DJI, the global leader in civilian drones and creative camera technology, and AL Drones, Brazil’s leading certification consultancy for professional drones, have secured the Experimental Flight Authorization Certificate (CAVE) from the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) for the DJI Matrice 3D drone operated from the DJI Dock 2, paving the way for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flight tests.

With the CAVE Certificate, the drone will undergo a series of safety demonstrations that are required by ANAC standards, as part of the ongoing Design Authorization process at the Aeronautical Authority.

The testing campaign evaluates the design safety features, such as response to system failures, loss of link with the Remotely Pilot Station, degradation of navigation capacity, and emergency response. Aspects of the aircraft’s performance will also be tested, including autonomy, maximum range and the capability to operate BVLOS over long distances, among others.

“This is a great achievement for DJI and AL Drones, as it marks the beginning of a new phase in the Matrice 3D and Dock 2 testing campaign, paving the way towards obtaining the ANAC Design Authorization for BVLOS flights in Brazil,” says André Arruda, co-founder of AL Drones.

To receive the CAVE certificate from ANAC, a rigorous process was followed by AL Drones and DJI, including design safety demonstrations and operational risk assessment that ensure safe BVLOS flights, even under experimental purposes during the ongoing certification campaign of this model.

The DJI Matrice 3D is one of the most versatile drones on the market and was designed for surveying, high-precision mapping and inspection applications. Weighing just 1.4 kg, it was developed to withstand harsh conditions, at temperatures between -20ºC and 45ºC, and with a maximum flight time of 50 minutes.

To guarantee the best results, the M3D is equipped with two cameras, one telephoto (1/2” CMOS, equivalent to 162 mm format with 12 MP of effective pixels) and one wide-angle (4/3 CMOS, equivalent to 24 mm format with 20 MP of effective pixels) with a mechanical shutter, meeting the needs of high-precision mapping tasks of 1:500.

Obtaining the CAVE will allow AL Drones to conduct the BVLOS test campaign with the DJI M3D/Dock 2 platform, as part of the ANAC Design Authorization process. This process will enable the use BVLOS flights and long-range capacity by future operators in Brazil, ensuring a safe operation that meets all the requirements from the regulatory aeronautical agency.

“This is the first model from DJI Enterprise family to go through a design and airworthiness assessment process at ANAC, during the Design Authorization, which is a major milestone for the drone sector in the country,” says Lucas Florêncio, also co-founder of AL Drones.

The M3D is operated from the DJI Dock 2, a platform that simplifies and optimizes drone operation. With 34 kg and measuring just 70 mm x 583 mm x 465 mm, it is 75% smaller and 68% lighter than the previous generation, so it can be easily carried by two people and deployed quickly.

The DJI Dock 2 can be configured to carry out missions automatically, which does not prevent operators from controlling the flight manually at any time. When connected to the Dock 2, the Matrice 3D drone can be charged wirelessly in approximately 32 minutes.

Matheus Mestrinelli, certification coordinator at AL Drones, explains that “the CAVE was issued by ANAC after a detailed analysis on all technical documents elaborated by AL Drones and DJI. With the certificate, it will be possible to advance on the process for Design Authorization, by executing the BVLOS tests with Matrice 3D”.

The experimental flights of the DJI M3D/Dock 2 also mark the expansion of the partnership between AL Drones and DJI, who have been working together since 2021 in the aerospace sector. This partnership already culminated in the Voluntary Design Authorization previously granted by ANAC for the DJI Agras models T20P, T30 and T40 agricultural drones. With the recent achievement, the first BVLOS Design Authorization is also to be secured by DJI in Brazil soon, which will represent an unprecedent milestone for the drone sector in the country.

About DJI

Since 2006, DJI has led the world with civilian drone innovations that have empowered individuals to take flight for the first time, visionaries to turn their imagination into reality, and professionals to transform their work entirely. Today, DJI serves to build a better world by continuously promoting human advancement. With a solution-oriented mindset and genuine curiosity, DJI has expanded its ambitions into areas such as agriculture, public safety, surveying and mapping, and infrastructure inspection. In every application, DJI products deliver experiences that add value to lives around the world in more profound ways than ever before.

For more information, visit:

Website: www.dji.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJIDelivery/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/DJIGlobal
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJI_Delivery
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/dji
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DJIDelivery

About AL Drones

AL Drones is a leader in drone certification in Brazil. The company provides engineering and consulting services dedicated to professional drones. Driven by the transformational power of this technology, AL Drones exists to expand unmanned aircraft operations in the country. The company has achieved the first BVLOS approvals in the Brazilian Airspace and has already obtained Design Authorization for 16 different drone models at the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). AL Drones leads aeronautical certification for professional remote aircraft on package delivery, field mapping, crop spraying, inspections, and perimeter security.

For more information, visit:

Website: https://aldrones.com.br/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aldrones_aviation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/al-drones/