PART 17 — Requirements for a class C6 unmanned aircraft system
Regulation (EU) 2020/1058
A class C6 UAS bears the following class identification
label on the UA:
A class C6 UAS shall comply with the requirements
defined in Part 4, except those defined in paragraphs (2), (7) and (10).
In addition, it shall comply with the following
requirements:
(1)
have
a maximum ground speed in level flight of not more than 50 m/s;
(2)
if
it is equipped with a geo-awareness function, comply with paragraph (10) of Part 4;
(3)
during
flight, provide the remote pilot with clear and concise information on the
geographical position of the UA, its speed and its height above the surface or
take-off point;
(4)
provide
means to prevent the UA from breaching the horizontal and vertical limits of a
programmable operational volume;
(5)
provide
means for the remote pilot to terminate the flight of the UA, which shall:
(a) be reliable, predictable, independent
from the automatic flight control and guidance system and independent from the
means to prevent the UA from breaching the horizontal and vertical limits as
required in point (4); this applies also to the activation of this means; and
(b) force the descent of the UA and prevent
its powered horizontal displacement;
(6)
provide
means to programme the UA trajectory;
(7)
provide
the remote pilot with means to continuously monitor the quality of the command
and control link and receive an alert when it is likely that the link is going
to be lost or degraded to the extent of compromising the safe conduct of the
operation, and another alert when the link is lost; and
(8)
in
addition to the information indicated in point (15)(a) of Part 4, include in the manufacturer’s
instructions:
(a) a description of the means to terminate
the flight required in point (5);
(b) a description of the means to prevent the UA
from breaching the horizontal and vertical limits of the operational volume
and the size of the contingency volume needed to accommodate position
assessment error, reaction time and correction manoeuvre span; and
(c) the distance most likely to be travelled
by the UA after activation of the means to terminate the flight defined in
point (5), to be considered by the UAS operator when defining the ground risk
buffer.
[1] The published date represents the date when the consolidated version of
the document was generated.
[2] Euro-Lex, Important Legal Notice: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/content/legal-notice/legal-notice.html.
[3] This is the main date of application (i.e. the date from which an act or a provision in an act produces its full legal effects) as defined in the relevant cover regulation article. Some provisions of the regulations though may be applicable at a later date (deferred applicability). Besides, there may be some opt-outs (derogations from certain provisions) notified by the Member States.
[4] OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
[5] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (see page 1 of this Official Journal).
[6] Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys (OJ L 170, 30.6.2009, p. 1).
[7] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
[8] Commission
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the
common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and
procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No
1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No
730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1).
[9] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010 (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p. 1).
[10] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (recast) (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/748/oj)
[11] Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 296, 25.10.2012, p. 1).
[12] Commission Regulation (EU) No 1332/2011 of 16 December 2011 laying down common airspace usage requirements and operating procedures for airborne collision avoidance (OJ L 336, 20.12.2011, p. 20).
[15] https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/guidelines_design_verification_uas_medium_risk.pdf
[16] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018R1139).
[17] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32012R0748&qid=1622557691925).
[18] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0945).
[19] If the UAS has a DVR covering the full design, this may cover also the mitigation means.
[20] The flight technical error is the error between the actual track and the desired track (sometimes referred to as ‘the ability to fly the flight director’).
[21] If the UA is planned to operate at 120 m altitude, the ground risk buffer should at least be 120 m.
[22] In line with Figure 1 and point 2.3.1(c), the controlled area should encompass the flight geography, the contingency volume, and the ground risk buffer.
[23] EVLOS — A UAS operation whereby the remote pilot maintains uninterrupted situational awareness of the airspace in which the UAS operation is being conducted via visual airspace surveillance through one or more human VOs, possibly aided by technological means. The remote pilot has direct control of the UAS at all times.
[25] This mitigation is meant as a means to reduce the number of people at risk.
[26] This mitigation is meant as a means to reduce the energy absorbed by the people on the ground upon impact.
[27] In
the case of experimental flights that investigate new technical solutions, the
competent authority may accept that recognised standards are not met.
[28] The term ‘probable’ needs to be understood in its qualitative interpretation, i.e. ‘Anticipated to occur one or more times during the entire system/operational life of an item.’
