EASA PDRAs

Q: Do I still need an operational authorisation with a PDRA?

Yes. A PDRA replaces the risk assessment, not the authorisation. You apply to the competent authority of the member state where you are registered as an operator, with the application form, the completed PDRA table and your operations manual. An operator holding a light UAS operator certificate (LUC) with the right privileges may be able to authorise its own PDRA-based operations instead.

Predefined risk assessments

A predefined risk assessment (PDRA) is an operation type for which EASA has already done the risk assessment and published the result as acceptable means of compliance (AMC) to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947. If your Specific category operation fits one, you can apply for an operational authorization without running a full Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA).

This guide covers what a PDRA is, the five that are currently published, how an application works, what evidence you still have to produce, and when your operation falls outside a PDRA and needs a full SORA instead. Facts were checked against the June 2026 revision of EASA's Easy Access Rules for UAS.

Vetted consultants

1 result

The Drone Office

London, GB

Expert regulatory support for complex drone operations.UK & Europe. Commercial & Defence.

Our mission: SORA drone regulations made accessible. The Drone Office supports drone operators, UAS manufacturers and technology providers secure their operational authorisations and access strategic markets. From SORA compliance to partnerships and funding, we turn regulatory and market complexity into a competitive advantage. We bring clarity to complex challenges. We help frame the operation, prepare the SORA documentation, engage with the regulator, and remain committed until the authorisation is secured.

PDRA S-01PDRA S-02PDRA G-01PDRA G-02PDRA G-03

Awaiting vetting

Members completing our checks. They can be contacted once vetted.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions Ltd

Cranfield, GB

From Concept to Certification. Trusted UK SORA, Airworthiness & Design Engineering Experts.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) is one of the UK's leading aviation engineering and certification organisations, providing independent consultancy services for UK SORA, RPAS airworthiness, aircraft design, modification, and regulatory approval. With over 30 years of aerospace engineering excellence, CAeS supports clients across civil, defence, and uncrewed aviation sectors, helping organisations navigate complex regulatory challenges and bring innovative aircraft and UAV systems into operation safely and compliantly. Our multidisciplinary team delivers end-to-end support, from operational concept development and UK SORA assessments through to aircraft design, safety analysis, flight test programmes, certification planning, and regulatory engagement. We combine practical engineering experience with deep airworthiness expertise to reduce programme risk, accelerate approvals, and enable successful deployment. CAeS has contributed to more than 750 air vehicle programmes, including conventional aircraft, rotorcraft, advanced air mobility platforms, defence systems, and next-generation uncrewed aircraft. Recent projects have included the development of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and hydrogen-native UAV platforms, placing CAeS at the forefront of sustainable aviation innovation. As a holder of UK CAA Part 21J Design Organisation Approval, BCAR A8-21 approval, and MAA DAOS approval covering aeroplanes, helicopters, and RPAS, CAeS offers a unique combination of regulatory authority, practical engineering capability, and operational experience. Our team regularly supports compliance strategies across CS-23, CS-25, CS-27, CS-29 and equivalent international certification frameworks, working closely with authorities including the UK CAA, EASA, FAA, TCCA, GACA, and military airworthiness organisations worldwide. Whether you require a UK SORA submission, certification strategy, aircraft modification approval, flight-test support, or complete design engineering services, CAeS provides the expertise to take your programme from concept to certified operation.

PDRA S-01PDRA S-02PDRA G-01PDRA G-02PDRA G-03

What a PDRA is, and how it differs from SORA and an STS

The Specific category has three routes. A standard scenario (STS) is the lightest: you declare compliance to your national aviation authority (NAA) and must use a drone with the right class marking. A full SORA is the heaviest: you carry out the whole risk assessment yourself and apply for an operational authorization. A PDRA sits between the two.

With a PDRA, EASA has already worked out the risk and the mitigations for a defined type of operation. You still need an operational authorization from the NAA, but instead of building the risk assessment from scratch you complete the PDRA's table of conditions and write an operations manual that shows how you meet each one. EASA describes the table as a kind of checklist for the procedures your manual needs to contain.

EASA's guidance notes that PDRAs are written more generically than the STSs, so the authority can add limitations suited to your operation. PDRAs also cover safety only. Other matters, such as security, privacy and environmental protection, are assessed under the rules of the member state where you fly.

