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FinalPolicyRule watch2 min read

FAA opens BEYOND Phase 2 to add up to eight government drone-testing partners

State, local, tribal, and territorial governments have until September 10 to apply. The agreements support advanced testing but do not make Part 108 final or grant automatic BVLOS authority.

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Fixed-wing drone flying over a network of ground towers and mapped terrain
Fixed-wing drone flying over a network of ground towers and mapped terrain. Image: Northern Plains UAS Test Site

Decision brief

FAA is widening the group that helps test the systems needed for routine advanced drone operations. The opportunity is for governments, not individual pilots or companies acting alone. A selected team still needs the approval that applies to each flight.

New lead teams
Up to 8

Government entities selected through the SIR

Proposal deadline
Sept 10

3 p.m. Eastern

Automatic BVLOS authority
No

Each operation still needs its applicable approval

Who can apply

The prime offeror must be a government entity.

The Federal Aviation Administration opened a competitive selection for BEYOND Phase 2 on August 27. It plans to add up to eight state, local, tribal, or territorial governments as lead participants. Eight government teams already participate in the program, so the new selection could double its size.

A private company cannot apply as the lead offeror. It can join a government-led team as an industry partner. The lead government must have an active registration in SAM.gov by the proposal deadline. Written questions are due September 3 at 1 p.m. Eastern, and proposals are due September 10 at 3 p.m. Eastern. The FAA says the selection will produce Other Transaction Agreements, not procurement contracts.

What FAA wants tested

The work centers on repeatable operations in difficult environments.

The solicitation names four program areas: infrastructure, scalability, safety, and automation. It also names five operating problems for the teams to address: public safety, controlled airspace, remote rural areas with limited infrastructure, on-airport operations, and flights across international borders.

A BEYOND agreement is a way to plan operations, collect evidence, and work with the FAA. It is not blanket permission to fly beyond visual line of sight. Each project still needs the certificate, waiver, exemption, airspace approval, or other authority that applies to the aircraft and mission. The agreement also does not reserve airspace for the participant.

Application path

How a Phase 2 team is formed

The FAA is choosing government-led teams. This is not a normal commercial bid or an application for individual pilots.

  1. 01

    Government leads

    A state, local, tribal, or territorial entity submits the proposal and holds the agreement.

  2. 02

    Partners join the team

    Aircraft makers, operators, network providers, researchers, and public agencies can take part.

  3. 03

    FAA reviews the plan

    The proposal must say what the team will test and how it will measure safety and progress.

  4. 04

    Flights use current authority

    A selected team must still get the operating and airspace approvals needed for each mission.

Rule boundary

BEYOND Phase 2 supports the evidence base. It does not enact Part 108.

The work can inform the proposed Part 108 framework, but it does not make that rule final. As of August 29, Part 108 remains a proposal. A Part 107 pilot who wants to fly BVLOS today must continue to use the current approval path rather than treating BEYOND Phase 2 as a new operating rule.

The FAA reports that BEYOND Phase 1 produced 70,563 flights, including 48,383 BVLOS flights. The new solicitation targets October 12 for awards and runs through September 30, 2028. The next records to watch are the selected governments, their industry partners, the exact approvals behind each operation, and any safety data the FAA makes public.

Check the current Part 108 statusSee what the proposal would change, what remains unsettled, and which rules still control BVLOS flights today.

Practical read

Who should pay attention

Strong fit

  • Government UAS programs ready to lead a team
  • Companies seeking a government partner for public-safety, airport, rural, or cross-border work
  • Operators following the evidence behind future BVLOS rules

Account for

  • A company trying to apply as the lead
  • Treating an agreement as automatic permission to fly
  • Describing Phase 2 as a final Part 108 rule or a replacement for current approvals

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