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SORA 2.5 Methodology — Specific Operation Risk Assessment
For more information on the 2.0 methodology, see our article.
These are the main modifications:
Description of the operation
The output of the SORA is expected to consist of 3 sets of documents:
Operations Manual
This shall include the procedures to be used by the operator’s personnel to perform the operation safely.. The content will be based on OSO implementation, mitigation, and containment.
Evidence of compliance
All requirements for an adequate level of robustness must be justified. Evidence of compliance will vary depending on the level of assurance required.
SORA Safety Case
It is a description of how the operator has performed the SORA describing all the steps.
Step #1 is to gather all the information to complete the documents described when all the SORA steps are completed.
Ground Risk (GRC)
This is one of the steps that has undergone a major change, as a new risk ground class table has been introduced.
Population density maps will be used, considering the fluctuations that occur at different times of the year and day. For example, during the day, business centres will have a higher density than at night, whereas in residential areas, the situation will be the opposite.
| Intrinsic ground risk class | ||||||
| Maximum UA characteristic dimension | 1 m | 3 m | 6 m | 20 m | 40 m | |
| Maximum cruising speed | 25 m/s | 35 m/s | 75 m/s | 250 m/s | 200 m/s | |
| Maximum population density of the IGRC (people/km2) |
Ground Controlled Area | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| < 25 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
| < 250 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| < 2.500 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | |
| < 25.000 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| < 250.000 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| >250.000 | 7 | 9 | Category C Operations (Not part of SORA) | |||
In addition, this step includes the identification of the size of the adjacent area and its risk class.
Ground Risk Mitigations
The mitigation measures applicable to the reduction of the risk class value on ground, established in the previous section, have been updated.
Air Risk Class (ARC)
In this case, Step#4 has not been modified, but some terms have simply been clarified for better understanding, such as the meaning of atypical airspace and the determination of the size of adjacent airspace.
OSO - Operational Security Objectives
It has been relocated in the new SORA 2.5 as Step#9.
The list of OSOs, i.e. Operational Security Objectives, has been restructured, although the content has not been changed.
Area and adjacent space
It has been relocated in the new SORA 2.5 as Step#8.
Just like Step #2, this is one of the points that has implemented the most changes. This step defines how to calculate the size of the adjacent airspace, for the determination of the associated risk, calculated through the population density.
Safety report
Finally, this section clarifies that, at this step, the operator is expected to have collected all evidence of compliance and developed the necessary documentation.
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2 Responses
You cannot acutely measure population density in any current form
Be it via cellphone data or Government population data sets
So what is the error permitted to be ? 10% / 20% / 30% ?
And why is there a population density data set required when it is not reliable ?
Thank you for your comment. It is true that population density measurement will never be 100% accurate, as it relies on estimates based on various sources such as censuses, administrative records and mobile data, each with their own limitations.
However, that does not mean that they are not useful. Many models – in public health, urban planning, emergency management or even drone aviation – do not need absolute precision, but a reasonably reliable basis for making informed decisions.
Furthermore, it may vary depending on the country in which the operations are carried out.