Petitions and is currently averaging responses to Petitions in anywhere from five months to one year. Law enforcement Petitions are generally handled by the FAA within 60 days.

With the current backlog of Petitions before the FAA, the lead time for receiving a Section 333 Grant of Exemption is approximately four to six months, and that is only if the FAA does not request further additional information of the UAS user or kick back a Petition based on format issues, which would further delay your operations. Utilizing Approved Flight for your Section 333 Petition, your application will benefit from our experiences with the FAA and their stringent Petition requirements.