Revised Drone Guidelines by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) in 2019/947

The European Union has introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations within the EU, ensuring safety, security, and efficient use of airspace as drone activities increase. This framework includes EASA Regulation 2019/947 for operational framework and Regulation 2019/945 for technical requirements, as well as the U-space regulations (EU 2021/664-666).

Key Terms and Definitions

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) or drone: A combination of an unmanned aircraft and its control and monitoring unit.
Open Category: A risk-based category for low-risk drone operations, mostly consumer and simple professional uses such as photography.
Specific Category: Operations that exceed Open category limits or risk levels, requiring authorization from the competent authority based on operational risk assessment.
Certified Category: For the highest risk drone operations, including those equivalent to manned aviation rules, requiring certification of the drone and the operator.
Remote Pilot: The person who actually controls the drone during the flight, responsible for safe operations.
Operator: The legal entity responsible for the drone operation, holding authorization or submitting operational declarations as required; different from the remote pilot.
Standard Scenarios (STS): Predefined operational scenarios in the Specific category used to simplify authorization for operations with moderate, well-defined risks.
Class Markings / Class Labels (C0 to C6): Designations on drones indicating performance and technical requirements.
Remote ID: An electronic identification system mandated by EASA from 1 January 2024, requiring drones in Open and Specific categories to broadcast unique operator and drone identification, position, altitude, and take-off point.
Visual Line of Sight (VLOS): The requirement that a remote pilot keeps direct unaided visual contact with the drone throughout the flight.
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS): Operations where the drone flies beyond the remote pilot’s direct visual observation.
U-space: A set of advanced drone traffic management services for safe, secure, and efficient access to airspace by drones.

Other Important Terms

Flight Geography: The volume(s) of airspace defined spatially and temporally in which the UAS operator plans to conduct the operation under normal procedures.
C2 Link: The data link between the unmanned aircraft and the command unit for managing the flight.
Operational Volume: The combination of the flight geography and the contingency volume.
Adjacent Area and Adjacent Airspace: Defined zones near the operational area or airspace that may affect or be affected by UAS operations.
Payload: Equipment or instruments carried by the UAS that are not part of its core systems.
UAS Manufacturer: The entity responsible for designing and producing UAS and ensuring compliance with technical standards.
Cross-Border Operations: UAS operations conducted across international boundaries, requiring coordination between national aviation authorities.
Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM): The maximum Unmanned Aircraft mass, including payload and fuel, as defined by the manufacturer or the builder.
Ground Control Station (Command Unit): Equipment used to remotely control the UAS.
Ground Risk Buffer: An area over the surface of the earth, which surrounds the operational volume and is specified to minimize the risk to third parties on the surface in the event of the unmanned aircraft leaving the operational volume.
UAS Operator: Any legal or natural person operating or intending to operate one or more UAS.
Unmanned Aircraft Observer: A person assisting the remote pilot by visually observing the aircraft to ensure safe operations.
Ground Risk Class: The intrinsic UAS ground risk relating to the probability of a person being struck by the UAS in the event of a loss of control.
Direct Remote Identification: A local broadcast system providing information about a UAS in operation.
Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP): Organizations providing air traffic management and other services to ensure safe airspace operations.
Civil Aviation Authority/National Aviation Authority (CAA/NAA): Regulatory bodies overseeing UAS operations and ensuring compliance with aviation laws.
Software Platform: A tool offering compliance management, flight planning, and risk assessment services.
U-Space Service Provider (USSP): Entities providing services to enable safe and efficient UAS operations within the U-Space framework (i.e. within U-space Airspace).
Remote ID: A system enabling the identification of a UAS during operations by broadcasting information such as the operator’s details and flight location.
Air Risk Class (ARC): A qualitative classification of the rate at which a UAS would encounter a manned aircraft in typical generalized civil airspace.
Operations Manual (OM): A document prepared by the UAS operator detailing procedures and measures to ensure safe and compliant operations.
C3 Link: An extension of the C2 link that includes communication links necessary for safe operation.

