UAS.SPEC.040 Issuing of an operational authorisation

OPERATIONAL AUTHORISATION TEMPLATE The competent authority should produce the operational authorisation according to the following form:

EASA Form 209 Instructions for filling in the operational authorisation form

1.1 Name of the competent authority that issues the operational authorisation, including the name of the State.

1.2 Contact details of the competent authority’s staff responsible for the file.

2.1 UAS operator’s registration number in accordance with Article 14 of the UAS Regulation.

2.2 UAS operator’s name, as registered in the UAS operator’s registration database. This is an optional field as the information may be retrieved from the UAS operator’s registration.

2.3 Contact details of the person responsible for the UAS operation, in charge to answer possible operational questions raised by the competent authority.

3.1 Location(s) where the UAS operator is authorised to operate. It should include the maximum flight altitude, expressed in metres and feet in parentheses, of the approved operational volume using the AGL reference when the upper limit is below 150 m (492 ft), or use the MSL reference when the upper limit is above 150 m (492 ft). The identification of the location(s) should contain the full operational volume and ground risk buffer (the red line in Figure 1). Depending on the initial ground and air risk classification determined using the SORA process and on the application of mitigations, the location(s) may be ‘generic’ or ‘precise’ (refer to GM2 UAS.SPEC.030(2)). When the UAS operation is conducted in a Member State other than the State of registration, the competent authority of the Member State of registration should specify the location(s) only after receiving confirmation from the State of operation, according to Article 13 of the UAS Regulation. In case of ‘precise’ locations, the information may be provided in a separate file listing all authorised locations using a file format to display geographic data (e.g. kml, Json, etc.).

[Figure or form omitted from this preview — available in the Avioverse workspace library.] Figure 1 — Operational area and ground risk buffer

3.2 Select one of the three options. If the SORA is used, indicate the edition date as defined in AMC1 Article 11. In case a PDRA is used, indicate the number and its edition date as defined in the applicable AMC to Article 11. In case a risk assessment methodology is used other than the SORA, provide its reference. In this last case, the UAS operator should demonstrate that the methodology complies with Article 11 of the UAS Regulation.

3.3 If the risk methodology used is the SORA, indicate the final SAIL of the operation, otherwise select ‘other’ and provide the equivalent information provided by the risk assessment methodology used.

3.7 If a qualitative measurement of the population density is used, then select one of the qualitative descriptors, otherwise check one of the descriptors linked to the maximum population density allowed.

3.9. If the SORA has been used, indicate the final risk class achieved after the application of the ground mitigations. If another risk assessment methodology has been used, indicate the equivalent information.

3.11.2 Describe the air risk tactical mitigation methods to be applied by the UAS operator (e.g. employ airspace observer(s) or UA observer(s), etc.).

3.13 If the UAS flight manual provided by the UAS designer indicates that it is designed with a level of automation that reduces the remote pilot’s workload allowing one remote pilot (RP) to control multiple UA simultaneously, then specify the number of UA that one remote pilot is permitted to control (e.g. in case one RP is able to control simultaneously five UA, indicate ‘RP:UA 1:5’). This number should not exceed the limit defined in the UAS flight manual. Additionally, the UAS operator may decide to have a pool of remote pilots controlling multiple UA simultaneously. In this case, clear procedures should be developed to define who is the pilot-in-command, responsible during each phase of flight (e.g. in case three RPs are permitted to control simultaneously ten UA, indicate ‘RP:UA 3:10’).

3.14 Specify the competency or the type of the remote pilot certificate, if required.

3.15 Specify the competency or the type of the certificate for the staff, other than the remote pilot, essential for the safety of the operation, if required.

3.16 List the type of events that the UAS operator should report to the competent authority, in addition to those required by Regulation (EU) No 376/2014, if applicable.

3.18 Indicate the compliance matrix file identification and revision number (e.g. the compliance matrix defined in Chapter A4 of Annex A to AMC1 Article 11 (SORA).

