Case Study — Shell Pipeline × Phoenix Air Unmanned

BVLOS
Pipeline
Inspection

E455 proves its value on a 330-mile
real-world infrastructure mission.

330 Miles Flown Most PAU has ever accomplished in two days
7.6 Flight Hours Spread across two days of active flying
6 Pilots Trained Flying independently after just 3 days
Zero Signal Loss Bonded LTE + point-to-point radio across 330 miles
Exact GPS Tagging Lat/long data on every pipeline inspection point
E455 BVLOS pipeline inspection demo — Shell Pipeline and Phoenix Air Unmanned, Louisiana 2024
Louisiana, 2024
Shell Pipeline Corporation
Phoenix Air Unmanned
The Mission
A Real-World Test for a
Purpose-Built Platform
Background How Shell, PAU, and Event 38 Came Together

In 2023, Shell Pipeline Corporation introduced Event 38 to Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU), a drone service provider specializing in aerial inspection and surveillance for utilities. PAU engaged Event 38 for a proof-of-concept demo of the E455 — Event 38's largest fixed-wing VTOL drone. The goal: integrate the E455 with PAU's command stations and conduct a full BVLOS inspection of Shell's pipelines in Louisiana.

The E455 was added to PAU's existing BVLOS waiver for the purposes of the demo. PAU's nationwide waiver allows unmanned aircraft to fly over critical infrastructure — including 250 feet above grounded pipelines and 100 feet above transmission lines — across the country.

Training — October 2024, Georgia Six Pilots. Three Days. Independent Operations.

Event 38 traveled to Georgia to train six PAU pilots on the E455. Within three days, the Phoenix team was operating the drone independently — a testament to the user-friendly design of the platform. Mathew Wright, Event 38's VP of Engineering and Operations, spent two additional days working alongside the team to integrate the E455 into PAU's existing control station infrastructure, including their fleet of ground control vans, connectivity systems, and airspace surveillance equipment.

The Demo 330 Miles. Two Days. Mission Accomplished.

The following week, PAU conducted the full proof-of-concept in Louisiana. Drone communications were handed off between three ground control vans to extend range and increase efficiency, while ground control received a constant live video feed from the E455's onboard cameras throughout.

A two-hour fog delay pushed the 300-mile goal into a second day — but the mission was accomplished within a single day of flying time, exactly as planned.

330 Miles Flown
7.6 Flight Hours
3 Ground Control Vans

"We have over 16,000 miles of powerline inspection experience and dedicated infrastructure to support that operation. It was pretty awesome for us to be able to reach out to Mat, tap into his expertise and his team's real experience with the system, and integrate the E455 into our existing infrastructure."

William Wheeler Director of Operations, Phoenix Air Unmanned

"The goal was to fly 300 miles in a single day. Unfortunately, we woke up to a two-hour delay with fog. We crossed the 300-mile mark at noon on the second day. But our goal was achieved within a day of flying time, so it was a success."

William Wheeler Director of Operations, Phoenix Air Unmanned

"This demo was an excellent opportunity for us to learn more about how the E455 operates in real-world scenarios. We were able to make some other modifications that will translate to a better user experience going forward."

Mathew Wright VP of Engineering and Operations, Event 38
Mission Overview
Aircraft Event 38 E455
Customer Phoenix Air Unmanned
End Client Shell Pipeline Corp.
Location Louisiana, USA
Date October 2024
Application BVLOS Pipeline Inspection
Analysis
Why the Demo
Was a Success

Several factors set the E455 apart during this mission — from its FAA-favorable camera system to its bonded radio architecture and industry-leading ease of use.

Factor 01
PAU's BVLOS Approval Is Nationwide

Many BVLOS waivers are geo-locked, restricting drones to a defined geographic footprint. That's because most drones carry just one onboard camera, limiting pilots' situational awareness. The E455 uses a three-camera system — two pointing forward, one facing rear — giving pilots significantly better visibility of aircraft, structures, foot traffic, and other factors that matter for BVLOS safety. Because the E455 enables more comprehensive flight monitoring, it's more likely to be approved for BVLOS operations in new areas, and can be confidently deployed across PAU's entire nationwide service footprint.

Factor 02
More Efficient Than a Plane or Helicopter

For this BVLOS demo, the E455 flew with a full inspection payload: an Iris Casia 3-camera system, two redundant radio links, and an ADS-B transponder — in addition to its standard live gimbaled camera. Even carrying that weight, the E455 achieved up to 60 minutes per charge. On a standard payload mission, it can fly over two hours and cruise at 50 mph, allowing crews to cover more ground and gather more data each day.

Shell also remarked on the value of the E455's exact GPS tagging. With manned aircraft, finding the precise location of a flagged issue can take several hours. The E455 tags every inspection point with lat/long coordinates, so technicians can travel directly to the site.
Factor 03
Bonded Radio for Superior Connectivity

Unlike other drones, the E455 maintains both point-to-point and LTE radio connections simultaneously — not as a fallback, but as an always-on bonded link. The E455 flew 330 miles across two days and never lost signal with Phoenix.

Elsight LTE Radio — used primarily during flight; provides wide-area connectivity even in remote areas.
Silvus Point-to-Point — used during launch and recovery; ensures a reliable, direct link when it matters most.
This redundancy enabled smooth handoffs between three ground control vans and a secure connection even in low-coverage corridors along the Louisiana pipeline route.
Factor 04
Built to Be Easy to Use

Six PAU pilots went from no E455 experience to independent operations in just three days. The E455 was then integrated directly into PAU's existing command station infrastructure — their ground vans, connectivity systems, and airspace surveillance tools — in just two more days.

"Ease of use and reliability is a big deal for us. We received training, the E455 was integrated, and then we were out there doing 300 miles. What will we be capable of once our whole crew has experience with this platform? It's repeatable and scalable." — William Wheeler, PAU
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