[29] The term ‘failure’ needs to be understood as an occurrence that affects the operation of a component, part, or element such that it can no longer function as intended. Errors may cause failures, but are not considered to be failures. Some structural or mechanical failures may be excluded from the criterion if it can be shown that these mechanical parts were designed according to aviation industry best practices.
* The term ‘failure’ needs to be understood as an occurrence that affects the operation of a component, part, or element such that it can no longer function as intended. Errors may cause failures, but are not considered to be failures. Some structural or mechanical failures may be excluded from the criterion if it can be shown that these mechanical parts were designed according to aviation industry best practices.
[31] Final Means of Compliance with Light-UAS.2511 MOC Light-UAS.2511-01 - Issue 01 | EASA (europa.eu)
[32] EASA is developing MoC applicable to different UAS configurations. Until these are available, the competent authority may define means of compliance for special configurations (e.g. tethered drones) where a DVR may not be appropriate.
[33] A UAS operating under VLOS may be able to
comply with VFR.
[34] Commission Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 laying
down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services
and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No
1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No
730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1.
[35] The
usage of the word ‘controlled’ means that the UAS operator is not reliant on
the cooperation of other airspace users to implement an effective operational
restriction mitigation strategy.
[36] This
usage of the word ‘structure’ means air structure, airways, traffic procedures
and the like.
[37] This
usage of the word ‘structure’ means air structure, airways, traffic procedures
and the like.
[38] The
usage of the words ‘does not control’ means that the UAS operator does not have
control over the implementation of aviation structures and rules and is reliant
on the competent authority to implement structures and rules.
[39] The
installation of an electronic cooperative system would make the UAS a
cooperative aircraft in accordance with FAA Interim Operational Approval
Guidance 08-01, ’Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations in the U.S. National
Airspace System,’ Federal Aviation Administration, FAA/AIR-160, 2008.
[40] AEC
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 already have manned airspace rules and structures defined by
Regulation (EU) No 923/2012. Any UAS operating in these types of airspace shall
comply with the applicable airspace rules, regulations and safety requirements.
As such, no lowering of the ARC by common structures and rules is allowed, as
those mitigations have already been accounted for in the assessment of those
types of airspace. Lowering the ARC for rules and structures in AEC 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, and 11 would amount to double counting of the mitigations.
[41] AEC
10: the initial ARC is ARC-b. To lower the ARC in these volumes of airspace (to
ARC-a) requires the operational volume to meet one of the requirements of
atypical/segregated airspace.
[42] Although
the SORA takes into account the questionable effects of anti-collision
lighting, it also takes into account that the installation of anti-collision
lights is often relatively simple and has a net positive effect in preventing
collisions.
[43] Although
NOTAMs are used here as an example, the use of NOTAMs may not be acceptable
unless they cover all operations in VLL airspace. It is envisioned that a
separate system like that of NOTAMs, which specifically addresses the concerns
of VLL airspace, will fulfil this requirement.
[44] Although
flight plans and posting NOTAMS are used here as examples, the use of flight
plans and NOTAMs may not be acceptable unless they cover all operations in VLL
airspace. It is envisioned that a separate system, which specifically addresses
the concerns of VLL airspace, will fulfil this requirement.
[45] The
U-space regulation and the relevant adaptation of SERA will apply
[46] This
refers to possible future applications of an automated traffic management
separation service for unmanned aircraft in a U-space environment. These
applications may not exist as such today. A subscription to these services may
be required.
[47] For the purposes of this dissection, systems like ATC separation services would be considered to be machine assisted.
[48] External service should be understood as any service that is provided to the UAS operator, which is necessary to ensure the safety of a UAS operation and is provided by a service provider other than the UAS operator. Examples of external services are:
- provision of geographical zones data and geographical limitations (including orography);
- collection and transfer of occurrence data;
- training and assessment of remote pilots;
- communication services that support the C2 link and any other safety-related communication;
- services that support navigation, e.g. GNSS services (compliance with requirement UAS.STS-01.030(6) could be ensured by referring to the conditions of use of such services in the corresponding Service Definition Document (SDD) or an equivalent one if available.);
- provision of services related to flight planning and management, including related safety assessments; and
- U-space services, which are defined in the corresponding regulation(s) and may include one or more of the above-mentioned services.
