By Stephan van Vuren, CEO of AirHub

The drone industry is evolving rapidly, with advancements in drone technology, regulation, and operational models paving the way for increasingly complex and integrated missions. While today’s drone operations primarily rely on multirotors for visual line of sight (VLOS) operations, the future will likely see a blend of multirotors, fixed-wing, and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones conducting beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions. This evolution will enable large-scale, multi-drone operations that offer unprecedented coverage, efficiency, and adaptability.

In this blog, we’ll explore how each type of drone can play a unique role in public safety, security, and critical infrastructure management, and how AirHub’s Drone Operations Center (DOC) provides the control and integration capabilities necessary to manage these complex operations.

1. Multirotors: The versatile tool for close-range, on-site operations

Multirotor drones are widely used today in public safety, security, and infrastructure inspections. They excel at hovering in place, maneuvering in tight spaces, and capturing detailed data at close range, making them ideal for on-site operations where agility and stability are essential. Currently, more than 90% of drone operations are conducted as VLOS with multirotors, as they are straightforward to deploy and control for both routine and emergency scenarios.

In public safety, multirotors can provide a quick aerial perspective for police or fire departments responding to an incident. For example, they can capture live footage of a crime scene, help firefighters locate hotspots, or provide situational awareness during search and rescue (SAR) missions. Security teams also use multirotors for surveillance and patrolling restricted areas or sensitive facilities, as they can be easily deployed from on-site stations.

Benefits of multirotors in VLOS operations:

• Ideal for short-range flights and hovering tasks.

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• Capable of detailed imaging and thermal scanning.

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• Simple to deploy and control, especially in confined areas.

While multirotors are highly versatile, their shorter flight times and limited range make them less suited to extensive BVLOS missions. As technology advances, however, organizations are expected to complement multirotor operations with other drone types to create more effective, large-scale solutions.

2. Fixed-wing drones: Covering large areas in BVLOS operations

Fixed-wing drones are designed for long-distance, high-endurance flights, making them highly efficient for BVLOS operations. Unlike multirotors, which rely on multiple rotors to hover, fixed-wing drones fly like traditional airplanes, using lift from their wings to conserve energy and cover larger areas. This makes them especially valuable in critical infrastructure management and border security, where large regions need to be surveyed regularly.

For infrastructure inspections, fixed-wing drones can be used to monitor pipelines, power lines, railways, and waterways over long distances, capturing valuable data with minimal downtime. In security applications, they can assist with border patrol and coastal surveillance, tracking suspicious activities or responding to alerts along extended perimeters.

As regulations for BVLOS flights become more standardized, we anticipate an increase in the use of fixed-wing drones for regional coverage, making it easier to conduct efficient, large-scale monitoring with fewer personnel on the ground.

Benefits of fixed-wing drones in BVLOS operations:

• Greater endurance and range for long-distance missions.

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• High speed for rapid area coverage.

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• Ideal for monitoring large, open areas, such as coastal borders or infrastructure corridors.

By integrating fixed-wing drones into a centralized operations platform like AirHub’s DOC, organizations can conduct real-time monitoring and data analysis across multiple sites, enhancing their situational awareness and operational response.

3. VTOL drones: Combining range with versatility

Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drones offer a hybrid solution, combining the range and efficiency of fixed-wing drones with the vertical take-off capabilities of multirotors. This makes VTOL drones ideal for remote or rural locations where launch and landing areas may be limited. In the future, VTOLs are expected to play a major role in both public safety and critical infrastructure management, where their unique capabilities will enable BVLOS operations in challenging environments.

For example, in oil and gas facility monitoring, VTOL drones can cover large facilities autonomously, landing at docking stations for recharging and maintenance. Emergency responders may also use VTOLs in rural or mountainous areas where landing options are scarce, enabling them to reach victims faster and with more flexibility than ground vehicles or traditional aircraft.

Benefits of VTOL drones:

• Longer range combined with precision hovering.

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• Can operate in restricted environments with minimal take-off and landing space.

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• Suitable for multi-phase missions, such as detailed inspection after wide-area surveying.

AirHub’s Drone Operations Center supports the management of mixed fleets, enabling organizations to integrate VTOL drones into their operations alongside multirotors and fixed-wing drones. This provides comprehensive control and real-time monitoring across multiple drone types, allowing operators to switch between broad area coverage and precise inspections.

4. The shift toward BVLOS and remote operations

As technology and regulations advance, BVLOS operations are becoming the next frontier in drone usage. While most current operations remain VLOS, BVLOS flights will allow organizations to expand their reach without having personnel on-site, reducing both response times and operational costs. Integrating BVLOS drones into a remote operations center aligns with industry trends of using centralized command structures, especially as organizations with teams across multiple regions look to standardize and streamline their operations.

With AirHub’s Drone Operations Center, organizations gain the capability to coordinate and monitor both VLOS and BVLOS operations from a centralized location. This allows operational managers to:

• Monitor ongoing missions in real time, whether conducted on-site or remotely.

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• Access data from multiple teams and locations, providing comprehensive situational awareness.

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• Maintain control over a large fleet spread across a region or even internationally, ensuring that every operation adheres to organizational standards and regulatory requirements.

For public safety agencies, this setup means faster response times and enhanced coordination during emergencies. Infrastructure managers can also maintain uninterrupted monitoring of critical assets, while security organizations can conduct widespread surveillance with fewer personnel on the ground.

Conclusion: Preparing for the future of multi-drone, BVLOS operations

The future of drone operations in public safety, security, and critical infrastructure management lies in multi-drone missions that leverage the strengths of multirotors, fixed-wing drones, and VTOLs. With AirHub’s Drone Operations Center, organizations are equipped to embrace this future, combining the insights and control necessary for effective, large-scale operations.

As BVLOS operations become more common, AirHub’s platform will empower organizations to manage these complex missions, ensuring that teams remain connected, data is secure, and operations are both efficient and safe. The future is here, and with a strategic approach to drone integration, organizations can lead the way in developing scalable, resilient solutions for critical tasks.