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ILT provides first Dutch operating licence based on PDRA
Last week, the Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) issued the first Dutch operating licence based on a pre-defined risk assessment (PDRA) according to European model to DroneWize. Thanks to the operational authorization, the company can start running various types of drone flights in the Specific category. A long application process preceded the issuance of the authorization.
Operating License Since
31/12/2020, drone operators have been dealing with a new system of rules for conducting drone flights. For low-risk drone operations, the Open category was created. Operators who want to run flights with a somewhat higher risk, for example because heavier drones will be flown above buildings or because they want to fly in controlled airspace (CTR), end up in the Specific category.
In
order to operate in the Specific category, one must first apply for a so-called operating permit from the ILT. This can be done in different ways: based on standard scenarios (STS) established by EASA, on the basis of self-prepared risk analyses (SORA), or on the basis of predefined risk analyses (PDRA). A PDRA is, as it were, between STS and SORA: part of the ‘homework’ has already been done in that case.
Declaring standard scenarios is currently not an option, because there are no drones on the market yet that have the required drone labels. Instead, EASA has created a number of more generic PDRAs. For example, an operator who wants to work on the basis of such a PDRA will still have to demonstrate how safety is ensured and how local air traffic control is cooperated in the event of flights within controlled airspace. To this end, an operational manual should be drawn up, describing all the procedures.
First PDRA authorization for DroneWize’s Specific
Remco Bruins is a relative newcomer to the profession. Bruins wanted to use drones for his business activities, but had not yet had a ROC-light or ROC permit on the basis of which he could derive more privileges than the Open Category offers during the transition year 2021. That meant that he had to go for the new Specific category, according to the European model. Bruins chose to go on the PDRA route. But there was a lot of attention to that, according to the explanation Bruins gave on the process:
