BP flies approved flight of drone over Alaska

WASHINGTON — BP used an unmanned aircraft to survey an Alaskan oil field on Sunday, marking the first legally approved U.S. commercial drone flight over land.

BP, Europe’s third-largest oil company, was allowed to fly the Puma AE aircraft made by Aerovironment Inc. under a special safety approval by the Federal Aviation Administration, according to statements Tuesday by the FAA and the dronemaker.

The approval was granted as the FAA is trying to craft regulations governing safety and training for unmanned civilian aircraft, which range from small hobbyist planes to larger crafts used for surveying and movie making. While the FAA allowed an unmanned drone flight for ConocoPhillips last year, that was restricted to flying over water.

“These surveys on Alaska’s North Slope are another important step toward broader commercial use of unmanned aircraft,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Tuesday.

Aerovironment, a Monrovia, California-based company that has sold 25,000 drones, mostly to the U. S. military, had to demonstrate that the craft was capable of operating safely. The Puma AE flew above oil operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, as part of a five-year agreement with BP to provide mapping, Geographic Information System and other services at the oil field, according to a statement.

It is launched by hand and can fly for more than three hours on its battery, according to the company website. It carries a variety of payloads, including a camera or a laser- based mapping system, the company said. It was originally developed for the military.