Self Assessed Broad Area BVLOS Drone Approvals

Self Assessed Broad Area BVLOS Drone Approvals

CASA have recently released a 12-month trial through a Temporary Management Instruction (TMI) for broad area Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations that enables a ReOC holder to self-assess and approve an area for the conduct of BVLOS operations under four pathways.

These pathways have been carefully developed to manage air and ground risk considerations so that the overall aviation safety risk of BVLOS operations that conform to those requirements is LOW and enable ReOC holders to conduct BVLOS operations within lower risk contexts and reduce regulatory impost on the RPA industry, without detrimentally affecting existing aviation safety levels.

Applications to CASA for ReOC holder approval to operate under these pathways may be submitted anytime now but assessments will not start until after the 15 October 2025.

Pathways

Four pathways exist for ReOC holders to conduct operations under the TMI, based on:

• the maximum dimension of the RPA (up to 3m)
• the maximum operational speed (up to 35 m/s)
• population density thresholds (up to 2,500 ppl/km²), and
• The implementation of ground risk mitigations (eg, sheltering or parachute recovery systems or both).

Requirements applicable to all pathways – Self Assessed Broad Area BVLOS Drone Approvals

In addition to the limitations prescribed by each pathway, the TMI defines that the following requirements apply to all pathways, including but not limited to:

• No operation above 400ft AGL unless over an excavated area of an active mining operation
• No operation within 10NM of a controlled aerodrome (including Military)
• No operation in the NFZ of a non-controlled aerodrome or ALA during a relevant event
• No operation in the danger areas designated for flying training activities
• Not within 1NM either side and 300ft of a published VFR route
• RPA must weigh less than 25 kg
• RPA must have a technical means to terminate the flight
• A geo-fence system must be active throughout the entirety of the operation
• Forecast visibility must not be less than 5000m, and the cloud base must not be less than 1000ft AGL
• Mandatory aeronautical VHF broadcast and monitoring
• Mandatory ADS-B IN monitoring.

Responsible Person

To ensure that the assessment of an area is conducted by an appropriate person, CASA have introduced the requirement for ReOC holders to have a Responsible Person within their organisational structure. This person may hold another position within the ReOC holder’s organisation (eg, CRP or MC) but can only be the designated Responsible Person for one ReOC.

The Responsible Person is responsible to the ReOC holder for:

• conducting the BVLOS area-feasibility assessments for each proposed operational area.
• ensuring the appropriate contingency volume and ground risk buffers are applied to operational areas
• verifying that each operational area complies with the instrument’s conditions and with the organisation’s documented practices and procedures
• documenting each BVLOS area feasibility assessment conducted, and the outcome
• engaging with relevant airspace users and creating stakeholder engagement plans
• reviewing each operational area at least every 12 months to ensure the initial assessment remains valid.

Prior to being appointed, the Responsible Person must undergo a CASA assessment or have previously passed a Responsible Person assessment in the preceding six months. The TMI defines the assessment process and the recommended skills that a responsible person should have, including:

• the ability to create an operational area based on RPA characteristics, flight behaviour, ground and air risks
• the ability to assess that an operational area meets the conditions of the applied pathway and general requirements
• regulatory knowledge and compliance
• record keeping and oversight

Applying for approval

ReOC holders who already hold a BVLOS approval may apply to CASA by submitting a completed application form and documented practices and procedures, which include, at a minimum, the BVLOS Area Feasibility Assessment process and roles and responsibilities of the Responsible Person.

ReOC holders who do not hold a BVLOS approval may still apply to CASA for BVLOS approval under these pathways; however, they will also need to:

• Submit a BVLOS application form and the Checklist to support SORA, and
• undergo an onsite BVLOS operational flight assessment.

Additionally, BVLOS operations conducted using a Remote Operations Centre or BVLOS operations that involve the operation of more than one RPA at a time by a remote pilot (eg. One to Many / Simultaneous Operations) may also be used under this TMI; however, a separate assessment of these elements will be required if the ReOC holder does not already hold these approvals.

If a BVLOS application is already under assessment or awaiting allocation to an inspector, a ReOC holder may request a variation of their application to a broad area approval by submitting the relevant application form and updated documentation without affecting your queue position.

How can we help

Hover UAV have assisted numerous organisations over the last six years in obtaining BVLOS specific area approvals under the current BVLOS pathway and is ready to help you secure your broad area BVLOS approval!

We can provide documented practices and procedures, training to prepare the Responsible Person for their CASA assessment and, if necessary, additional validation of your self-assessed areas. This is in addition to our current services, which include area specific BVLOS safety cases and a wide range of BVLOS training options, including the BVLOS OCTA and a general SORA course.

Reach out to us today for any of your Broad Area approval needs!