Remote pilot competency

The general conditions for performing a flight must be complied with regardless the category („open“/“specific“) of the UAS operation.

UAS operation shall be performed by a remote pilot who:

1. is familiar with manufacturer´s instructions provided by the manufacturer of the UAS;
2. is competent to perform given tasks in the appropriate category in accordance with the Regulation (EU) 2019/947;
3. is provided with the information relevant to the intended UAS operation concerning any geographical zones;
4. observes the operating environment, checks the presence of obstacles and, unless operating in subcategory A1 with an unmanned aircraft referred to in points (5)(a), (5)(b) or (5)(c) of point UAS.OPEN.020 in Part A of the Annex to the Regulation (EU) 2019/947, checks the presence of any uninvolved person;
5. ensures that the UAS is in a condition to safely complete the intended flight, and if applicable, check if the direct remote identification is active and up-to-date;
6. if the UAS is fitted with an additional payload, verifies that its mass does not exceed neither the MTOM defined by the manufacturer or the MTOM limit of its class.

The minimum age for remote pilots operating a UAS in the ‘open’ and ‘specific’ category shall be 16 years.

No minimum age for remote pilots shall be required:

1. when they operate in subcategory A1 as specified in Part A of the Annex to the Regulation (EU) 2019/947, with a UAS Class C0 defined in Part 1 of the Annex to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945 that is a toy within the meaning of the Directive 2009/48/EC;
2. for privately-built UAS with a maximum take-off mass of less than 250g;
3. when they operate under the direct supervision of a remote pilot complying with paragraph 1 and Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2019/947.