[49] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[50] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[51] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[52] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the AO’s main responsibilities.
[53] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[54] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[55] Due to the lack of experience in the use of communication services for extending the C2 link coverage through communication networks (e.g. mobile networks) in the type of UAS operations that are addressed by this PDRA, the scope of the PDRA is initially limited to the coverage of a direct C2 Link (direct link between the control station and the UA). As more experience in the use of those communication services is gained, the conditions of this PDRA may be revised to encompass their uses.
[56] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[57] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[58] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[59] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[60] Member States are required to establish the appropriate measures (e.g. UAS geographical zones) to ensure this low probability of encounter. Such a low probability of encounter is equivalent to an ARC that is no higher than ARC-b. Thus, ARC-b is to be considered here as the highest residual (final) ARC.
[61] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[62] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[63] The closest point from the Earth should be considered.
[64] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[65] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the responsibilities of the UA observer.
[66] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[67] The containment requirements (reference to point 5 of Part 16 of Regulation (EU) 2019/945) should be demonstrated with a medium assurance level.
[68] Member States are required to establish the appropriate measures (e.g. UAS geographical zones) to ensure this low probability of encounter. Such low probability of encounter is equivalent to an ARC that is no higher than ARC-b. Thus, ARC-b is to be considered here as the highest residual (final) ARC.
[69] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[70] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[71] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[72] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the AO’s main responsibilities.
[73] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[74] The containment requirements (reference to points 4 and 5 of Part 17 of Regulation (EU) 2019/945) should be demonstrated with a ‘medium’ assurance level.
[75] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[76] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[77] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[78] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[79] Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation, amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1321/2007 and (EC) No 1330/2007 (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 18).
[80] Consisting in compliance with the provisions defined in the applicable national regulations. Local conditions should be published by each MS.
[81] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).
[82] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 of 1 March 2017 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions and their oversight, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377 and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011 (OJ L 62, 8.3.2017, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32017R0373&qid=1642077976836).
[83] ICAO Doc 7300 — Convention on International Civil Aviation.
[84] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 of 1 March 2017 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions and their oversight, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377 and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011 (OJ L 62, 8.3.2017, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32017R0373&qid=1642077976836).
[85] Colour red, RGB 255.,0,0
[86] Colour yellow, RGB 255.,255,0
[87] Colour green, RGB 0. 255,0
[88] Colour blue, RGB 0.,0, 255
[89] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91.
[90] Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
[91] Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC (OJ L 218 13.8.2008, p. 82).
[92] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 1).
[93] This
version of Article 23 is a compilation of the provisions related to the entry
into force and application dates of Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/639, (EU) 2020/746, and (EU) 2021/1166. For the official version of each of those Regulations,
please consult the Official Journal of
the European Union.
[94] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 45).
[95] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
[96] EASA is working within JARUS to amend Annex A to the SORA. When this activity will be completed (planned for 2022/Q2) the title of Annex A will be changed to ‘Operations manual’ and it will describe how the UAS operator should develop an operations manual with a content proportionate to SAIL of its operation. Annex A to the SORA will also replace AMC1 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e) and GM1 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e).
[97] Chapter 2 Events which may activate the Emergency Response Plan of the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) Safety Management Toolkit for Non-Complex Operators — Emergency Response Plan — A Template for Industry (2nd edition, October 2014) provides examples of emergency situations that are outside the scope of this AMC but may be required to be addressed by the UAS operator as part of the operational authorisation (https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/ehest-safety-management-toolkit-non-complexoperators-2nd).
[98] Chapter 5 Reaction to an emergency call of the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) Safety Management Toolkit for Non-Complex Operators — Emergency Response Plan — A Template for Industry (2nd edition, October 2014) (https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/ehest-safety-management-toolkit-non-complexoperators-2nd), and the ‘primary accident information sheet’ in its Section 5.1 may be a suitable reference for developing a procedure to indicate how to gather information from a third party on an emergency involving a UA of the UAS operator. Section 6.5 Crisis Log provides an example of a ‘crisis log’ that might be useful for developing a template to record the emergency situation and the response to it.
[99] Please refer to GM2 ADR.OPS.B.005(c) Aerodrome emergency planning (see AMC and GM to Authority, Organisation and Operations Requirements for Aerodromes), which defines the following three categories of exercises for emergency planning:
(a) full-scale exercises;
(b) partial emergency exercises; and
(c) tabletop exercises.
[100] For examples of such service providers, see the footnote in E.6 ‘OSOs related to the deterioration of external systems supporting UAS operations’ of Annex E to AMC1 Article 11 of the UAS Regulation.
[101] As defined by Regulation (EU) No 376/2014.
[102] OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
[103] Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys (OJ L 170, 30.6.2009, p. 1).
[104] Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (OJ L 157, 9.6.2006, p. 24).
[105] Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility (OJ L 96, 29.3.2014, p. 79).
[106] Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC (OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62).
[107] Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 82).
[108] Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001 on general product safety (OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4).
[109] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (see page 45 of this Official Journal).
[110] Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’) (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1).
[111] Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12).
[112] Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
[113] EASA Opinion No 01/2018 ‘Introduction of a regulatory framework for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the “open” and “specific” categories’ (RMT.0230), available at https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/opinions
[114] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/ eli/reg/2018/1139/oj)
[115] Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the organisation and use of the airspace in the single European sky (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p. 20).
[116] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1).
[117] Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation, amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1321/2007 and (EC) No 1330/2007 (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 18).
[118] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1).
[119] Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/640 of 23 April 2015 on additional airworthiness specifications for a given type of operations and amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (OJ L 106, 24.4.2015, p. 18).
[120] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1107 of 13 March 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down detailed rules for the continuing airworthiness of certified unmanned aircraft systems and their components, and on the approval of organisations and personnel involved in these tasks (OJ L, 2024/1107, 17.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/1107/oj).
[1] The published date represents the date when the consolidated version of
the document was generated.
[2] Euro-Lex, Important Legal Notice: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/content/legal-notice/legal-notice.html.
[3] This is the main date of application (i.e. the date from which an act or a provision in an act produces its full legal effects) as defined in the relevant cover regulation article. Some provisions of the regulations though may be applicable at a later date (deferred applicability). Besides, there may be some opt-outs (derogations from certain provisions) notified by the Member States.
[4] OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
[5] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (see page 1 of this Official Journal).
[6] Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys (OJ L 170, 30.6.2009, p. 1).
[7] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
[8] Commission
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the
common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and
procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No
1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No
730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1).
[9] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010 (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p. 1).
[10] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (recast) (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/748/oj)
[11] Commission Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 of 5 October 2012 laying down technical requirements and administrative procedures related to air operations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 296, 25.10.2012, p. 1).
[12] Commission Regulation (EU) No 1332/2011 of 16 December 2011 laying down common airspace usage requirements and operating procedures for airborne collision avoidance (OJ L 336, 20.12.2011, p. 20).
[16] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32018R1139).
[17] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32012R0748&qid=1622557691925).
[18] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R0945).
[20] The flight technical error is the error between the actual track and the desired track (sometimes referred to as ‘the ability to fly the flight director’).
[21] If the UA is planned to operate at 120 m altitude, the ground risk buffer should at least be 120 m.
[22] In line with Figure 1 and point 2.3.1(c), the controlled area should encompass the flight geography, the contingency volume, and the ground risk buffer.
[23] EVLOS — A UAS operation whereby the remote pilot maintains uninterrupted situational awareness of the airspace in which the UAS operation is being conducted via visual airspace surveillance through one or more human VOs, possibly aided by technological means. The remote pilot has direct control of the UAS at all times.
[25] This mitigation is meant as a means to reduce the number of people at risk.
[26] This mitigation is meant as a means to reduce the energy absorbed by the people on the ground upon impact.
[27] In
the case of experimental flights that investigate new technical solutions, the
competent authority may accept that recognised standards are not met.
[28] The term ‘probable’ needs to be understood in its qualitative interpretation, i.e. ‘Anticipated to occur one or more times during the entire system/operational life of an item.’
