CE MARKING OF DRONES

CE MARKING OF DRONES

The manufacturer (or importer) of the drone is obliged to draw up a technical dossier complete with a whole series of documents to formalise the safety of the product to be placed on the Community market.

WHAT DOES THE CE MARKING OF DRONES CONSIST OF?

All drones by their very nature fall under the definition of a machine in accordance with Directive 2006/42/EC which requires them to be CE marked.

In order to apply it, the manufacturer, importer or authorised representative must carry out a specific procedure that involves drawing up the technical file.

In short, the technical file consists of:

  • risk analysis;
  • user and maintenance manual;
  • declaration of conformity
  • label;
  • list of suppliers;
  • bill of materials;
  • certificates, tests and various inspection reports on the product;
  • production or import control procedures;
  • any testing procedures;
  • other.

CE MARKING HAS AN EXPIRY DATE

The CE marking does not last forever and needs to be revised after 10 years.

This was stipulated by law because after 10 years the machine may have worn out, the correct maintenance may not have been carried out, it may not have been stored in the correct madality, etc.

In practice, it may no longer be safe and pose a danger to the user.

From this point of view, the directives protect the manufacturer since the duration of the CE marking is established in the logic of the safety of products made available to third parties.

EUROPEAN RULES FOR DRONES: SECURITY AND PRIVACY

EU CERTIFICATE:

an EU certificate is required for drones before they can be flown

The EU drone certificate includes two certificates: the basic certificate and the supplementary certificate. A1/A3 is the basic certificate, which you need to obtain if you want to fly a drone. A2 is the supplementary certificate, with which it is possible to fly in more locations.

A1/A3 Certificate 

  • Basic certificate
  • Suitable for drones weighing between 250g and 25kg.
  • At a distance of at least 150 metres from buildings and uninvolved persons.

A2 Certificate 

  • Additional certificate
  • Suitable for drones weighing between 500 grams and 2 kg.
  • 50 metres distance from unaffected persons.
  • Flying over buildings is permitted.

This certificate can be obtained from a government-approved drone training organisation.

FOR THE OPERATOR:

A drone operator is any person, or organisation, that owns or leases one or more registered drones.

As a drone operator, you only have to register once, with your National Aviation Authority, in your country of residence or principal place of business. The unique drone operator identification code you will be given can be used on your drone, or drones, in all EASA member states.

If you take your drone, or drones, to another EASA member state, all you need to do is make sure that your operator identification code, obtained in your country of residence, is clearly visible on your drone, or drones.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Insurance: The drone operator must have the right insurance, even if the drone is piloted by someone else. Check with the national aviation authority .
  • Registration: The drone operator must register with his national aviation authority . Open category drones are never registered per se, only the operator must register.
  • Registration ID number: Once you are registered as a drone operator, you will receive a registration ID number. You must attach the same ID number to the drone(s) you own.
  • Pilot exam: Before handing over your drone, it would be a good idea to check that the designated pilot(s) have completed the necessary online pilot training, passed the online pilot exam and have a valid pilot certificate.

FOR THE PILOT:

A drone pilot is the person who actually flies the drone, without necessarily owning or renting it.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Insurance: It would be good for pilots to check that their insurance is in force before flying.
  • Registration: Before flying the drone, it would be good to check whether the operator is registered. This must be done on the D-Flight website.
  • Registration identification number: The drone pilot is not responsible for this, but it is good to check that the drone he is flying has a fixed operator identification number.
  • Pilot exam: The drone pilot must complete the necessary online training, pass a pilot exam and obtain a valid remote pilot competence certificate (valid for 5 years).

THE OPEN AND SPECIFIC AND CERTIFIED CATEGORIES

The distinction between drones for professional and recreational use falls away, in favour of a differentiation based on the level of risk in the type of operation to be performed.

OPEN CATEGORY

The Open Category is the main reference for most recreational flights and all low-risk commercial activities.

The three subcategories are known as A1, A2 and A3, which can be summarised according to EASA as follows:

  • A1: flight over people but not over crowds.
  • A2: flight near people.
  • A3: flight away from people.

