Contact

UAS operations in subcategory A2 shall comply with all of the following conditions:

be conducted in such a way that the unmanned aircraft does not overfly uninvolved persons and the UAS operations take place at a safe horizontal distance of at least 30 metres from them; the remote pilot may reduce the horizontal safety distance down to a minimum of 5 metres from uninvolved persons when operating an unmanned aircraft with an active low speed mode function and after evaluation of the situation regarding:

• weather conditions
• performance of the unmanned aircraft
• segregation of the overflown area

be performed by a remote pilot who is familiar with the user's manual provided by the manufacturer of the UAS and holds a certificate of remote pilot competency issued by GCAA. This certificate shall be obtained after complying with all of the following conditions and in the order indicated:

• passed the online theoretical knowledge examination
• completing a self-practical training in the operating conditions of the subcategory A3

declaring the completion of the self-practical training and passing an additional theoretical knowledge examination provided by GCAA. The examination shall comprise at least 30 multiple-choice questions aimed at assessing the remote pilot's knowledge of the technical and operational mitigations for ground risk, distributed appropriately across the following subjects:

• meteorology
• UAS flight performance
• technical and operational mitigations for ground risk

be performed with an unmanned aircraft which is classified as class C2 and is operated with active and updated direct remote identification and geo-awareness systems.

UAS operations in subcategory A3 shall comply with all of the following conditions:

be conducted in an area where the remote pilot reasonably expects that no uninvolved person will be endangered within the range where the unmanned aircraft is flown during the entire time of the UAS operation;
be conducted at a safe horizontal distance of at least 150 metres from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas;
be performed by a remote pilot who has passed an online theoretical knowledge examination as defined in UAS operations in subcategory A1;
be performed with an unmanned aircraft that:

• has an MTOM, including payload, of less than 25 kg; or
• is marked as class C2 and complies with the requirements of that class and is operated with active and updated direct remote identification and geo-awareness systems; or
• is marked as class C3 and complies with the requirements of that class and is operated with active and updated direct remote identification and geo-awareness systems; or
• is marked as class C4 and complies with the requirements of that class.
• is marked as class C5 and complies with the requirements of that class.
• is marked as class C6 and complies with the requirements of that class.

A class C1 UAS shall comply with the following:

• be made of materials and have performance and physical characteristics such as to ensure that in the event of an impact at terminal velocity with a human head, the energy transmitted to the human head is less than 80 J, or, as an alternative, shall have an MTOM of less than 900 g, including payload;
• have a maximum speed in level flight of 19 m/s;
• have a maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m or be equipped with a system that limits the height above the surface or above the take-off point to 120 m or to a value selectable by the remote pilot;
• in case of a loss of data link, have a reliable and predictable method for the UA to recover the data link or terminate the flight in a way that reduces the effect on third parties in the air or on the ground;
• be powered by electricity and have a nominal voltage not exceeding 24 V DC or the equivalent AC voltage;
• have a direct remote identification that:
  • allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number;
  • ensures, in real time during the whole duration of the flight, the direct periodic broadcast from the UA using an open and documented transmission protocol;
• be equipped with a geo-awareness system that provides:
  • an interface to load and update data containing information on airspace limitations related to UA position and altitude imposed by the geographical zones;
  • a warning alert to the remote pilot when a potential breach of airspace limitations is detected; and
  • information to the remote pilot on the UA's status as well as a warning alert when its positioning or navigation systems cannot ensure the proper functioning of the geo-awareness system;
• provide the remote pilot with clear warning when the battery of the UA or its control station reaches a low level so that the remote pilot has sufficient time to safely land the UA;
• be equipped with lights for the purpose of:
  • the controllability of the UA;
  • the conspicuity of the UA at night;
• if equipped with a follow-me mode and when this function is on, be in a range not exceeding 50 m from the remote pilot, and make it possible for the remote pilot to regain control of the UA;

A class C2 UAS shall comply with the following:

• have an MTOM of less than 4 kg, including payload;
• have a maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m or be equipped with a system that limits the height above the surface or above the take-off point to 120 m or to a value selectable by the remote pilot;
• in the case of a tethered UA, have a tensile length of the tether that is less than 50 m and a mechanical strength that is no less than:
  • for heavier-than-air aircraft, 10 times the weight of the aerodyne at maximum mass;
  • for lighter-than-air aircraft, 4 times the force exerted by the combination of the maximum static thrust and the aerodynamic force of the maximum allowed wind speed in flight;
• unless tethered, in case of a loss of data link, have a reliable and predictable method for the UA to recover the data link or terminate the flight in a way that reduces the effect on third parties in the air or on the ground;
• unless tethered, be equipped with a data link protected against unauthorised access to the command and control functions;
• unless it is a fixed-wing UA, be equipped with a low-speed mode selectable by the remote pilot and limiting the maximum cruising speed to no more than 3 m/s.
• be powered by electricity and have a nominal voltage not exceeding 48 V DC or the equivalent AC voltage;
• unless tethered, have a direct remote identification that:
  • allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number;
  • ensures, in real time during the whole duration of the flight, the direct periodic broadcast from the UA using an open and documented transmission protocol;
• be equipped with a geo-awareness function that provides:
  • an interface to load and update data containing information on airspace limitations related to UA position and altitude imposed by the geographical zones;
  • a warning alert to the remote pilot when a potential breach of airspace limitations is detected; and
  • information to the remote pilot on the UA's status as well as a warning alert when its positioning or navigation cannot ensure the proper functioning of the geo-awareness system;
• provide the remote pilot with clear warning when the battery of the UA or its control station reaches a low level such that the remote pilot has sufficient time to safely land the UA;
• be equipped with lights for the purpose of:
  • controllability of the UA;
  • conspicuity of the UA at night;

A class C3 UAS shall comply with the following:

• have an MTOM of less than 25 kg, including payload, and have a maximum characteristic dimension of less than 3 m;
• have a maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m or be equipped with a system that limits the height above the surface or above the take-off point to 120 m or to a value selectable by the remote pilot;
• in the case of a tethered UA, have a tensile length of the tether that is less than 50 m and a mechanical strength of no less than:
  • for heavier-than-air aircraft, 10 times the weight of the aerodyne at maximum mass;
  • for lighter-than-air aircraft, 4 times the force exerted by the combination of the maximum static thrust and the aerodynamic force of the maximum allowed wind speed in flight;
• unless tethered, in case of a loss of data link, have a reliable and predictable method for the UA to recover the data link or terminate the flight in a way that reduces the effect on third parties in the air or on the ground;
• be powered by electricity and have a nominal voltage not exceeding 48 V DC or the equivalent AC voltage;
• unless tethered, have a direct remote identification that:
  • allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number;
  • ensures, in real time during the whole duration of the flight, the direct periodic broadcast from the UA using an open and documented transmission protocol;
• be equipped with a geo-awareness function that provides:
  • an interface to load and update data containing information on airspace limitations related to UA position and altitude imposed by the geographical zones;
  • a warning alert to the remote pilot when a potential breach of airspace limitations is detected; and
  • information to the remote pilot on the UA's status as well as a warning alert when its positioning or navigation cannot ensure the proper functioning of the geo-awareness system;
• unless tethered, be equipped with a data link protected against unauthorised access to the command and control functions;
• provide the remote pilot with clear warning when the battery of the UA or its control station reaches a low level such that the remote pilot has sufficient time to safely land the UA;
• be equipped with lights for the purpose of:
  • controllability of the UA;
  • conspicuity of the UA at night;

A class C4 UAS shall comply with the following:

• have an MTOM of less than 25 kg, including payload;
• be safely controllable and manoeuvrable by a remote pilot following the manufacturer's instructions, as necessary under all anticipated operating conditions including following the failure of one or, if appropriate, more systems;
• not be capable of automatic control modes except for flight stabilisation assistance with no direct effect on the trajectory and lost link assistance provided that a pre-determined fixed position of the flight controls in case of lost link is available;