Additional Concepts

Strategic Mitigations: Risk mitigations applied before an operation to reduce the likelihood of encountering hazardous conditions, such as planning and airspace deconfliction.
Tactical Mitigation Performance Requirements (TMPR): Measures applied during the operation to address risks as they arise, ensuring safety in dynamic conditions.
Concept of Operations (ConOps): A high-level description of the intended UAS operation, detailing the operational objectives, procedures, environments, and constraints. It serves as a foundational document for planning and executing safe and compliant UAS operations.
Emergency Response Plan (ERP): A predefined plan outlining the actions to take in response to emergencies during UAS operations.
Consultancy Services: Specialized guidance for enterprises, governments, and manufacturers navigating regulatory requirements for UAS operations.
Operational Safety Objectives (OSO): Safety targets set for UAS operations to mitigate specific risks.
Contingency Volume: The volume of airspace outside the flight geography where contingency (i.e. abnormal) procedures are applied.
Geo-Awareness: A function that detects potential breaches of airspace limitations and alerts the remote pilot to prevent them.
Adjacent Area and Adjacent Airspace: Defined zones near the operational area or airspace that may affect or be affected by UAS operations.
Payload Operator: A person managing the equipment or instruments carried by the UAS that are not part of its core systems.
Airspace Observer: A person responsible for visually scanning the airspace to detect potential hazards during UAS operations.
Robustness: The property of mitigation measures resulting from combining the safety gain provided by the mitigation measures and the level of assurance and integrity that the safety gain has been achieved.
Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL): A metric used to determine the level of assurance and integrity required for a UAS operation, based on its complexity and risk profile.
U-space regulations (2021/664-666): Provide guidelines for integrating UAS into manned airspace.
External Systems: Systems supporting UAS operations but not part of the UAS itself, such as GNSS or air traffic management tools.
Contact Us: An invitation to learn more about how the software platform and consultancy services can support drone operations.

This regulatory framework provides common standards for various stakeholders, including drone manufacturers, operators, remote pilots, and aviation authorities, ensuring safety, security, and efficient use of airspace as drone activities increase.

The European Union has introduced a comprehensive regulatory framework for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations, which includes safety, security, and efficient use of airspace.
This framework includes EASA Regulation 2019/947 for operational framework, Regulation 2019/945 for technical requirements, and U-space regulations (EU 2021/664-666).
A drone, also known as an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), is a combination of an unmanned aircraft and its control and monitoring unit.
The framework introduces categories such as Open, Specific, and Certified for drone operations, based on risk levels.
The Open category consists of low-risk drone operations like consumer and simple professional uses, such as photography.
Specific category operations exceed Open category limits or risk levels and require authorization from the competent authority based on operational risk assessment.
The highest-risk drone operations, including those equivalent to manned aviation rules, fall under the Certified category and require certification of the drone and the operator.
A remote pilot is responsible for the safe operations of the drone during the flight.
The operator, the legal entity responsible for the drone operation, holds authorization or submits operational declarations as required.
Standard Scenarios (STS) are predefined operational scenarios in the Specific category used to simplify authorization for operations with moderate, well-defined risks.
Class Markings (C0 to C6) are designations on drones indicating their performance and technical requirements.
Remote ID is an electronic identification system mandated by EASA from 1 January 2024 for drones in Open and Specific categories.
Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) requires the remote pilot to keep direct unaided visual contact with the drone throughout the flight.
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations involve the drone flying beyond the remote pilot’s direct visual observation.
U-space is a set of advanced drone traffic management services for safe, secure, and efficient access to airspace by drones.
Flight Geography defines the volume(s) of airspace where the UAS operator plans to conduct the operation under normal procedures.
The C2 Link is the data link between the unmanned aircraft and the command unit for managing the flight.
The Operational Volume is the combination of the flight geography and the contingency volume.
The Adjacent Area and Adjacent Airspace are defined zones near the operational area or airspace that may affect or be affected by UAS operations.
The Payload refers to equipment or instruments carried by the UAS that are not part of its core systems.
The UAS Manufacturer is responsible for designing and producing UAS and ensuring compliance with technical standards.
Cross-Border Operations involve UAS operations conducted across international boundaries, requiring coordination between national aviation authorities.
Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM) is the maximum Unmanned Aircraft mass, including payload and fuel.
The Ground Control Station (Command Unit) is equipment used to remotely control the UAS.
The Ground Risk Buffer is an area over the surface of the earth, which surrounds the operational volume, to minimize the risk to third parties.
The UAS Operator is any legal or natural person operating or intending to operate one or more UAS.
The Unmanned Aircraft Observer is a person who visually observes the aircraft to ensure safe operations.
The Ground Risk Class is the intrinsic UAS ground risk relating to the probability of a person being struck by the UAS in the event of a loss of control.
Direct Remote Identification is a local broadcast system providing information about a UAS in operation.
The Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) provides air traffic management and other services to ensure safe airspace operations.
The Civil Aviation Authority/National Aviation Authority (CAA/NAA) oversees UAS operations and ensures compliance with aviation laws.
Software Platform offers compliance management, flight planning, and risk assessment services.
U-Space Service Provider (USSP) entities provide services to enable safe and efficient UAS operations within the U-Space framework.

Revised Drone Guidelines by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) in 2019/947