Ensuring remote pilots have the appropriate level of competence is essential for the safety of RPAS operations. The future Remote Pilot Competence (RPC) scheme will expand on our existing scheme to support a wider range of complex operational scenarios through the introduction of new certification levels.
Current system
There are currently two defined levels of competence for remote pilots:
- A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) – for operations within the A2 subcategory of the Open Category
- General VLOS Certificate (GVC) – for operations within the Specific Category, including under PDRA-01
Approximately 30 Recognised Assessment Entities (RAEs) have been approved by the CAA to deliver training activities and conduct assessments against the A2 CofC and GVC qualifications.
Future system
To support a wider range of future operational scenarios, two additional levels of competency have been proposed in addition to the present A2 CofC and GVC certificates.
An initial consultation on the proposal was held in July 2023.
A second consultation incorporates feedback from the previous consultation. We anticipate the scheme going live in Q2 2024. This date represents the planned publication dates of policy material for the RAE scheme. It is anticipated that additional time will be required for potential RAE organisations to develop their applications and for the CAA to assess and approve RAEs under the new scheme.
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