[29] The term ‘failure’ needs to be understood as an occurrence that affects the operation of a component, part, or element such that it can no longer function as intended. Errors may cause failures, but are not considered to be failures. Some structural or mechanical failures may be excluded from the criterion if it can be shown that these mechanical parts were designed according to aviation industry best practices.
* The term ‘failure’ needs to be understood as an occurrence that affects the operation of a component, part, or element such that it can no longer function as intended. Errors may cause failures, but are not considered to be failures. Some structural or mechanical failures may be excluded from the criterion if it can be shown that these mechanical parts were designed according to aviation industry best practices.
[31] Final Means of Compliance with Light-UAS.2511 MOC Light-UAS.2511-01 - Issue 01 | EASA (europa.eu)
[32] EASA is developing MoC applicable to different UAS configurations. Until these are available, the competent authority may define means of compliance for special configurations (e.g. tethered drones) where a DVR may not be appropriate.
[33] A UAS operating under VLOS may be able to
comply with VFR.
[34] Commission Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 laying
down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services
and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No
1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No
730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1.
[35] The
usage of the word ‘controlled’ means that the UAS operator is not reliant on
the cooperation of other airspace users to implement an effective operational
restriction mitigation strategy.
[36] This
usage of the word ‘structure’ means air structure, airways, traffic procedures
and the like.
[37] This
usage of the word ‘structure’ means air structure, airways, traffic procedures
and the like.
[38] The
usage of the words ‘does not control’ means that the UAS operator does not have
control over the implementation of aviation structures and rules and is reliant
on the competent authority to implement structures and rules.
[39] The
installation of an electronic cooperative system would make the UAS a
cooperative aircraft in accordance with FAA Interim Operational Approval
Guidance 08-01, ’Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations in the U.S. National
Airspace System,’ Federal Aviation Administration, FAA/AIR-160, 2008.
[40] AEC
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 already have manned airspace rules and structures defined by
Regulation (EU) No 923/2012. Any UAS operating in these types of airspace shall
comply with the applicable airspace rules, regulations and safety requirements.
As such, no lowering of the ARC by common structures and rules is allowed, as
those mitigations have already been accounted for in the assessment of those
types of airspace. Lowering the ARC for rules and structures in AEC 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, and 11 would amount to double counting of the mitigations.
[41] AEC
10: the initial ARC is ARC-b. To lower the ARC in these volumes of airspace (to
ARC-a) requires the operational volume to meet one of the requirements of
atypical/segregated airspace.
[42] Although
the SORA takes into account the questionable effects of anti-collision
lighting, it also takes into account that the installation of anti-collision
lights is often relatively simple and has a net positive effect in preventing
collisions.
[43] Although
NOTAMs are used here as an example, the use of NOTAMs may not be acceptable
unless they cover all operations in VLL airspace. It is envisioned that a
separate system like that of NOTAMs, which specifically addresses the concerns
of VLL airspace, will fulfil this requirement.
[44] Although
flight plans and posting NOTAMS are used here as examples, the use of flight
plans and NOTAMs may not be acceptable unless they cover all operations in VLL
airspace. It is envisioned that a separate system, which specifically addresses
the concerns of VLL airspace, will fulfil this requirement.
[45] The
U-space regulation and the relevant adaptation of SERA will apply
[46] This
refers to possible future applications of an automated traffic management
separation service for unmanned aircraft in a U-space environment. These
applications may not exist as such today. A subscription to these services may
be required.
[47] For the purposes of this dissection, systems like ATC separation services would be considered to be machine assisted.
[48] External service should be understood as any service that is provided to the UAS operator, which is necessary to ensure the safety of a UAS operation and is provided by a service provider other than the UAS operator. Examples of external services are:
- provision of geographical zones data and geographical limitations (including orography);
- collection and transfer of occurrence data;
- training and assessment of remote pilots;
- communication services that support the C2 link and any other safety-related communication;
- services that support navigation, e.g. GNSS services (compliance with requirement UAS.STS-01.030(6) could be ensured by referring to the conditions of use of such services in the corresponding Service Definition Document (SDD) or an equivalent one if available.);
- provision of services related to flight planning and management, including related safety assessments; and
- U-space services, which are defined in the corresponding regulation(s) and may include one or more of the above-mentioned services.
