CAA UK SORA Replace – sUAS Information

Pricey Stakeholder,

We’re writing to you as an UAS stakeholder to give you additional updates on the introduction of UK SORA.

Regards,

Head of RPAS (Purposes and Oversight)

Supervisor FS&I Coverage

UK Particular Operation Danger Evaluation (UK SORA) coverage and go reside
UK Particular Operation Danger Evaluation (UK SORA) shall be revealed week commencing 3 March 2025. The coverage will go reside on the identical time the UK SORA Software Service launches on the 23 April 2025.

UK SORA turns into Acceptable Technique of Compliance to Article 11 of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947 on the 23 April 2025.

UK SORA will make danger assessments for UAS operators extra clear and constant, whereas the brand new digital UK SORA Software Service is designed to ship a extra streamlined software course of.

UK SORA is a extra structured method to conducting a danger evaluation for UAS operations and relies on the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Techniques (JARUS) SORAv2.5. 

What does this imply for present PDRA-01 based mostly Operational Authorisation(OA) holders? PDRA-01 OAs are excluded from this replace. PDRA-01 shouldn’t be impacted by the introduction of the UK SORA Coverage.

How will a SORA based mostly software differ from an OSC based mostly software?
A UK SORA based mostly software has a number of advantages over the prevailing OSC based mostly technique.

• It makes use of a web-based digital software service that makes the appliance course of simpler to finish by guiding candidates by means of every of the SORA steps.
• CAP 722A is primarily a qualitative methodology and SORA is a extra quantitative methodology. Which means there shall be much less subjectivity and extra transparency within the analysis of your software.
• The UK SORA software service permits candidates to establish the mitigation strategies they must display utilizing a web-based calculator, earlier than selecting to proceed with the complete evaluation journey.
• The SORA is break up into two phases. This removes the present necessity for candidates to offer all assurance proof firstly of the appliance.
• The SORA framework and on-line platform offers you confidence that you’re offering the proof required to help the appliance.

Yow will discover out extra about UK SORA on the CAA web site.

Key dates

• Week commencing 3 March 2025: UK SORA coverage revealed however not in pressure.
• We are going to make the coverage accessible within the CAA regulatory library. We are going to e-mail you to let you already know when that is revealed
• Week commencing 3 March 2025: The Distant Pilot Competency Coverage shall be revealed.
• 23 April 2025: The UK SORA Software Service will go reside, and the UK SORA Coverage will come into pressure.

How are you serving to present OSC OA holders transfer to UK SORA? Present holders of an OSC have been contacted individually and despatched further info on the transfer to UK SORA.

How can I discover out extra about UK SORA?
We’re planning a programme of help over the following 12 months to assist operators transfer to the SORA methodology.

This may begin with two webinars which shall be revealed on the CAA YouTube channel to help the launch of UK SORA:

• Introduction to UK SORA – an outline of UK SORA and how one can apply for an OA following the UK SORA methodology, together with when it’s possible you’ll have to work together with the long run Distant Pilot Competency scheme and RAE(F)s.
• Transitioning OSC-based functions to UK SORA – an outline of the important thing variations between OSC / UKSORA danger evaluation methodology and how one can transition functions to take care of continuity of operations

These webinars shall be launched in keeping with the UK SORA Coverage in March 2025.

Following this, we’re planning additional updates to the business and help to assist operators by means of the method of utilizing SORA for the primary time.

I’m beginning a UK SORA software. Can I get particular recommendation from the CAA? We encourage operators who’re planning to use for an OA utilizing UK SORA to contact us as early as doable utilizing [email protected]. We are going to then arrange a name to study extra about your deliberate operation and supply recommendation in your particular software.

We’re dedicated to offering additional assist and help as we method the implementation of UK SORA and the UK SORA Software Service. If there are any questions you will have in regards to the rollout or software of UK SORA in your operation, please e-mail them to [email protected].

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