It is divided into three sub-categories differentiated according to the type of transaction.

The open category refers to low-risk transactions with corresponding requirements set by European regulation (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947).

  • In the open category, you may fly your UAS only after
  • having obtained the appropriate certificate from the pilot
  • having been registered in the d-flight portal by the UAS operator
  • having taken out appropriate insurance from the UAS operator
  • having checked on the d-flight portal the permitted/banned zones for flying with UAS.

For UAS weighing less than 250 grams equipped with a camera, it is not compulsory to obtain the certificate (point 1 of the previous list), but the fulfilment of the requirements of points 2, 3 and 4, as well as the compliance with the European Regulation on subcategory A1, remains mandatory.

Licenses: 

It is useful to know that there are two different categories of certificate that can be obtained: the A1-A3 licence and the A2 licence. Both differ in two discriminating factors, namely the weight of the aircraft and the possibility of flying over people.

If the drone is under 250 grams, no training is required other than studying the user manual of the aircraft.

A1: with the A1 certificate it is possible to perform flights over people, with drones below 250 grams or weighing between 250 and 900 grams, provided the CE marking is present.A2: the A2 licence gives the possibility to fly close to people with drones between 900 grams and 4 kilos. In this case, flying over gatherings is prohibited and a maximum distance of 30 metres from uninvolved persons must be maintained, which drops to 5 metres if the speed is less than 11 km/h. To obtain the certificate, however, it is necessary to have previously obtained the A1-A3 drone licence.A3: Sub-category A3 includes drones weighing between 4 and 25 kilos, which can fly away from people and must maintain a distance of 150 metres from residential, commercial and industrial areas.

For the A1-A3 certificate, the driver will have to undergo an online training course, after which he or she will be subjected to a multiple-choice test consisting of 40 questions.

Once the A1-A3 licence has been obtained, he or she can then prepare for and take the A2 category exam. Following a second theoretical training course and autonomous practical training, you will have to take a new test with 30 questions.

SPECIFIC CATEGORY

Operations in Specific Category, envisaged by Art 5 of Reg (EU) 2019/947, are associated with medium risk levels and require, as indicated below, the Declaration by the UAS operator or the Operation Authorisation by ENAC.

It is also possible to fly in BVLOS mode (non-visual) and in this case the maximum weight and altitude limit is not reached. The certifications to be requested will vary according to the mode of flight and mission to be carried out, but it is very likely that EASA will be able to create standard scenarios to make it easier to frame individual cases.

For the SPECIFIC category, special authorisations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by ENAC or the appropriate bodies.

Easa Sts Theoretical Certificate à This certificate is intended for drone pilots who want to fly in the specific EASA STS-01 or STS-02 category. It is a higher certificate than your A2 certificate and is issued by the aviation authorities. The certificate is valid throughout Europe for a period of five years.

CERTIFIED CLASS

The Certified Class will cover the use of drones for more complex operations, such as the transport of dangerous goods and even people. In this case, the certifications to be applied for will cover not only the drone, but also the operator or pilot.

It requires drone skills and characteristics that are superior and certified at the general aviation level. In this case one is subject to genuine aviation regulations.

Effective 1 January 2024: THE CLASS MARKING

UAS are divided into classes ranging from C0 to C6 according to different characteristics. Each class of drone identifies specific requirements on the use to be made of the aircraft, the flight qualifications to be held by the pilot and other aspects.

These classes have to be certified by the manufacturers according to precise technical requirements concerning such things as maximum take-off weight (MTOM), the presence of certain safety features and the ability to share information.

Class C0 drones

  • Class C0 drones
  • Weight: less than 250 grams
  • Low speed mode required: NO
  • Emitted noise indication: NO
  • Emitted noise limit: NO
  • Direct remote identification function: NO
  • Geo-Awareness Function: NO
  • Low Battery Warning: NO
  • Flight Termination System: NO
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: NO

C0 drones belong to subcategory A1, but can also fly in subcategory A3. Operational restrictions include no flying over uninvolved persons; if this should happen, the overflight must be kept to a minimum. There must be no flying over crowds of people and a flight altitude of less than 120m above the ground must be maintained. Registration of the drone operator is not required, unless there is a camera or sensor on board and the drone is not a toy. The remote pilot must read the user manual carefully and the minimum age for the remote pilot is 16, unless the drone is a toy.

