CAA invites views on UAS flightworthiness and proposed SAIL mark

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a consultation on flightworthiness and a SAIL Mark for uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Proposals will form part of CAA’s ongoing work to enable UAS to operate in UK Airspace in the Specific Category, which covers flying operations with a greater level of risk. Remote pilots, UAS operators, air navigation service providers, and all affected by the proposals are invited to submit their views by November 8.

“For more complex operations within the Specific Category, the flightworthiness of the UAS needs to be assessed and validated as part of the Operational Authorisation process. CAA’s assessments review evidence relating to the design, build and testing of the UAS, helping to ensure that it is safe to fly in the proposed operation,” CAA states in the consultation document. “As the number and complexity of applications increases in the future, the authority needs a scalable and sustainable way to make these assessments. Therefore, a new type of Recognised Assessment Entity, the RAE(F), is proposed. The RAE(F) will validate evidence of compliance provided by UAS operators and manufacturers, against technical requirements in their SORA-based application for an Operational Authorisation and then, if satisfied, give a recommendation to the CAA that the UAS is flightworthy.”

The concept of a SAIL Mark for UAS is also under development. “This would see the RAE(F) working directly with UAS manufacturers during development,” CAA says. “By validating OEM evidence, it will be possible to deliver a SAIL Mark against a particular make and model of UAS, aligned to the SAIL levels within SORA in which it is safe to operate.”

Flightworthiness and the SAIL Mark are key components of the UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (UK SORA), which is also currently under consultation and closes on September 6. The introduction of UK SORA is a key policy to enable UAS operations at scale. It will become the primary risk assessment policy framework for the future of the Specific category. The consultation is seeking views on the UK SORA methodology being proposed including a set of UK specific differences which are highlighted in the document.