Letter of Authorization: A Legal Document That Enables Permission for a Third Party to Act on Behalf of the Authorizer in Various Matters. Its Functioning Covers Legal Tasks Specified Within Its Scope.
Construction Company Granted LOA for Drone Operations Near Class D Airport
A construction company in the United States has been granted a Letter of Authorization (LOA) by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for drone operations near a Class D airport. This LOA allows the company to conduct routine structural inspections using drones, adhering to specific operational parameters outlined in the document.
The LOA is mission-specific and pertains to the construction company's need for drone-assisted inspections, which may involve flying in controlled airspace, operating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), or conducting nighttime missions. To obtain this authorization, the company submitted a detailed request to the FAA, including flight intent, equipment specifications, and safety procedures.
The LOA serves as official legal permission to operate under otherwise prohibited scenarios. It outlines the scope, duration, and conditions of the authorization, ensuring that the drone mission strictly follows all conditions laid out in the document. Deviations can result in fines or revocation of the LOA.
The construction company is a certified drone operator, and this is not their first encounter with LOAs. As drone use expands into complex commercial applications, LOAs are increasingly crucial to ensure operators stay compliant with aviation regulations. LOAs help mitigate risk and demonstrate that the operator has met safety, communication, and procedural standards required for non-standard missions.
Before issuing the LOA, the regulatory authority reviews airspace impact, operator qualifications, and risk mitigation strategies. In this case, the altitude for operations is under 100 feet Above Ground Level (AGL), and the drone operations are permitted between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
ATC coordination is required before each flight, and the LOA specifies the allowed activities and any limitations. The LOA may also be necessary for approving operational deviations such as operating with a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) for drones or waiving certain flight restrictions.
This process is distinct from obtaining the Remote Pilot Certificate (Part 107 license), which is the basic FAA certification to operate commercially under standard rules. The LOA authorizes operations beyond those rules.
For more detailed procedural steps or application forms, interested parties can refer to the FAA website or their drone authorization portals. As the use of drones in commercial applications continues to grow, understanding and navigating the LOA process becomes increasingly important for maintaining compliance with aviation regulations.
In the context of this text, the construction company may employ drones for finance-related purposes, such as assessing the financial viability of a project based on cost estimations derived from drone-assisted inspections. Furthermore, the company's expertise in managing drone operations in tightly regulated airspace, as demonstrated by their LOA, could position them for potential partnerships with companies in the technology and finance industries in the development of new drone-driven financial analysis tools.