[49] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[50] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[51] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[52] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the AO’s main responsibilities.
[53] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[54] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[55] Due to the lack of experience in the use of communication services for extending the C2 link coverage through communication networks (e.g. mobile networks) in the type of UAS operations that are addressed by this PDRA, the scope of the PDRA is initially limited to the coverage of a direct C2 Link (direct link between the control station and the UA). As more experience in the use of those communication services is gained, the conditions of this PDRA may be revised to encompass their uses.
[56] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[57] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[58] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[59] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[60] Member States are required to establish the appropriate measures (e.g. UAS geographical zones) to ensure this low probability of encounter. Such a low probability of encounter is equivalent to an ARC that is no higher than ARC-b. Thus, ARC-b is to be considered here as the highest residual (final) ARC.
[61] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[62] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[63] The closest point from the Earth should be considered.
[64] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[65] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the responsibilities of the UA observer.
[66] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[67] The containment requirements (reference to point 5 of Part 16 of Regulation (EU) 2019/945) should be demonstrated with a medium assurance level.
[68] Member States are required to establish the appropriate measures (e.g. UAS geographical zones) to ensure this low probability of encounter. Such low probability of encounter is equivalent to an ARC that is no higher than ARC-b. Thus, ARC-b is to be considered here as the highest residual (final) ARC.
[69] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[70] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[71] The UAS operator should demonstrate that they have sufficient confidence in the accuracy of the information about the height of the UA and the means to advert and avoid other airspace users and obstacles in the vicinity of the UA.
[72] Please refer to point UAS.STS-02.050 for the AO’s main responsibilities.
[73] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[74] The containment requirements (reference to points 4 and 5 of Part 17 of Regulation (EU) 2019/945) should be demonstrated with a ‘medium’ assurance level.
[75] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[76] To be filled in by the UAS operator.
[77] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[78] Applicable from 1 July 2022.
[79] Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation, amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1321/2007 and (EC) No 1330/2007 (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 18).
[80] Consisting in compliance with the provisions defined in the applicable national regulations. Local conditions should be published by each MS.
[81] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation).
[82] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 of 1 March 2017 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions and their oversight, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377 and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011 (OJ L 62, 8.3.2017, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32017R0373&qid=1642077976836).
[83] ICAO Doc 7300 — Convention on International Civil Aviation.
[84] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/373 of 1 March 2017 laying down common requirements for providers of air traffic management/air navigation services and other air traffic management network functions and their oversight, repealing Regulation (EC) No 482/2008, Implementing Regulations (EU) No 1034/2011, (EU) No 1035/2011 and (EU) 2016/1377 and amending Regulation (EU) No 677/2011 (OJ L 62, 8.3.2017, p. 1) (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32017R0373&qid=1642077976836).
[85] Colour red, RGB 255.,0,0
[86] Colour yellow, RGB 255.,255,0
[87] Colour green, RGB 0. 255,0
[88] Colour blue, RGB 0.,0, 255
[89] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91.
[90] Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
[91] Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC (OJ L 218 13.8.2008, p. 82).
[92] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 of 12 March 2019 on unmanned aircraft systems and on third-country operators of unmanned aircraft systems (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 1).
[93] This
version of Article 23 is a compilation of the provisions related to the entry
into force and application dates of Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2020/639, (EU) 2020/746, and (EU) 2021/1166. For the official version of each of those Regulations,
please consult the Official Journal of
the European Union.
[94] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (OJ L 152, 11.6.2019, p. 45).
[95] Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1).
[96] EASA is working within JARUS to amend Annex A to the SORA. When this activity will be completed (planned for 2022/Q2) the title of Annex A will be changed to ‘Operations manual’ and it will describe how the UAS operator should develop an operations manual with a content proportionate to SAIL of its operation. Annex A to the SORA will also replace AMC1 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e) and GM1 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e).
