#116 Jessica Brightman, FAA: 2.2 Million BVLOS Flights Before Part 108

In this episode we speak with Jessica Brightman, Policy & Standards Branch Manager in the UAS & Advanced Technologies Division of the FAA’s Office of Advanced Aviation Technologies, recorded while the final Part 108 BVLOS rule sits in White House review. Most of the conversation was about how the US built a live UTM system without a final rule. Eleven FAA-accepted services now operate across roughly ten states, and from January through September 2026 they deconflicted more than 2.2 million BVLOS flights. Jessica argues the model scales because it requires only the services an operation’s risk calls for.

From there we cover her view that every aircraft should be electronically conspicuous, and how that shapes Part 108’s right-of-way construct, one of the proposal’s most debated parts. We also get into the new priority scheme for lifesaving missions, what Part 108 permits mean for small operators, and why tying UTM, air taxi services and ATC together is still an open standards problem. Jessica also makes an interesting argument about operational intents and why some operators have reserved far more airspace than they need.