✈️ Wingman Wednesday: What Is BVLOS, Really?

The Line in the Sky That Separates Hobby Flyers from Pro Operators

Hey Flight Crew,

“BVLOS” gets thrown around a lot. It sounds futuristic… until you realize it’s quietly becoming the line that separates weekend flying from serious, professional operations.

In Canada, that line is now called Level 1 Complex. In the U.S., it’s taking shape as proposed FAA Part 108. Together, they’re building a new reality: if you want to fly the big missions — long corridors, remote sites, drone-in-a-box — you need to understand BVLOS, not just as a buzzword, but as a safety model and career path.

Today’s Wingman Wednesday is your field brief on what BVLOS really is, how Level 1 Complex works in Canada, what Part 108 is aiming to do in the U.S., and how you can start preparing right now — even if you’re still technically flying VLOS.

We’ll also connect it to the Sky Commander Academy podcast so you can keep learning on the drive, at the gym, or in the hangar.

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BVLOS in One Sentence (That Actually Means Something)

Most people define BVLOS as:

“When the drone flies beyond what you can see with your own eyes.”

Regulators define it more like:

“When the airspace risk is no longer managed mainly by your eyeballs.”

BVLOS isn’t just distance. It’s a different safety philosophy:

• You rely less on naked-eye see-and-avoid, and more on technology, procedures, and system-level risk controls.
• You’re no longer just “keeping your own drone safe”; you’re becoming part of how the national airspace system manages low-altitude traffic.

That’s why BVLOS is where regulators say:

“Okay, now you’re playing in the pro league.”

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Quick Refresher: VLOS vs EVLOS vs BVLOS

Before we go deeper, a quick mental model:

• VLOS (Visual Line of Sight):
  You can see the drone with unaided vision, judge its attitude, orientation, and position relative to obstacles and other aircraft.
• EVLOS (Extended Visual Line of Sight):
  You still keep the drone under visual observation, but you might use Visual Observers or staged positions to stretch how far along a corridor you can go while still having eyes on it.
• BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight):
  The drone moves beyond anyone’s direct line of sight. Now detect-and-avoid systems, comms reliability, airspace coordination, and procedures carry more of the safety load than human eyeballs.

Keep that ladder in mind. Canada’s Level 1 Complex and the U.S. Part 108 proposal both sit squarely on the top rung — but they express it differently.

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Canada: Level 1 Complex – Your “BVLOS Starter Ticket”

Transport Canada’s new “Pilot Certificate – Level 1 Complex Operations” is the official doorway into lower-risk BVLOS in Canada.

Where Level 1 Complex Lets You Fly

Under the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), Division VI – Level 1 Complex Operations covers:

• Small or medium RPAS (250 g–25 kg and up to 150 kg)
• BVLOS operations in uncontrolled airspace
• At least 1 km away from a populated area

Think:

• Rural utility corridors
• Pipelines, roads, and rail
• Remote industrial sites

…where you’re away from dense people and traffic, but still need serious discipline to manage air and ground risk.

What You Need to Earn Level 1 Complex

To qualify for a Level 1 Complex Operations certificate, current guidance and training providers consistently show a pathway like this:

1. Hold or pass your Advanced RPAS exam
2. Complete ~20 hours of approved Level 1 Complex ground school
3. Pass the Level 1 Complex online exam
4. Pass an in-person Level 1 Complex flight review
5. Apply to Transport Canada (with a certificate fee)

It’s not just “a bit more paperwork.” It’s a signal that you:

• Understand BVLOS-specific air law, navigation, and meteorology
• Can plan and brief longer, more complex missions
• Can manage lost-link, contingency routes, and emergency procedures at scale

Why Level 1 Complex Matters for Your Career

Level 1 Complex says to clients and employers:

“I’m not just Advanced — I’m trained and tested for regulated BVLOS in Canada.”

In a market moving toward more corridor inspections, remote monitoring, and drone-in-a-box operations, this credential is going to separate:

• “I own a drone”
  from
• “I can manage your infrastructure safely, legally, and professionally.”

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U.S. Proposed Part 108 – Turning BVLOS from Waivers into a System

In the U.S., BVLOS has mostly lived under Part 107 waivers and custom approvals — powerful, but slow and fragmented.

The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule is designed to change that.

What Part 108 Is Aiming to Do

According to the FAA’s NPRM and fact sheets, Part 108 would:

• Create a new regulatory home just for BVLOS UAS operations
• Cover uncrewed aircraft up to 1,320 lb with an “airworthiness acceptance” process, instead of traditional type certification
• Replace the patchwork of one-off Part 107 waivers with a repeatable, scalable BVLOS framework
• Enable routine BVLOS for missions like package delivery, agriculture, aerial surveying, and public safety

It also introduces:

• Two authorization types:
  • Operating permits – for smaller, lower-risk operations
  • Operating certificates – for higher-risk missions, larger aircraft, or operations over people
• Requirements around Automated Data Services and integration with UTM-style traffic management for strategic deconfliction.

The “Big Operators vs Small Operators” Question

Industry reactions so far are mixed:

• Many see Part 108 as the step needed to unlock scalable BVLOS and move beyond waivers.
• Others are worried the proposal leans heavily toward large, well-capitalized operators, with requirements like full SMS, certificated personnel, and organizational approvals that could squeeze smaller companies and public-safety agencies.

Bottom line:

Part 108 is the U.S. “pro league rulebook” for BVLOS — still in draft, still evolving — but it’s clearly where serious operations are heading.

If you want a career in U.S. BVLOS over the next 5–10 years, you want to understand Part 108 now, not when the ink is dry.

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What BVLOS Really Demands from a Pro Pilot

Strip away the acronyms and the rule numbers. What does BVLOS actually ask of you?