[97] Chapter 2 Events which may activate the Emergency Response Plan of the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) Safety Management Toolkit for Non-Complex Operators — Emergency Response Plan — A Template for Industry (2nd edition, October 2014) provides examples of emergency situations that are outside the scope of this AMC but may be required to be addressed by the UAS operator as part of the operational authorisation (https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/ehest-safety-management-toolkit-non-complexoperators-2nd).
[98] Chapter 5 Reaction to an emergency call of the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) Safety Management Toolkit for Non-Complex Operators — Emergency Response Plan — A Template for Industry (2nd edition, October 2014) (https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/ehest-safety-management-toolkit-non-complexoperators-2nd), and the ‘primary accident information sheet’ in its Section 5.1 may be a suitable reference for developing a procedure to indicate how to gather information from a third party on an emergency involving a UA of the UAS operator. Section 6.5 Crisis Log provides an example of a ‘crisis log’ that might be useful for developing a template to record the emergency situation and the response to it.
[99] Please refer to GM2 ADR.OPS.B.005(c) Aerodrome emergency planning (see AMC and GM to Authority, Organisation and Operations Requirements for Aerodromes), which defines the following three categories of exercises for emergency planning:
(a) full-scale exercises;
(b) partial emergency exercises; and
(c) tabletop exercises.
[100] For examples of such service providers, see the footnote in E.6 ‘OSOs related to the deterioration of external systems supporting UAS operations’ of Annex E to AMC1 Article 11 of the UAS Regulation.
[101] As defined by Regulation (EU) No 376/2014.
[102] OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
[103] Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the safety of toys (OJ L 170, 30.6.2009, p. 1).
[104] Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on machinery, and amending Directive 95/16/EC (OJ L 157, 9.6.2006, p. 24).
[105] Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to electromagnetic compatibility (OJ L 96, 29.3.2014, p. 79).
[106] Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC (OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62).
[107] Decision No 768/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 on a common framework for the marketing of products, and repealing Council Decision 93/465/EEC (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 82).
[108] Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 December 2001 on general product safety (OJ L 11, 15.1.2002, p. 4).
[109] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft (see page 45 of this Official Journal).
[110] Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (‘Directive on electronic commerce’) (OJ L 178, 17.7.2000, p. 1).
[111] Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on European standardisation, amending Council Directives 89/686/EEC and 93/15/EEC and Directives 94/9/EC, 94/25/EC, 95/16/EC, 97/23/EC, 98/34/EC, 2004/22/EC, 2007/23/EC, 2009/23/EC and 2009/105/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Decision 87/95/EEC and Decision No 1673/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, p. 12).
[112] Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 339/93 (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, p. 30).
[113] EASA Opinion No 01/2018 ‘Introduction of a regulatory framework for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the “open” and “specific” categories’ (RMT.0230), available at https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/opinions
[114] Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2018 on common rules in the field of civil aviation and establishing a European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and amending Regulations (EC) No 2111/2005, (EC) No 1008/2008, (EU) No 996/2010, (EU) No 376/2014 and Directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 552/2004 and (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/91 (OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/ eli/reg/2018/1139/oj)
[115] Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the organisation and use of the airspace in the single European sky (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p. 20).
[116] Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 923/2012 of 26 September 2012 laying down the common rules of the air and operational provisions regarding services and procedures in air navigation and amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1035/2011 and Regulations (EC) No 1265/2007, (EC) No 1794/2006, (EC) No 730/2006, (EC) No 1033/2006 and (EU) No 255/2010, (OJ L 281, 13.10.2012, p.1).
[117] Regulation (EU) No 376/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 April 2014 on the reporting, analysis and follow-up of occurrences in civil aviation, amending Regulation (EU) No 996/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Directive 2003/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Regulations (EC) No 1321/2007 and (EC) No 1330/2007 (OJ L 122, 24.4.2014, p. 18).
[118] Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and production organisations (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1).
[119] Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/640 of 23 April 2015 on additional airworthiness specifications for a given type of operations and amending Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (OJ L 106, 24.4.2015, p. 18).
[120] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/1107 of 13 March 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down detailed rules for the continuing airworthiness of certified unmanned aircraft systems and their components, and on the approval of organisations and personnel involved in these tasks (OJ L, 2024/1107, 17.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/1107/oj).