3.19 Free-text field where the competent authority may provide any additional relevant information. Section 4. This section may be replicated for all authorised UAS models to be used under this operational authorisation.

4.1 Name of the manufacturer of the UAS. This field is optional.

4.2 Model of the UAS as defined by the design organisation in the UAS flight manual. This field is optional.

4.3 Fixed-wing UA includes configurations such as aeroplanes, kites, gliders, etc. Rotorcraft-helicopter UA includes all vertical-lift configurations having up to 2 rotors. Rotorcraft-gyroplane UA is a special configuration with unpowered rotor. VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA), including rotorcraft, includes vertical-lift configurations with 3 or more rotors and fixed-wing UA capable of vertically taking off and landing. Lighter-than-air configurations include configurations such as airships, hot-air balloons, etc.

4.4 Indicate the maximum dimensions of the UA in metres (refer to definition I.141 ‘UA characteristic dimension’ in Annex I to AMC1 Article 11 (SORA)).

4.5 Indicate the maximum value, of the UA take-off mass (TOM), expressed in kg, at which the UA may be operated. All flights should be conducted without exceeding the specified TOM. The TOM maybe be different from (however, not exceeding) the MTOM defined by the UAS design organisation in the UAS flight manual. This field is optional.

4.6 Maximum operational airspeed, expressed in m/s and kt in parentheses, that the UA will not exceed during the operation. This should always be lower than the maximum speed defined in the UAS flight manual.

4.7 Indicate the type of C2 link to be used during the operation (e.g. radio link, LTE/5G, satellite, etc.).

4.8 Provide the size in km to be considered for the adjacent ground area, starting from the limits of the ground risk buffer using the instructions defined in Section S.4.8.4 of AMC1 Article 11 (SORA).

4.9 List any additional technical requirements established by the competent authority.

4.10 This field is mandatory in case the UA is registered according to Article 14(7) of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. If the UA is not registered, the NAA may indicate the unique serial number (SN) of the UA defined by the design organisation according to standard ANSI/CTA-2063-A-2019, Small Unmanned Aerial Systems Serial Numbers, 2019. In case of privately built UAS or UAS not equipped with a unique SN, insert the unique SN of the remote identification system. For UAS operations classified in SAIL V or higher, the serial numbers of all UAS should be provided and any change to them would require a prior approval from the competent authority. For UAS operations classified up to SAIL IV, a change to the serial number does not require prior approval from the competent authority.

4.11 Include the EASA TC number, or the UAS design verification report (DVR) number issued by EASA, if required by the competent authority.

4.12 If a UAS with an EASA TC is required, the UAS should have a certificate of airworthiness (CofA), and the competent authority should require compliance with the continuing airworthiness rules.

4.13 If a UAS with an EASA TC is required, the UAS should have a noise certificate. 5 Free-text field for the addition of any relevant remark.

6.1 Reference number of the operational authorisation, as issued by the competent authority. The number should have the following format: NNN-OAT-xxxxx/yyy Where: ‘NNN’ is the ISO 3166 Alpha-3 code of the Member State that issues the operational authorisation; ‘OAT’ is a fixed field meaning ‘operational authorisation’; ‘xxxxx’ are up to 12 alphanumeric characters defining the operational authorisation number; and ‘yyy’ are 3 alphanumeric characters defining the revision number of the operational authorisation; each amendment of the operational authorisation will determine a new revision number.

6.2 The duration of the operational authorisation may be unlimited; in this case, indicate ‘Unlimited’. The authorisation will be valid for as long as the UAS operator complies with the relevant requirements of the UAS Regulation and with the conditions defined in the operational authorisation. Note: The signature and stamp may be provided in electronic form. The quick response (QR) code should provide the link to the national database where the operational authorisation is stored.

OPERATIONAL AUTHORISATION TEMPLATE In order to facilitate mutual recognition in cases of cross-border operations, the competent authority should produce an English version of the operational authorisation.