North Dakota's Vantis beyond-visual-line-of-sight network has added Frontier Precision as its second champion operator through a new FAA waiver spanning more than 5,000 square miles.
The May 21, 2026 approval is aircraft-agnostic and applies to any NDAA-compliant drone weighing less than 55 pounds inside the four established Vantis service volumes. This structure removes the need for separate aircraft certifications and allows operators to deploy compliant platforms without additional regulatory delays.
Vantis infrastructure has shortened typical BVLOS waiver timelines from multiple years to 23 business days by providing standardized ground-based detect-and-avoid systems and communication links across the designated airspace.
This waiver is another strong example of what Vantis was built to do, to help operators move beyond limited visual line of sight operations and into scalable, real-world BVLOS missions. By using Vantis infrastructure, we’ve reduced approval timelines from years to just 23 business days.
Hunter Hegel, Operations Manager at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, noted the operational acceleration delivered by the shared infrastructure.
Frontier Precision will use the expanded access for inspection and data-collection missions in oil and gas, utilities, and agriculture. The waiver supports continuous operations without repeated visual observers, improving data throughput for customers requiring frequent asset monitoring.
Efficiency is the name of the game. To truly unlock the potential of ‘big data’ in sectors like oil and gas, utilities, and agriculture, we must move beyond the limitations of visual line of sight. This waiver allows us to push the boundaries of what’s possible, providing our customers with real-world data and more efficient inspection and system capabilities.
Collin Kemmesat, Regional Sales Manager at Frontier Precision, emphasized the practical gains for large-scale data acquisition.
The partnership integrates Frontier Precision into an existing operational framework managed from Grand Forks, North Dakota, where Vantis maintains the core command-and-control and surveillance layers required for routine BVLOS flights.
