What are the EASA Standard Scenarios STS-01 and STS-02 ?

EASA – Standard Scenarios – Why the term “Standard Scenarios” ?

Very often the term Standard Scenarios (STS) is understood as sort of simplified scenarios. In reality, Standard Scenarios should rather be understood as kind of  “Standardized Scenarios” meaning that they do provide a kind of recipe for a specific scenario/use case.

EASA – Standard Scenarios – What are the Scenarios ?

The standard scenarios apply under very specific conditions. In both STS-01 and STS-02, the drones can be operated on an area under the control of the operator at safe distances from people. In STS-01, the distances should be at least as follows:

In the case of the STS-02, the distances are directly proportionate to the operating altitude.

The operations are always limited to 120 m and in the case of the STS-01 to the Visual line of sight of the pilot. In the case of the STS-02, the operation can take place at 1 km from the pilot or 1 km from an observer that is in direct communication with the pilot.

What standards should the manufacturer fulfill to have its UAS operated in STS-01 or STS-02 ?

In order to operate under STS-01 or STS-02, the UAS has to be marked with a class marking C5 or C6. Following UAS have such a class marking:

What does the operator need do to fly in STS-01 or STS-02 ?

In the Standard Scenarios and after having registered as an operator in the country where the company is based, the operator has to establish an Operations Manual compliant with applicable regulation for the operation under the envisaged STS. The Operations Manual should contain:

• A description of the intended operations
• A description of the roles and responsibilities in the company operating the UAS
• Processes and procedures to operate the UAS
• A description of the Pilot Training
• A technical description of the UAS including maintenance instructions and organisation.

Then the operator will have to provide the authority with a declaration that he complies with the requirements of the said STS.

Which training should pilots have in order to fly under the STS-01 or the STS-02?

In order for pilots to fly in the STS-01 and STS-02, they should have followed the A1/A3 and the A2 exam complemented with an STS theoretical and practical training. The theoretical training is provided by the aviation authority while the practical training takes place at an aviation authority recognized training entity.

EASA Standard Scenarios – Is it worth the effort?

At this point, it rather depends on your exact drone application but as an operator or a pilot it is of paramount importance to understand whether the missions that one intends to perform can be done under the limitation of this Standard Scenario before going through the effort of making the remote pilot license for the Standard Scenarios or writing an Operations Manual. It is also key to identify whether there is an available C5 or C6 marked drone available for the intended missions.

Very often the safety distances might be too limiting in order to perform the said mission and the Standard Scenario will not allow you to perform a specific mission. Whenever those safety distances are too limiting or in case the standard scenarios cannot be used, it is still possible to perform the mission under a Specific Operations Risk Assessment approved by the aviation authority.

This can require more time to be established and approved but may be equivalent in a lot of aspects to establishing the Operations Manual for Standard Scenarios while not having to constrain your operation with a specific scenario.

Overall we can say that Standard Scenarios are rather constraining and are also demanding for manufacturers and operators. Therefore if you aren’t sure whether they should be used for your drones flights, don’t hesitate to get in touch get in touch with UASolutions. At UASolutions we provided tailored made consultancy on drone topic to best identify the simplest and most suitable regulatory solution for your drone operation.