Class C1 Drones 

  • Weight: less than 900 grams
  • Low speed mode required: NO
  • Emitted noise indication: YES
  • Emitted noise limit
  • Direct remote identification function: YES
  • Geo-Awareness Function: YES
  • Low Battery Warning: YES
  • Flight Termination System: NO
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: NO

C1 drones are in the same subcategory as C0 drones, with the same operational restrictions. The main difference lies in the need for the remote pilot to undergo online training, passing an online theoretical examination to obtain an ‘online course completion’ certificate for the A1/A3 subcategory.

  • Class C2 Drones 
  • Weight: less than 4 kilograms
  • Low speed mode required: <3 m/s except for fixed wing models
  • Emitted noise indication: YES
  • Emitted noise limit
  • Direct remote identification function: YES
  • Geo-Awareness Function: YES
  • Low Battery Warning: YES
  • Flight Termination System: NO
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: NO

C2 drones belong to subcategory A2, but can also fly in A3. The operational restrictions are that they must not fly over uninvolved persons, maintaining a horizontal distance of 30m from them (which can be reduced to 5m if the low-speed function is active). Here too, as with C1s, registration of the drone is required. In addition, the remote pilot must obtain a ‘Remote Pilot Certificate of Competence’ for sub-category A2 after completing a practical autonomous training and passing an additional theoretical examination at the NAA or online.

Class C3 Drones 

  • Weight: less than 25 kilograms
  • Low speed mode required: NO
  • Emitted noise indication: YES
  • Emitted noise limit
  • Direct remote identification function: YES
  • Geo-Awareness Function: YES
  • Low Battery Warning: YES
  • Flight Termination System: NO
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: NO

C3 drones belong to subcategory A3. Operational restrictions state that it is forbidden to fly over uninvolved persons, maintaining a horizontal distance of 150m from them and urban areas. Registration of the drone is also mandatory for this category. The remote pilot must obtain an ‘Online Course Completion Certificate’ for subcategory A1/A3 by completing an online training course and passing the theoretical examination.

Class C4 Drones 

  • Weight: less than 25 kilograms
  • Low speed mode required: NO
  • Emitted noise indication: NO
  • Emitted noise limit: NO
  • Direct remote identification function: NO
  • Geo-Awareness Function: NO
  • Low Battery Warning: NO
  • Flight Termination System: NO
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height information: NO

The same restrictions and obligations apply to C4 drones, which also belong to subcategory A3. Registration of the drone is also mandatory for this category. The remote pilot must carefully read the user manual and obtain an ‘Online Course Completion Certificate’ for subcategory A1/A3 by completing an online training course and passing an online theoretical examination. Again, the minimum age for the remote pilot is 16 years.

Class C5 Drones 

  • Weight: less than 25 kilograms
  • Low speed mode required: <5 m/s except for tethered models
  • Emitted noise indication: YES
  • Emitted noise limit
  • Direct remote identification function: YES
  • Geo-Awareness Function
  • Low Battery Warning: YES
  • Flight Termination System: YES
  • Geo-Caging Function: NO
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: YES

These drones cannot fly in the Open category like their predecessors, but only in the Specific or Certified categories, established according to the complexity of the flight operation context.

Class C6 Drones 

  • Weight: less than 25 kilograms
  • Low speed mode required: NO
  • Emitted noise indication: YES
  • Emitted noise limit
  • Direct remote identification function: YES
  • Geo-Awareness Function
  • Low Battery Warning: YES
  • Flight Termination System: YES
  • Geo-Caging Function: YES
  • Position, Speed and Height Information: YES

These drones cannot fly in the Open category like their predecessors, but only in the Specific or Certified categories, established according to the complexity of the flight operation context.