Summary: The OPEN category allows VLOS flights up to 120 m with separation rules depending on the C-class/weight. Anything beyond that requires the SPECIFIC category.
- OPEN Limits: Max. 120 m AGL, VLOS only; restrictions on flying over people and proximity to buildings dependent on drone class/weight.
- When SPECIFIC? Higher mass, closer to buildings or BVLOS → Operation in the Special category is required.
- 3 Paths to SPECIFIC: (1) National Scenarios – not available in Germany. (2) European STS (VLOS/BVLOS) – implementation delayed. (3) Own ConOps + SORA – currently the practicable path.
- ConOps/SORA: Extensive documentation with risk analysis; basis for individual authorizations.
- Support: Pro Fly Center offers two training products that noticeably simplify ConOps creation and authorization.
- Typical SPECIFIC Cases: M300 + H20T inspections in industrial areas, flights > 120 m, BVLOS, flying over people with > 250 g, M300 within 150 m over residential areas, etc.
- Conclusion: If you want to go beyond OPEN, you usually cannot avoid your own ConOps with SORA – Training/Support accelerates the process.
Maximum flight altitude of 120 meters, flying only within visual line of sight (VLOS), and restrictions on flying over people and flights near buildings, depending on the respective drone class or its weight. These are, in short, the features of the OPEN CATEGORY.
What if you want to fly a higher weight class, closer to buildings, or out of visual line of sight? Then you must conduct this flight in a Special class. And this is where the problems begin, because you can only conduct these flights based on 3 solutions:
1) National Scenarios - these are defined by the European national CAA scenarios, which set out the flight rules and conditions. The problem is that there is no national scenario in Germany.
2) European Scenarios - EASA has developed pan-European scenarios for VLOS and BVLOS operation. The problem is that the scenarios are linked to drone classes that currently do not work in Europe. Therefore, the implementation of the European scenarios has been postponed until the end of 2023.
Source: LBA
The last solution remaining is to create your own scenario based on ConOps. This is currently the only solution for individuals and companies who want to carry out flights in the Specific category.
The creation of ConOps is neither quick nor easy. It often involves more than a hundred pages of documentation along with a SORA analysis, which deters many (unnecessarily). For this reason, Pro Fly Center has begun offering 2 training products that make it easier to create ConOps and obtain flight authorizations.
Who is the specific training intended for? For all companies and institutions that need to conduct flights outside the OPEN CATEGORY in their work, such as:
- DJI Matrice 300 flights with the H20T camera for the inspection of industrial areas
- Flights above 120 meters with any drone
- Flights with any drone out of visual line of sight
- Flights with a drone heavier than 250 grams over crowds of people
- Flights with a DJI Matrice 300 within 150 meters over residential areas
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