Future in the Making #4: Inside a commercial drone operation

Recent U.S. regulatory shifts around beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and operations over people are setting the stage for scaled commercial drone networks, and Aerial Loop offers a real-world preview of what that future looks like. In this ‘Future in the Making’ video from Chris Nolte of Bloom, Aerial Loop’s co-founder and Director of Operations, José, explains that they approach the space like an airline rather than a hobbyist project: the “aircraft” are drones, but the operating mindset is commercial - standardized procedures, safety management, data capture, and post-flight analysis for every mission. Today, a team of around 30 runs a disciplined flight operation where each sortie is recorded, tracked, and reviewed. That rigor has helped Aerial Loop accumulate more than 40,000 autonomous flights in real cities, primarily in Ecuador, delivering medicine, reducing congestion, and demonstrating reliability at scale.

The catalyst for broader U.S. rollout is BVLOS. Historically, the inability to fly beyond a pilot’s line of sight, over people, and in dense urban areas throttled growth. José argues that streamlining BVLOS approvals will unlock the drone’s full value: autonomous, repeatable routes that make certain deliveries faster, safer, cheaper, and cleaner. Their machinery can carry roughly 10 pounds in the ≤55-pound maximum takeoff weight category - intentionally staying in the lightest, most permissive class - while still covering the majority of small-parcel use cases. With a long-range configuration, the system can reach ~50 miles; in lower-risk corridors (e.g., over forests), swapping payload for batteries further extends endurance.

Aerial Loop’s Quito operation illustrates the economics: a cross-city trip that can take an hour or more by car - thanks to mountains, ravines, and zig-zagging roads - becomes a ~7-minute straight-line flight. Over a sample of ~500 flights between two rooftops, total electricity cost was around five dollars; an order-of-magnitude signal for potential cost and emissions advantages. While drones won’t replace trucks and vans, they add a new layer for time-sensitive, light-weight transport in congested or topographically challenging environments.

Beyond delivery, José highlights inspections and public safety. The same aircraft that shuttles medical supplies all day can pivot to survey pipelines or power lines, or give first responders eyes on a hazardous scene before sending people in. This improves safety and response quality. Because delivery demand is steady while emergency use is episodic, a shared network can keep utilization high and economics compelling. Aerial Loop’s near-term vision is a city network of “iconic” nodes - co-located with pharmacies, labs, or retail - interconnected by scheduled, bus-like drone routes that anyone can book payload space on.

Detroit, Michigan figures prominently in this future. The team set up a pilot route of roughly three-quarters of a mile between local buildings using a mobile trailer to simulate real-world startup conditions, with the longer-term aim of more permanent urban sites and intercity links. As operations scale, the industry is also formalizing new career paths. These include chiefs of operations and safety, data and maintenance roles, and technician tracks that, like modern manufacturing, create accessible on-ramps from high school via hands-on training.

The takeaway: with BVLOS gates opening, disciplined operators that treat drones like an airline - measured, repeatable, data-driven - are poised to weave aerial logistics, inspections, and public-safety missions into daily city life. Detroit, with its mobility DNA and practical testbeds, could be among the first to show how it all comes together.