The critical area of a drone is a key element in determining the ground risk within the SORA assessment.
The critical area assessment can be complex due to the plethora of the contributing effects and factors. To reduce the burden on UAS operators and foster a harmonised approach towards the calculation of the critical area, EASA developed the Critical Area Assessment Tool (CAAT) to support applicants in the ground risk determination.
The CAAT may be used by applicants to calculate the critical area of their drone, in order to demonstrate that their drone may be classified in a lower ground risk class compared to the one assigned in the SORA ground risk class table.
For example, as per the SORA ground risk class table, a drone with a characteristic dimension of 3.5m may have a critical area equal to a drone with only a 3m dimension. In this case, a reduction in the ground risk class may be claimed in SORA Step#2.
The tool is only available when you log in due to the calculations required.
The CAAT is a module of the EASA Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) Hub which is a unique digital platform that brings together all actors in the European system including cities, regions, National authorities, the EU, operators and manufactures. The primary goal is to facilitate the safe, secure, efficient, and sustainable implementation of IAM practices. It is flagship action number 7 of the Drones Strategy 2.0.
This project has received funding from a Contribution Agreement
with the European Commission.
Any feedback?
Your feedback is welcome to this page and other IAM Hub deliverables.
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