Operations Risk Based Concept for Specific Cargo Drone Operation in Low Altitudes

The Operations Risk Based Concept for specific UAS evolved around three new categories of UAS operation recently defined by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This paper gives an overview of these categories and how they are embedded into general aviation regulations. After regulative basics are established the focus is on the Specific Category that features a holistic approach based on operational risks as a core element for risk assessment. This Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) is applied to a low altitude, large cargo drone concept developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) within a project called Automated Low Altitude Air Delivery (ALAADy). It is shown that the operation of such a UAS is ideally done over unpopulated or sparsely populated environments and in low frequented airspaces. In addition to the application, special particularities of the SORA methodology are discussed. The chapter concludes with an outlook on the expected future development of UAS regulation in Europe.