Whether you’re Level 1 Complex in Canada or operating under Part 108 in the U.S., the expectations rhyme:

1. You Think in Systems, Not Solo Flights

You’re not just asking, “Can I get this drone from A to B?” You’re asking:

• What other airspace users might be here?
• How does my mission fit into ATC, NAV Drone, UTM, local procedures?
• What happens to people on the ground if something fails?

2. You Design Around Failure — On Purpose

BVLOS expects:

• Reliable comms and link-loss plans
• Detect-and-avoid strategies (ADS-B, radar, procedural separation, altitude buffers, or a mix)
• Clear abort criteria and contingency routes

You plan flights assuming something will go wrong — and you rehearse what you’ll do when it does.

3. You Treat Documentation as a Safety Tool, Not a Chore

Level 1 Complex and Part 108 both lean heavily on:

• Documented risk assessments
• Standard Operating Procedures
• Training records and flight logs
• Incident and hazard reporting

That’s not bureaucracy for its own sake — it’s the “memory” that makes your operation safer over time.

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Canada vs U.S.: Two Paths, Same Direction

Here’s a simple way to visualize it:

Country	Where BVLOS Lives	What It Signals
Canada	Level 1 Complex (plus SFOC for higher-risk)	“You’re certified for regulated BVLOS in lower-risk, uncontrolled airspace.”
U.S.	Proposed Part 108 (replacing many Part 107 BVLOS waivers)	“You’re operating under a BVLOS-specific framework with airworthiness acceptance and structured approvals.”

Different route numbers, same highway:

• Risk-based, scalable BVLOS
• More automation and drone-in-a-box
• Higher expectations for professional pilots and operators

If you understand Level 1 Complex well, you’ll recognize a lot of the logic in Part 108 — and vice versa.

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How to Start Preparing Now (Even If You’re Still VLOS)

Here’s your action checklist as a Sky Commander Flight Crew member:

1. Upgrade Your Mental Model

• Stop thinking “BVLOS = flying far.”
• Start thinking “BVLOS = system-level risk management and airspace integration.”

2. Canada – Get Complex-Curious

If you’re in Canada and already Advanced-certified:

• Read the Level 1 Complex sections of the CARs (Division VI).
• Start logging flights like a Level 1 pilot now: purpose, airspace type, terrain, weather, risk controls.
• Look at recognized Level 1 Complex ground schools and map out when you could realistically start.

3. U.S. – Study Part 108 While It’s Still Wet Cement

If you’re in the U.S. or fly near the border:

• Read the FAA’s Part 108 BVLOS fact sheet and NPRM summary at least once.
• Make notes on:
  • How operating permits vs operating certificates differ
  • What “airworthiness acceptance” might mean for the platforms you fly
• Pay attention to industry feedback about small-operator impacts so you can plan your own path.

4. Tighten Your Crew Roles

BVLOS isn’t a solo sport. Rehearse:

• Flight Planner doing deeper route and risk analysis
• PIC taking final accountability and clean decision-making under pressure
• VO / Payload Operator roles in EVLOS today, with an eye toward automated sensors and remote opstomorrow

5. Build “BVLOS-Style” SOPs Now

Even for VLOS missions, start adding:

• Link-loss procedures
• Abort triggers (weather, traffic, tech anomalies)
• Contingency landing zones
• Standardized flight-log templates

The more you operate like a BVLOS crew today, the smoother your jump into Level 1 Complex or Part 108 will be.

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Podcast Flight Plan: Sky Commander Academy Recap

If you like to learn with your ears, here’s how to keep this going in the Sky Commander ecosystem.

🎧 Season 5 – BVLOS & the Road to Part 108 (Started This Week!)

Kick off with:

S5E01 – “What Is BVLOS, Really? The Line in the Sky That Separates Hobby Flyers from Pro Operators”
👉 Listen on Sky Commander Academy (Spotify)

In Season 5, we’re unpacking:

• What BVLOS actually means in day-to-day operations
• How proposed Part 108 could reshape the U.S. landscape
• Where small operators fit in a world of permits, certificates, and airworthiness acceptance
• How to future-proof your career so you’re ready when BVLOS becomes “just how pro ops are done”

Treat this Wingman Wednesday post as your companion article to that episode — read, then listen, then bring your questions back to the crew.

🎧 Season 3 – Complex 1 in Canada: Your Certification Roadmap

For the Canadian side, circle back to:

S3E1 – “From Basic to Complex: Your Complete Guide to Drone Pilot Certification in Canada”
👉 Listen on Sky Commander Academy (Spotify)

Season 3 walks you through:

• Basic vs Advanced vs Level 1 Complex
• What changes on exam content and expectations as you climb the ladder
• How to think like a professional RPAS pilot, not just a certificate holder

If you’re aiming for Level 1 Complex, this episode is your pre-briefing before you ever open a CARs page or sign up for ground school.

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Final Approach: Crossing the Line (On Purpose)

BVLOS is not a magic trick. It’s not just “flying farther.”

It’s the point where:

• Technology, procedures, and airspace integration step up
• Regulators start treating you as part of the infrastructure, not just a guest
• Clients look at you and say, “We can trust this crew with real-world, high-value assets.”

Whether you’re in Canada with Level 1 Complex on your radar, or in the U.S. keeping a close eye on Part 108, the message is the same:

If you want to be a pro, you have to cross the BVLOS line on purpose, with training, discipline, and a safety mindset that scales.

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Join the Hangar Talk

Over to you, Flight Crew:

What’s one step you’re going to take in the next 30 days to become more BVLOS-ready — in mindset, skills, or procedures?

Drop it in the comments. Your idea might be the nudge another pilot needs to cross the line from hobby flyer to pro operator.