EASA standard scenarios (STS)

STS-01 and STS-02 declarations

The EU standard scenarios are two predefined Specific category operations written into Appendix 1 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947. If your operation fits one exactly, you do not need an operational authorization. Instead you send a declaration to your national aviation authority (NAA) and can start flying once it confirms the declaration is received and complete.

This guide covers what STS-01 and STS-02 allow, the class-marked drones they require, the remote pilot competency rules, the declaration itself, what the operator must have in place, and when a predefined risk assessment (PDRA) or a full SORA is the better route. Facts were checked against EASA and EUR-Lex in October 2026.

Vetted consultants

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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.

STS-01 declarationSTS-02 declaration

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.

STS-01 declarationSTS-02 declaration

What STS-01 and STS-02 allow

Both scenarios keep the aircraft within 120 m of the closest point of the earth's surface and require it to fly over a controlled ground area, meaning an area where the operator controls who is present. No uninvolved person may be inside it during the flight. EASA only creates standard scenarios for operations at SAIL II, so the limits are deliberately tight.

STS-01: visual line of sight (VLOS) over a controlled ground area in a populated environment, using a class C5 drone. An untethered aircraft must fly at a ground speed below 5 m/s. The controlled ground area must cover the flight geography, a contingency area and a ground risk buffer whose minimum size depends on the aircraft's mass and height.
STS-02: may be beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) over a controlled ground area in a sparsely populated environment, using a class C6 drone, where flight visibility is more than 5 km. Without airspace observers the aircraft must stay within 1 km of the remote pilot.
STS-02 with airspace observers: up to 2 km from the remote pilot, no more than 1 km from the nearest observer, and no observer more than 1 km from the remote pilot.

The C5 and C6 requirement, and when a PDRA or SORA fits better

A standard scenario is only available with a drone carrying the correct CE class label: C5 for STS-01 and C6 for STS-02, each meeting its class requirements in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945. In both scenarios the drone must fly with an active and updated direct remote identification system. Under STS-02 it must also use an active system that stops it leaving the flight geography.

The EU standard scenarios have applied since 1 January 2024. EASA explains the later start by the fact that C5 and C6 drones were not yet on the market. Before you plan around an STS, confirm that a drone with a genuine C5 or C6 label exists for your job.

If it does not, EASA points operators to PDRA-S01 and PDRA-S02, which cover the same kinds of operation without a class-marked drone. A PDRA still needs an operational authorization from the NAA, supported by the PDRA's conditions and an operations manual. Anything that fits neither an STS nor a PDRA needs a full SORA.

Remote pilot competency

Remote pilots in the Specific category must be at least 16, although a member state may lower this by up to two years. Under an STS they also need a theory certificate and a practical skill accreditation:

A certificate of remote pilot theoretical knowledge for operations in standard scenarios, issued by the NAA or an entity it designates after an exam. The exam is shorter for pilots who already hold the A2 certificate of competency.
An accreditation of completion of practical skill training for the STS, issued by an entity the NAA recognizes, or by a UAS operator that has declared STS compliance and declared that it meets the training requirements in Appendix 3.
The theory certificate is valid for five years. It can be revalidated within that period by demonstrating competency again or by completing refresher training with the NAA or a designated entity.

Declaring, and what must be in place first

You declare to the NAA of the member state where you are registered as a UAS operator, stating whether you will fly STS-01 or STS-02. The declaration includes your administrative details, a statement that the operation meets the scenario, your commitment to apply its mitigations, and confirmation that appropriate insurance will be in place. The NAA checks it is complete and sends a confirmation of receipt and completeness, and you can start once you have it.

A declaration lasts two years, and you must tell the NAA without delay if any of the declared information changes. To fly the scenario in another member state, send a copy of the declaration and the confirmation to that state's NAA first. National standard scenarios are no longer an option: member states could accept declarations against them until 31 December 2023, and those declarations stopped being valid on 1 January 2026.

A declaration is a commitment that you meet the scenario, and the NAA can inspect you against it. Before the first flight the operator must:

Write an operations manual containing the elements set out in Appendix 5 to the regulation
Define the operational volume and ground risk buffer, and a controlled ground area covering both
Show that its contingency and emergency procedures work, for example through dedicated flight tests
Prepare an emergency response plan covering escalation, alerting the authorities, recognizing an emergency and who does what
Brief the crew, including the placement, briefing and communication checks for any airspace observers under STS-02

What a consultant does, and what to ask before hiring

A consultant can help you check that the scenario really fits, write the operations manual and emergency response plan, arrange practical skill training and prepare the declaration, or recommend a PDRA or SORA when it does not fit. They cannot confirm a declaration or promise an outcome: the NAA does that. Operators can compare vetted consultants on DOC, where regulator experience is shown as verified only where it has been evidenced.

Which NAAs have you prepared STS declarations or PDRA applications for, and how recently?
Does our drone carry a genuine C5 or C6 label, and if not, which route do you recommend?
Will you write the operations manual, or review one we write?
How will our pilots get the STS theory certificate and the practical skill accreditation?

Common mistakes

Most problems come from treating the declaration as a form rather than a commitment. Watch for these:

Declaring an STS with a drone that has no C5 or C6 class label
A ground risk buffer or controlled ground area that does not match the aircraft and the planned height
Flying STS-02 beyond the 1 km or 2 km limits, or with gaps in airspace observer coverage
An operations manual that does not reflect how the crew actually flies
Relying on an old national standard scenario declaration
Letting the two-year declaration lapse without renewing it

Common questions

Do I need an operational authorization for STS-01 or STS-02?

No. If your operation meets every condition of the scenario, you send a declaration to the national aviation authority of the member state where you are registered. Once it confirms receipt and completeness, you can start. If any condition cannot be met, such as using a drone without a C5 or C6 class label, you need an operational authorization instead, usually through a PDRA or a full SORA.

Can I fly a standard scenario without a C5 or C6 drone?

No. STS-01 requires a class C5 drone and STS-02 a class C6 drone, with active direct remote identification. EASA's guidance is that operators without such a drone can use PDRA-S01 or PDRA-S02, which cover the same kinds of operation without a class mark, but these need an operational authorization from the national aviation authority rather than a declaration.

How long does an STS declaration last?

Regulation (EU) 2019/947 limits an operational declaration to two years. You must also notify the national aviation authority without delay if anything in the declaration changes, such as your details or the operation itself. Diary the renewal date well ahead, and keep the confirmation from your national aviation authority with your operational records.

Can I still use my country's national standard scenario?

No. Member states could accept declarations based on national standard scenarios until 31 December 2023, and Regulation (EU) 2022/425 says those declarations ceased to be valid from 1 January 2026. Operators relying on a national scenario now need to declare against the EU STS, or apply for an operational authorization through a PDRA or a full SORA.

Can I fly an STS in another EU country?

Yes. EASA's guidance is that you send a copy of your declaration and your national authority's confirmation of receipt and completeness to the authority of the member state where you plan to fly. The operation can then start. Check that country's own geographical zones and any local rules before the flight.

Can a consultant submit the declaration and make sure it is accepted?

A consultant can help prepare the declaration, operations manual, emergency response plan and training arrangements, but the declaration is made by the UAS operator and the national aviation authority decides whether it is complete. No consultant can promise acceptance. The operator also remains responsible for flying within the scenario every time, and the authority can inspect against it.