GVC, VLOS and BVLOS: How They Relate in the UK

What VLOS and BVLOS mean

Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) is the principle that the remote pilot keeps the aircraft within unaided visual sight throughout the flight, so that they can monitor its position and the surrounding airspace and avoid collisions. Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) describes operations where the aircraft is flown further than the pilot can directly see, relying instead on other means to maintain safe separation.

The distinction matters because the risk profile of the two is very different. VLOS keeps a human directly in the loop with direct sight of the aircraft and its environment. BVLOS removes that direct sight and therefore demands additional safeguards and a more rigorous approval process.

Where the GVC fits

The General VLOS Certificate is, as the name makes plain, focused on VLOS operations. When you obtain a GVC and an associated Operational Authorisation - most commonly under the standard scenario PDRA01 - your operations are conducted within Visual Line of Sight. The GVC equips you with the knowledge and demonstrated skill to plan and fly safely while keeping the aircraft in sight.

It is important to be accurate here: a basic GVC does not, by itself, authorise BVLOS flight. Nor does operating under PDRA01. Anyone who tells you that holding a GVC means you can fly BVLOS is mistaken.

What BVLOS requires

BVLOS operations sit outside the scope of a standard GVC and the PDRA01 scenario. To conduct BVLOS legally you need additional authorisation from the CAA, supported by a more detailed safety justification. The route for operations that fall outside a Pre-Defined Risk Assessment (PDRA) is to build an Operating Safety Case (OSC), which sets out the specific risks of your intended operation and how you will control them to an acceptable level.

BVLOS approvals typically require evidence around detect-and-avoid arrangements, command-and-control link reliability, airspace integration, and procedures for handling failures - all proportionate to the operation. This is a substantially higher bar than VLOS work.

A common point of confusion

Some pilots assume that flying with First Person View (FPV) goggles or relying on the live camera feed counts as maintaining VLOS. It does not. VLOS requires direct, unaided visual contact with the aircraft itself, not a camera view. Where FPV is used, a competent observer is typically required to maintain VLOS for you.

Summary of the relationship

• GVC - the qualification that underpins VLOS Specific Category operations.
• VLOS - the standard operating mode for GVC holders and PDRA01.
• BVLOS - beyond the scope of a basic GVC; needs additional CAA authorisation, often via an OSC.

Understanding this relationship helps you plan realistically. If your project genuinely needs BVLOS, factor in the additional time, evidence and authorisation that go well beyond obtaining the GVC.