Risks in UAS operations must be identified to be in line with the safety regulation. Thales has released a white paper dedicated to drone operators to enable risk assessments and to provide guidelines to comply with European rules.

Commercial drones (or Unmanned Air Systems/UAS) are revolutionizing industry and opening up new markets by enabling physical and visual access to places that were previously beyond reach. They support a wealth of new applications, from inspecting industrial facilities, major transport, and energy infrastructure, to the surveillance of specific areas of interest. But for commercial drones to fulfil this vital role, they must meet high safety standards – which implies the use of compact, cutting-edge technology.

The new regulatory framework for drone operations

Making large-scale drone operations a reality requires a complete ecosystem of systems and technologies, both on the ground and in the air. Moreover, as the number of drones in flight continues to grow, it is important to focus not just on the platform itself but also on airspace management considerations.

In 2012, the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) published an initial law that sought to enhance safety during civil drone operations. The accompanying regulatory scenarios provided an all-important boost for the domestic drone industry, placing France at the forefront of the sector globally. The European Commission, via the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), subsequently decided to harmonize the legislative framework governing the use of civil drones.

Assessing risk through the SORA methodology

In June 2019, the EASA published guidelines on the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA).

The SORA provides a logical process to analyse the proposed Concept of Operations (ConOps) and establish an adequate level of confidence that the operation can be conducted with an acceptable level of risk. The SORA focuses on the assessment of ground and air risk. The SORA groups drone operations into three categories, with associated operating rules and technical requirements for each:

  • Open category: applies to drones under 25 kg conducting visual line of sight (VLOS) flights at a maximum altitude of 120 m above ground level (AGL).
  • Specific category: comprises a series of standard scenarios; for operations that fall outside these scenarios, the operator must conduct a risk assessment using the SORA methodology.
  • Certified category: applies to high-risk operations, which are subject to certification by the EASA.

The white paper demonstrates Ground (GRC) and Air (ARC) Risks Class relating to the unmitigated risk of the operation taking into account the type of operation and the conditions under which it takes place. When identifying the possible mitigation measures necessary to meet the proposed target level of safety, several possibilities should be considered.

Thales's risk mitigation solutions for drone operations

Thales's ScaleFlyt product line – a complete ecosystem of products and equipment backed by a digital platform – is designed to be compatible with drones of all classes and sizes, seamlessly integrating with existing technologies. Built on best practices, the ScaleFlyt suite of systems and tools is designed to support safe and secure drone operations.

Click here to download the white paper