Updates to European Drone Regulations: Safe Flights with the Elios 3

While drones are amazing tools that can make inspections safer, faster, and more efficient, they must be used safely. To that end, the European Union (EU) has been introducing drone compliance laws since 2021 to ensure that drones are used correctly. These laws are specific to drone flights outdoors. Currently, there are no official regulations on drone operations conducted fully indoors. 

Through the outdoor drone laws, the EU aims to mitigate the risks of drones being a danger to people or equipment, including careful restrictions around airspace. The rules set by the EU were created to address the rising prevalence of drones as well as the variety of sizes of drones and their uses. In this article, we’ll give you an overview of the rules, the key information to know, and how these rules affect the safe usage of Elios drones. 

Overview of the rules for safe outdoor drone use in Europe

The EU has been regulating drones in a large capacity since 2021 via the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This has been necessary due to the high uptake of drone usage in combination with the growing capabilities of drones and concerns over misuse, such as drones flying in proximity to restricted air spaces. The rules set out by the EASA are applicable in the 27 member states, in addition to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The UK has separate rules that have some similarities to EASA. 

Although the Elios 3 drone is designed for indoor use, many missions involve some portion of the flight to be outdoors. As a result, Elios 3 pilots in the affected countries must be aware of and comply with the EASA rules. 

The comparisons of different outdoor drone categories under EASA regulations

Through the EU drone laws, the use of drones are divided into certain categories according to their size and use. These 3 categories are:

1. Open - this category is for lower risk operations where the drone is always in sight and never exceeds an altitude of 120 meters. There are 3 subcategories of this classification, which are A1, A2, and A3. The risks associated with this type of operation are low and do not need authorization from a National Aviation Authority before flight. Some Elios 3 operations fall under this category. 
2. Specific - this category is for advanced operations, such as flights that are beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) or in proximity to people - Operations Over People (OOP), or for multi-drone flights as in fleets. For operations in the Specific Category, except for operations under a Standard scenario, the pilot or operator of the drone must have operational authorization from the national authority before they take off.  Some Elios 3 operations fall under this category. 
3. Certified - this is for higher-risk operations. Operations in this category could include drone taxis or the transport of hazardous goods. The drone and the pilot must be certified. 

When a drone operation cannot ensure the operational limitations defined within the “Open Category”, the operation should be conducted according to the Specific category where the EASA requires the pilot to get approval from the National Aviation Authority (NAA). This approval must also be in line with one of the four possibilities offered by the Specific category (STS, PDRA, SORA, and LUC).  

Depending on the nature of the mission, Elios 3 missions may fall under the Specific or Open categories. 

The Specific Category for Drones in Europe 

There are 4 different ways to operate within the Specific category: 

• STS (Standard Scenario) 
  • Here, a C5 marked drone is required to operate under the STS-01 scenario or C6 under the STS-02. For example, STS-01 allows flights from the visual line of sight (VLOS) in an urban area. A simple declaration would need to be sent to the national authority.
• PDRA (Pre-defined Risk Assessment) 
  • This is a straightforward risk assessment that requires simple approval from the NAA. This can be for flying close to obstacles in low-populated areas with the PDRA G03, for example. 
• SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) 
  • SORA is a methodology for the classification of the risk posed by a drone flight in the Specific category. This risk classification technique is used to get approval from the NAA. This can be required due to work in densely populated areas or airspace where the risk of encountering manned aviation is high. 
• LUC (Light UAS Operator Certificate)  
  • The LUC is an optional operational certificate which, if obtained, guarantees some privileges to its holder. The highest privilege may be the possibility to start operations in the Specific category without needing operational authorization from the NAA. 

Although the Elios 3 is used for indoor flights, pilots must compley with relevant EASA laws

Highlighting SORA 

SORA, or Specific Operations Risk Assessment, is a 10-part process that helps pilots define the scope and purpose of their mission in a way that can be clearly understood by the NAA. Within SORA, there are 4 major steps: 

• Ground Risk Class (GRC) 
• Air Risk Class (ARC) 
• Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) 
• Operational Safety Objective (OSO) 

It should be noted that currently, SORA 2.0 is in place but SORA 2.5 is expected to be the update to the regulation and should be announced towards the end of 2024. 

Certifications for Elios 3 pilots: what’s needed? 

Drone pilots must all be registered according to the use of their drone, with specific uses naturally requiring more remote pilot training. Even with various certification levels, it may still be necessary to get NAA permission for certain missions. We expect this for various flights with the Elios 3 as these drones are used for professional inspections and thus, are more likely to be working in complex environments or even in restricted airspace. Although the Elios is a drone designed for confined spaces, up to 70% of flights with the Elios drone take place at least partially outdoors, and even the short flight from take off point to the entrance of a sewer manhole must be subject to EASA regulations. 

The Elios 3 is designed for indoor missions but any flight outdoors must comply with the EU drone laws in affected countries

What should you do if you own an Elios 3? 

• All drone pilots falling under the jurisdiction of the EASA and the additional countries that comply with its laws must register with the National Aviation Authority in their country. With the Elios 3, you will likely need to get A3 sub-category training, which is part of the Open Category. For more complex missions in the Specific Category, additional training and certification may be required (A2 for example).
• Make sure that your pilot registration number from your NAA is clearly shown on your device. Failure to do this may be taken as non-compliance with the EU regulations and result in legislative action.

The pilot registration must be clearly marked on the drone, as done here with a sticker

• Plan your flights carefully - ensure no flights take place in no-fly zones unless you have authorization from the no-fly zone manager, and that you are taking off in optimal conditions. It is far better to be prepared and cautious than to be in breach of rules that could result in a fine or limits to your autonomous drone use.

If you are an Elios user and have any further questions, please reach out to our team. Otherwise, you can learn more on the EASA website. Happy flying!