SORA, STS & PDRA

Specific Operations Risk Assessment

The SORA is the foundation for all UAS operations in the EASA Specific Category. We guide you through the process and get your operational authorisation.

SORA, STS & PDRA

Obtaining an operational authorization from your CAA requires you to perform a Specific Operations Risk Assessment, declare compliance with a Standard Scenario or apply through a Pre-Defined Risk Assessment. No matter which form suits your operation best, our consultants can get your operation approved.

EASA – SORA

1. Specific Operations Risk Assessment

About the SORA
The SORA was developed by JARUS to guide both UAS operators and Civil Aviation Authorities in determining whether a type of UAS operation (Concept of Operations, ConOps) can be conducted in a safe manner. Through applying the SORA, you can determine both the risks on the ground (Ground Risk Class, GRC) and in the air (Air Risk Class, ARC) caused by the UAS operation. It also provides mitigations that can reduce these risks to an acceptable level.

Specific Assurance and Integrity Level
By combining the final GRC and ARC, the generic safety level (called Specific Assurance and Integrity Level, SAIL) of the UAS operation can be determined. The SAIL then provides requirements (called Operational Safety Objectives, OSO) that must be complied with by both the UAS operator (e.g., operations manual), the remote pilots (theoretical and practical training), and the UAS and its external systems and services.

How we can help
Writing your ConOps, properly performing a SORA, and developing the required documentation requires extensive knowledge and experience with this methodology. Also, CAA’s often provide feedback on your SORA and developed documents. Our consultants have been working with SORA since its inception and have been working with many CAA’s throughout Europe. They can support you in applying for an operational authorization. We also offer specific trainings and courses for (unmanned) aviation professionals who want to know the ins and outs of the SORA methodology or UAS regulations.

Working with SORA requires in-depth knowledge and experience with this risk assessment methodology.

Current EASA STS and PDRA

EASA – STS

2. Standard Scenario

Standard Scenarios have been introduced by EASA for only a few specific types of UAS operations with low risk. As a UAS operator, you do not have to perform the SORA yourself; however, you do have to implement a list of requirements related to your organization (e.g., an operations manual), the remote pilots (obtain the right STS-certificate), and UAS (remote ID and Cx-marking). After implementing these requirements, you can provide a declaration to your CAA and start operating.

Although using an STS requires less knowledge of the SORA methodology, you still have to write an operations manual, get the proper training, and select the right UAS that fulfills the remote ID and Cx-marking requirements. Our consultants can help you in getting these things in order and will help you ensure compliance in case of an audit by the CAA.

EASA – PDRA

3. Pre-Defined Risk Assessment

PDRA’s have been introduced by EASA to support UAS operators with obtaining authorization for a few specific types of operations that cannot be covered by declaring compliance with an STS. As with an STS, you do not have to perform the SORA but are required to implement a list of requirements related to your organization (e.g., an operations manual), the remote pilots (theoretical and practical training), and the UAS and its external systems and services. After implementing these requirements, you can apply for operational authorization with your CAA.

As with an STS, a PDRA requires less knowledge of the SORA methodology, but you still have to write an operations manual, get the proper training, and provide supporting documentation for your UAS. Our consultants can help you in getting these things in order and will support you with your application at the CAA.