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Posts tagged “regulation”
2026-07-10
What are STS, PDRA and SORA? The Specific category, explained
When a flight no longer fits the Open category — BVLOS, above 120 m, over 25 kg — it lands in the Specific category. Three routes in: an STS declaration, a PDRA, or a full SORA risk assessment. Here is how they differ and how it works in Latvia.
- specific-category
- sts
- sora
2026-07-10
When do you need the Specific category for a drone — and when Open is enough
The Specific category is not the next licence tier — it starts the moment your plan crosses any single Open-category boundary: above 120 m, BVLOS, over 25 kg, dropping material or spraying. Here is the full trigger list and the three routes in.
- specific-category
- regulation
- sts
2026-07-07
EASA NPA 2026-103: the 100-gram drone rule is now on paper
EASA's draft NPA 2026-103 moves the training and Remote ID line from 250 to 100 grams and adds a takeoff lockout without an operator ID. The Specific category, meanwhile, gets lighter. First changes no earlier than mid-2028.
- regulation
- easa
- eu
2026-07-06
Drone Delivery's Noise Problem: Why Europe's Real Fight Is on the Ground
In June 2026 an Irish county council stripped Manna's Dublin drone hub of planning permission over noise — after 82,000 deliveries. Amazon had already walked away from Italy. Here is what the EU actually regulates about drone noise, and why the ground, not the sky, decides whether drone delivery scales.
- delivery
- commercial
- noise
2026-06-08
BVLOS in the EU: The One Rule the Drone Market Turns On
Flying beyond visual line of sight is banned in the Open category — it moves you into the EU's Specific category. Here are the four routes to a BVLOS authorisation, why it unlocks delivery and inspection, and the real bottleneck: airspace integration.
- regulation
- easa
- eu
2026-06-08
How Europe's Airports and Critical Infrastructure Defend Against Drones
After the autumn-2025 airport closures, the EU presented a counter-drone Action Plan. We explain the split between detection and defeat, why civilians cannot use jammers, and what it means for an ordinary pilot.
- counter-uas
- security
- eu
2026-06-08
Latvia Ties Drone Fines to Turnover — 2026 Aviation Law Impact
Amendments to Latvia's Aviation Law in force from 18 February 2026 tie the heaviest legal-entity drone fines to company net turnover — up to 2 % or 7 %. What changed, the exact figures, and what commercial operators should do now.
- regulation
- latvia
- business
2026-06-08
U-space: How the EU Plans to Open the Sky to Drones
U-space is the EU framework for managing many drones in low-altitude airspace — in force since 2023. We explain the four mandatory services, how a U-space airspace works, and how far the "sky full of drones" really is.
- regulation
- easa
- eu
2026-05-17
EU Aviation Strategy Consultation and the Drone Sector
The EU opened its new aviation strategy consultation until May 21, 2026. For the drone sector, this is the moment to influence policy language before it moves into certification.
- regulation
- easa
- eu