BVLOS vs. Remote BVLOS Operations – what’s the difference?
If you’re planning to enable BVLOS drone operations from a Remote Operating Centre (ROC),and are considering building the capability yourself, here’s some of the things we have learnt from doing exactly that.
At RocketDNA, we’ve spent the last few years designing, integrating, and operating ROC-capable systems across some of Australia’s harshest and most remote environments. We’ve seen first-hand what works, what doesn’t, and where real complexity lives.
This guide outlines some of the key steps, and the challenges we had to solve, to get ROC operations safely into the field and approved by CASA.
1. You don’t buy a ROC-ready system. You build one.
There’s no commercial off-the-shelf solution that you can drop into the bush and leave running. A fully remote-capable ecosystem must be:
- Designed to operate 24/7 without personnel on site, and withstand extreme heat, wind, dust, rain or ice.
- Equipped with reliable satellite internet or long-range LTE with intelligent failover capabilities.
- Integrated with numerous systems to validate on site conditions, eg. CCTV, ADS-B, weather sensors, and remote diagnostics for the entire ecosystem.
- Power is key; ensure the system is supported by off-grid power options such as solar, battery, multiple UPS and generators. Generators are highly unreliable, don’t depend on these for consistent 24/7 - 365 operations.
- Enclosed, climate-controlled and environmentally sealed structures.
It’s not just a drone platform. It’s a completely uncrewed (sterile) facility that needs to run like a remote airbase.
As your system grows more capable, it also becomes more complex. That means more opportunities for failure, and more need for resilience. Redundancy isn’t just best practice, it allows the system to continue operating safely even when something breaks.
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2. CASA will require you to adjust existing BVLOS approvals
If you already operate BVLOS, that’s a good start. But transitioning to ROC-based operations changes the risk profile. CASA will expect:
- A formal application to vary each existing area approval.
- An updated SORA that reflects remote decision-making and the absence of on-site personnel and loss of situational awareness.
- Reassessment of Operational Safety Objectives with updated or alternative mitigations.
- New or amended procedures documented in your Operations Manual.
CASA will evaluate your ROC and support systems as critical parts of the operation, not just as back-end infrastructure.
3. You’ll need to pass a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) assessment
Before CASA approves any ROC-based operation, you’ll need to demonstrate:
- That your systems are fit-for-purpose and provide adequate situational awareness to manage both the air and ground risks associated with any flight operation.
- That your team can detect and respond to issues without relying on visual confirmation or onsite crews.
- That you have robust emergency procedures specific to the new risks.
- That your remote pilots are operating in a sterile environment free from distraction.
This assessment must be followed by a CASA-observed demonstration flight to show the system works in live conditions.
4. ROC Pilots need more than BVLOS OCTA. They need to think like Aviators.
Flying from a ROC is a different discipline. Remote pilots must adopt a crewed aviation mindset and be capable of:
- Ensuring safety is first and foremost; a robust safety culture requires the right people!
- Living the Just Culture mindset at every level.
- Understanding the systems, telemetry and diagnostics to monitor aircraft performance and environmental conditions to ensure the skies are truly safe for all.
- Managing communications via RoIP and maintaining VHF broadcast protocols.
- Remaining calm with the ability to make informed decisions under pressure, without visual confirmation of the aircraft or site.
- Training for the worst-case scenarios; emergency procedures aren’t just something that sit in a manual, the pilots need to be ready to act!
- Interpreting NOTAMs and managing shared airspace through structured communications, practices and procedures.
Training must go beyond platform handling. It needs to prepare pilots to manage a remote air operation, not just fly a drone.
5. You’ll need new SOPs focused on Remote Operations
With no field team on site, every critical function requires a remote-first strategy. This will include:
- Preflight authorisation processes using remote cameras, weather data, and system checks.
- Launch and recovery sequences managed entirely from the ROC.
- Emergency Procedures for degraded communications, airspace incursions, link loss and a plethora of other potential scenarios.
- Redundancy and monitoring for power, comms, and network infrastructure and the ROC/’s
These SOPs must be CASA-approved, assessed and integrated into your everyday operations.
6.Maintenance isn’t just the drone anymore
Traditional BVLOS operations focus on maintaining the aircraft and payload. When operating remotely, you also need to maintain a robust maintenance regime which considers (at minimum) the following components:
- Networking hardware, antennas, routers, and failover logic.
- Environmental control systems like HVAC, sealed enclosures and filtration.
- Power generation and storage systems, including batteries, generators, and UPS.
- Firmware, telemetry feeds, and system alerts.
Depending on your flight tempo, a technician may still need to visit the site regularly to ensure uptime and reliability.
Want help getting there?
It took us nearly two years to transition from BVLOS to remote BVLOS operations; from first concept to demonstration flights, infrastructure and system design, testing, integration, rollout, and regulatory approval.
Even now, we are still iterating, refining, and improving the system every week. That’s the nature of real-world operations.
But with our experience, our system, our regulatory framework and our pilots you could be up and running next week.
We’ve already done the hard yards. Let us help you fast-track yours.
