EASA PDRAs explained: S01, S02, G01, G02 and G03 compared
Updated
A Predefined Risk Assessment (PDRA) is a risk assessment EASA has already carried out for a common kind of specific-category operation. If your operation stays within a PDRA’s limits, you apply for your operational authorization by showing compliance with it, instead of running a full SORA. There are five, and each fixes the same outcome — SAIL II — for a narrowly defined operation.
When a PDRA is the shortcut
Operations in the specific category need an authorization based on a risk assessment. The general method is the SORA; a PDRA is a SORA EASA has pre-computed, published as AMC2 to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947. Every current PDRA resolves to a final ground risk class of 3, an air risk class of ARC-a or ARC-b and SAIL II, with a fixed list of mitigations and operator conditions you must meet.
The catch is that the limits are strict. One parameter outside them — a larger aircraft, a populated area, controlled airspace without coordination — and the PDRA no longer applies, and you are back to a full SORA.
The five PDRAs side by side
| PDRA | Operation | Aircraft | Height | Over | Airspace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 | VLOS | Characteristic dimension under 3 m | 120 m; up to 150 m with a risk buffer | A controlled ground area (may be in a populated area) | Uncontrolled, or controlled after coordination; ARC-b at most |
| S02 | BVLOS, within 1 km of the pilot (2 km with airspace observers) | Under 3 m, MTOM under 25 kg, ground speed up to 50 m/s | 120 m; up to 150 m with a risk buffer | A controlled ground area in a sparsely populated area | Uncontrolled, or controlled after coordination; ARC-b at most |
| G01 | BVLOS with visual air-risk mitigation | Up to 3 m, typical kinetic energy up to 34 kJ | Up to 150 m (extra air-risk buffer above 120 m) | A sparsely populated area | Uncontrolled (ARC-b) or segregated |
| G02 | BVLOS | Up to 3 m, up to 34 kJ | Limited by the reserved airspace | A sparsely populated area | Reserved or segregated for the operation (ARC-a) |
| G03 | BVLOS within direct C2 link range, on a pre-programmed or pre-planned route | Up to 3 m, up to 34 kJ | Under 30 m (near obstacles up to 15 m above the obstacle; max 50 m) | A sparsely populated area, near a facility or infrastructure | Atypical, uncontrolled or reserved airspace; ARC-a |
S02 and G01 also require flight visibility of more than 5 km, and no PDRA allows carrying dangerous goods (agricultural, horticultural and forestry drops aside).
Choosing between them
- Can you keep the drone in sight and control who is on the ground? PDRA-S01.
- Beyond sight, but over a controlled area in the countryside, with a drone under 25 kg? PDRA-S02.
- Beyond sight over sparsely populated land, without controlling the ground? PDRA-G01 in uncontrolled airspace, PDRA-G02 if the airspace is reserved for you.
- Inspecting a structure or line at low height? PDRA-G03.
Whether an area counts as sparsely populated and which air risk class applies are for you to establish and justify — the PDRA fixes the limits, not those facts.
Check your operation
The GeoPilot PDRA screener compares your declared parameters with each PDRA’s limits and marks every one as pass, review or fail, with the clause it comes from and the PDRA’s own mitigations and conditions. Drawn on the map, a flight area can be screened next to the restrictions it touches.
Screening is an aid to preparing an application, not an authorization. Eligibility must be verified against the full PDRA text and shown to your authority with an operations manual and the PDRA compliance table.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a PDRA the same as a standard scenario (STS)?
- No. A standard scenario is operated under a declaration, with class-marked drones; a PDRA still needs an operational authorization, but you show compliance with a pre-made assessment instead of running a full SORA.
- What SAIL does a PDRA give?
- All five current PDRAs — S01, S02, G01, G02 and G03 — result in SAIL II.
Related guides
- How to calculate the SORA operational volumeHow to size the flight geography, contingency volume and ground risk buffer for a SORA application, with every formula and a worked example.
- Drone no-fly zones explained: how UAS geographical zones workWhat UAS geographical zones are, who publishes them, and how to read one: prohibited, authorization, conditional zones, height limits and schedules.
- Can I fly my drone here? How to check a spot on the mapCheck whether a drone zone covers the spot you want to fly from: click the map, read what the zone requires, its height limits and hours, and its source.
Sources
- EASA — Predefined risk assessment (PDRA): AMC2 to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947
- ED Decision 2023/012/R