Blog SORA
Drone Regulation – What to expect in 2023?
Looking back at 2022, allows us to perceive the low hanging fruits of one of the main aviation transformation since the Chicago Convention in 1944. The drone industry and regulators have worked over the past years hands in hands in order to elaborate a new paradigm for this new aviation sector: the EU drone regulation. This new paradigm is now becoming increasingly measurable.
EU Drone Regulation – What changes for the Swiss Drone Market?
On Friday 25th of November 2022, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation Switzerland announced that the Reg. (EU) 2019/947 & 2019/945 will enter into force on the 1st of January 2023. Many operators and pilots believe that this regulation will bring an important layer of complexity for the swiss industy.
10 tips to rapidly obtain a SORA authorisation
Obtaining a SORA authorisation is a rather complex endeavour and might cost you a highly valuable time if you have not been dealing with Specific Operations Risk Assessments (SORAs) so far. Even for more experienced aviation professionals, the SORA might be a complex methodology to use.
Can Agriculture drones revolutionize winemaking?
Since 2017, a rather interesting use case in agriculture evolved in which many companies have now started to provide services. Agriculture drones are making the application of pesticides on cultures and especially vineyards possible.
To know more about the SORA, get our ultimate SORA guide to determine your SAIL !
click to see preview
The Specific Operations Risk Assessment commonly known as SORA is a comprehensive risk analysis which will allow the civil aviation authorities (CAA) to understand the risks related to a specific drone operation. This evaluation classifies the risk of the overall operation in 6 levels (SAILs) proportionate to the level of risk of the overall operation. The lowest will correspond to very low risk operation similar to those of low weight drones operated in the open category while the highest will correspond to risks similar to the ones of the certified manned aircraft (EASA Part 21).
The SORA will help you and your CAA understand which risks underlie your operation and will then inform you on what must be done in order to ensure safety of the operation. For a SAIL I operation, you will have, for instance, to show basic maintenance and procedures, while at a SAIL VI, the SORA methodology will require your aircraft to be certified, your procedures to be verified and your pilots to undergo extensive trainings. The Operational Safety Objectives (OSOs) will inform you about the requirements for your specific operation (Maintenance, Training, Procedures, Design, Manufacturing etc…) depending on your exact risk level.
For practical tips on how to write a SORA, we have also published a shorter article: Ten tips to successfully and rapidly obtain a SORA authorisation.
“It is an excellent document which summarizes very well the issues of SORA, opens up on the expectations of the various uropean authorities and shows where the support of an aeronautical expert can help”
Jean-Eric Chevillot – Global expert of airborne mission systems