The published PDRAs

Five PDRAs are published as AMC2 to AMC6 to Article 11. An 'S' PDRA mirrors a standard scenario but lets you use a drone without the class marking the STS requires (a privately built drone, for example). A 'G' PDRA is a generic operation type. In outline:

PDRA-S01: the same type of operation as STS-01 (visual line of sight over a controlled ground area, which may be in a populated area), with a drone that does not need a C5 class marking and has a maximum characteristic dimension of up to 3 m
PDRA-S02: the same type of operation as STS-02, without a C6 class marking. Up to 3 m and 25 kg MTOM, over a controlled ground area entirely in a sparsely populated area, up to 1 km from the remote pilot, or 2 km if airspace observers are used
PDRA-G01: beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) with visual air risk mitigation (the remote pilot, or airspace observers, keep watch for other aircraft), over sparsely populated areas, below 150 m, mainly in uncontrolled airspace. Up to 3 m and 34 kJ typical kinetic energy
PDRA-G02: BVLOS over sparsely populated areas in airspace reserved or segregated for the operation, within range of the direct command and control (C2) link. Same size and energy limits as G01
PDRA-G03: BVLOS at low level (an operational volume under 30 m, with set allowances close to obstacles) over sparsely populated areas, suited to linear inspections and agricultural work. Same size and energy limits

PDRAs and SORA 2.5: what is in flux

EASA moved its SORA guidance to version 2.5 in ED Decision 2025/018/R (29 September 2025). Its explanatory note states that the PDRAs were not adapted to SORA 2.5 at that time, that JARUS was finalising updated PDRAs in a new format, and that EASA may issue a further decision to bring them into EU rules.

The June 2026 Easy Access Rules still carry the earlier PDRA editions (2022 and 2023). EASA's PDRA page also lists further PDRAs under evaluation, such as airport inspections and prototype testing, which are not yet AMC. Check the EASA PDRA page and your NAA before you start, in case a new edition has been adopted or your authority has set its own transition arrangements.

Applying with a PDRA, and the evidence you still need

The operational authorization comes from the competent authority of the member state where you are registered as an operator, not from EASA. EASA's guidance is that you submit the application form, the PDRA table completed for your operation, and your operations manual. For each condition you fill in the integrity and proof columns: how you meet it and how you show that. The columns are prefilled, but you can adapt the text.

A PDRA saves you the risk assessment, not the work of proving you can operate safely. Expect to evidence:

An operations manual whose procedures match every condition in the table (EASA publishes an example manual for PDRA-S01)
Remote pilot and crew competency, including the training the PDRA specifies and records of qualifications
Each mitigation the PDRA relies on, such as ground risk buffers, airspace observer procedures or containment
How you identify population density along the route, where the PDRA asks for it
Confirmation that insurance cover will be in place where Union or national law requires it

What a consultant does, and what to ask before hiring

A consultant helps you check whether your operation genuinely fits a PDRA, complete the table, write or adapt the operations manual, set up training records and answer the authority's questions. They cannot grant an authorization or promise an outcome: the NAA decides. Operators can compare vetted consultants on DOC, where experience with a particular regulator shows as verified only where it has been evidenced.

Which PDRAs have you prepared applications under, and with which national authorities?
How will you confirm our operation fits the PDRA, and what will you do if it does not?
Will you write the operations manual, or review one we draft?
How do you track changes to the PDRAs following SORA 2.5?

Common mistakes

EASA's guidance is that if an operation does not fit completely within a PDRA's limits, the operator must carry out a full risk assessment, and the PDRA should not be changed unless the authority accepts minor changes. Most problems come from stretching that boundary. Watch for:

Choosing a PDRA when one condition (range, airspace, population or drone size) does not fit
Filling in the table without matching procedures in the operations manual
Using a PDRA-S route when a class-marked drone would let you declare under the STS instead
Assuming every NAA handles PDRA applications the same way
Overlooking non-safety requirements such as privacy or security rules in the member state

Common questions

Do I still need an operational authorization with a PDRA?

Yes. A PDRA replaces the risk assessment, not the authorization. You apply to the competent authority of the member state where you are registered as an operator, with the application form, the completed PDRA table and your operations manual. An operator holding a light UAS operator certificate (LUC) with the right privileges may be able to authorize its own PDRA-based operations instead.

What is the difference between a PDRA and a standard scenario?

A standard scenario (STS-01 or STS-02) is started by declaration and needs a drone with a C5 or C6 class marking. A PDRA needs an operational authorization from the national authority. PDRA-S01 and PDRA-S02 cover the same types of operation as the two STSs, but let you use a drone without the class marking, such as a privately built one.

Which PDRAs has EASA published?

Five, published as AMC2 to AMC6 to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947: PDRA-S01, PDRA-S02, PDRA-G01, PDRA-G02 and PDRA-G03. EASA lists further PDRAs under evaluation, and has said updated versions aligned with SORA 2.5 may follow. Check EASA's PDRA page for the current list and editions before you apply.

What happens if my operation does not quite fit a PDRA?

EASA's guidance is that you then need a full risk assessment, normally using SORA, submitted to the competent authority. A PDRA should not be modified unless the authority accepts that minor changes can be made. If one condition does not fit, ask your NAA early whether it would accept a small change or expects a full SORA.

Are PDRAs updated for SORA 2.5?

Not as of the June 2026 Easy Access Rules. EASA's explanatory note to ED Decision 2025/018/R says the PDRAs were not adapted to SORA 2.5 and that JARUS was finalising new versions in a new format, which EASA may then adopt by a further decision. Check EASA's PDRA page and your national authority for the latest position.