Aloft powers the largest network of drone operators in the United States, spanning recreational flyers, commercial businesses, public safety agencies, and government operators. With millions of flights logged and the FAA’s most-used USS platform for authorizations and compliance, we sit at the center of America’s drone ecosystem, spanning all major industries and use cases. That position comes with a responsibility: to make sure the voices of the entire Aloft community are heard as the FAA writes the future of BVLOS.

Why this matters now.

The FAA’s newly proposed BVLOS rule (Part 108/146) is a major step toward integrating drones into the national airspace. But as written, it leans heavily toward vertically integrated delivery operators and leaves critical gaps for the majority of the community — the public safety teams, inspectors, farmers, mappers, and recreational pilots who make up most drone operations today. If the FAA is going to normalize BVLOS, it must account for all of us.

Aloft’s track record of advocacy.

This isn’t new for us. When the FAA rolled out Remote ID, Aloft didn’t just submit comments — we pushed for a stronger, future-proof system with higher compliance, faster integration, and better safety. TechCrunch covered our comments at the time. We still believe Remote ID would be far ahead of where it is today if our recommendations had been adopted.

We’ve also had a seat at the table. I served on the FAA’s BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), where many of the recommendations we fought for influenced this NPRM. But not all. Some critical elements are missing — and those gaps could determine whether this rule truly transforms aviation or narrows what’s possible.

That’s why we’re engaging our entire community.

The opportunity with BVLOS far outweighs Remote ID. This is the moment to make sure operators across industries and use cases have the loudest voice in shaping the rules. Aloft is committed to leading a collective process to build the most representative, actionable, and powerful set of comments in response to the FAA’s NPRM.

Here’s how you can participate:

> Feedback Sessions: We’ll host both virtual and live events to hear directly from you. Our first is scheduled for 8/28 at 1pm ET. Register here.

> Live in DC: On September 9, we’ll host an in-person roundtable in Washington, DC, followed by an informal gathering. Email your Aloft contact or sign up here if you’re interested in attending.

> Ongoing Feedback: Send your comments, questions, priorities, complaints, ideas, etc. to bvlos-nprm@aloft.ai. Let us know what you want covered in events or in our final submission.

We’ll also be reaching out directly to our most advanced enterprise and government customers, along with our key strategic partners to aid in the discussion. But this process is open to everyone. Whether you fly for fun, for your business, or in public service, your voice matters.

The future of flight is being written right now. Let’s make sure it’s written by the people who actually fly. Join us in shaping BVLOS for all.

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