Basic information about different types of
flight and how the regulations apply
Unmanned aircraft
come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from small hand launched types,
all the way up to large aircraft that could be the same size as an airliner. Just like ‘traditional’ manned aircraft, they
may be of a fixed wing design, rotary winged, or a combination of both.
Unmanned aircraft may also be referred to as:
- Drones
- Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)
- Model Aircraft
- Radio Controlled Aircraft
Regardless of the
name used, they all share the common characteristic that the person responsible
for piloting the aircraft is not onboard it. Just like any other aircraft
however, an unmanned aircraft must always be flown in a safe manner, both with
respect to other aircraft in the air and also to people and properties on the
ground.
The person that
owns, or is in overall charge of the unmanned aircraft is known as the UAS
operator
The person that is
actually flying an unmanned aircraft is known as a remote pilot
The CAA aims to
enable the full and safe integration of all UAS operations into the UK’s total
aviation system.
Categories of operation
UAS operations are
divided into three operating categories and every flight will fall into one of
these, depending on the level of risk. The
first and most essential point to address is to determine the category that
your flight will be conducted under. The
three categories are:
-
Open category:
- This covers relatively simple operations that present a low
risk to other people or property
- Flights are subject to a set of basic, pre-determined rules,
within which there are some further sub divisions
- In most cases, the UAS operator needs to be registered
and the remote pilot needs to pass a simple test, but apart from this there is
no requirement for any authorisation from the CAA
-
Specific category:
- This covers medium risk operations, or operations that
fall outside the boundaries of the Open category
- All flights must be conducted in accordance with an operational
authorisation, that has been issued by the CAA
-
Certified category:
- This covers high risk operations, where the overall risk requires
the same approach that is taken for manned aviation in order to maintain safety
- The UAS must be certificated, the UAS operator must be
certified and the remote pilot must hold a suitable licence
Operating
principles
The primary
responsibility of anyone who flies any aircraft is to determine how it is being
flown and the process that is being used to avoid it colliding with other
aircraft, objects or people. The same responsibility
applies when flying unmanned aircraft, but because the remote pilot is not physically
onboard the aircraft, it is achieved in a slightly different manner.
As a result, UAS are
flown under one of two operating principles:
Within
the Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) of the remote pilot
This means that the unmanned
aircraft must be able to be clearly seen by the remote pilot at all times when
it is airborne. By doing this, the remote pilot is able to monitor the
unmanned aircraft’s flight path and so manoeuvre it clear of anything that it
may collide with. While corrective spectacles can be used to look at the
aircraft, the use of binoculars, telescopes, or any other image enhancing
devices are not permitted.
Beyond
the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) of the remote pilot
If the remote pilot
is unable to maintain direct unaided visual contact with the unmanned aircraft
while it is airborne, then an alternative method of collision avoidance must be
employed in order to ensure that it can still be flown safely.
BVLOS flight will
normally require either:
- a technical
capability which is equivalent to the method the pilot of a manned aircraft
uses to ‘see and avoid’ potential conflictions - this is referred to as a
Detect and Avoid (DAA) capability
- a block of airspace
to operate in which the unmanned aircraft is ‘segregated’ from other aircraft -
because other aircraft are not permitted to enter this airspace block, the
unmanned aircraft can operate without the risk of collision, or the need for
other collision avoidance capabilities
- clear evidence that
the intended operation will have ‘no aviation threat’ and that the safety of
persons and objects on the ground has been properly addressed.
Further information
Further Guidance on UAS operations within UK airspace can be found in our UK guidance document CAP 722.