1. RPAS in Spain
Laura Samsó
AERPAS
www.aerpas.es
December 2, 2014

2. AERPAS – RPAS Civil Operations 2014, 2nd to 4th Dec, Brussels (Belgium)
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Agenda
Introduction
The Framework, Test Centers, Operations
What We think are Priorities

3. AERPAS – Operaciones y operadores – 2 abril 2014
INTRODUCTION

4. AERPAS – RPAS Civil Operations 2014, 2nd to 4th Dec, Brussels (Belgium)
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Country: Spain
SPAIN
Mainland
Nr. of
inhabitants
47.737.941
Surface in Km2
498.980
Total
Surface in Km2
505.370

5. AERPAS – RPAS Civil Operations 2014, 2nd to 4th Dec, Brussels (Belgium)
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Organization: AERPAS
AERPAS has 90 paying members. They represent
operators, manufacturers, research centres and
individuals.
There are not non-paying members.
Some of the members are both operators and
manufacturers.
The National RPAS Community:
⁻ SMEs/SMIs/Industry around 20 manufacturers and
about 200 operators
Spain has several national model aircraft associations.
Around 25 RPAS approved operators.

6. AERPAS – Operaciones y operadores – 2 abril 2014
THE FRAMEWORK,TEST
CENTERS,OPERATIONS

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Regulatory Framework - I
Spain has regulation since July 2014. It was an urgent
measure and only considers very limited operations.
An update of the regulation is underway, expected by Q1
2015. It will considerably expand the operations possible.
The Spanish CAA does not approve RPAS pilots, but all
authorized ATOs can accredit them.
Since July, there are around 25 accredited organizations,
most of them are operators.
Manufacturers should only get accreditation to perform
special flights (testing, demonstration, maintenance, …).

8. AERPAS – RPAS Civil Operations 2014, 2nd to 4th Dec, Brussels (Belgium)
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Regulatory Framework – II/
Test Centers
The Spanish law recognizes the qualified entity figure, but is
not planning to use them for RPAS although they are still
assessing this possibility.
The regulation considers experimental/research/testing
flight needs as they are considered key.
In fact, Spain currently has already 5 test centres in place.

9. AERPAS – RPAS Civil Operations 2014, 2nd to 4th Dec, Brussels (Belgium)
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Operations
RPAS VLOS flights are not permitted over urban areas.*
RPAS BLOS flights are not permitted over urban areas.**
RPAS BLOS flights are possible in Spain.
Illegal RPAS flights (VLOS & BLOS) poses a problem to
Spain, similar to other countries, in order to ease the safe
introduction of the regulatory.
Some expedients against illegal operations have been
initiated. No convictions are known yet.
* They will be allowed in the new regulation.
** They will not be allowed either in the new regulation.

10. AERPAS – Operaciones y operadores – 2 abril 2014
WHAT WE THINK ARE
PRIORITIES

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Priorities
European rules harmonization it is required to allow cross-border
operations and international sales for manufacturers.
Insurance: Establish a common and balanced basis.
Most of the manufacturers and operators are SMEs: It is important
to take them into the loop by means of educational initiatives and
funding for close-to-market developments.
Establish a strategy to facilitate the adoption of communication
frequency bands.
Promote the use by the European organizations of RPAS based
solutions to their current needs, in order to gain momentum.

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info@aerpas.es

13. AERPAS – Operaciones y operadores – 2 abril 2014
EXTRA

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RPAs Spanish Regulations Historic
March 2013 EUROCAE's RPAS related WGs (73 & 93) plenary.
AESA realizes there is a thriving RPAS market.
May 2013 AESA presents the regulatory framework to industry.
The AERPAS initiative is presented and backed-up by AESA.
A consultation process is started.
June 2013 AERPAS is established.
January 2014 AESA & AERPAS organize the "Workshop for the Spanish RPAS
Community".
RPAS become mainstream.
End June 2014 Consultation process in order to finish the regulation draft.
October 2014 Temporary regulation
Early 2015 Real Decreto

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Aircraft Classification
<25 kg
<2 kg <10kg
≥25 kg
<150 kg
>150 kg
CoA NOT
required
CoA required
MTOM
<50 kg
Airworthiness
CoA not
required if
only VLOS
operations
Scenarios
BVLOS
Populated
areas
Governmental, SAR and
firefight operations

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Operational Scenarios
Unpopulated
A
(E)VLOS
<25 kg
B
BVLOS
<2 kg
D
BVLOS*
<25 kg
E
Depends
on CoA*
>25 kg
Populated
C
VLOS
<10 kg
*BVLOS operations require segregated airspace or DAA system.
Unpopulated Test, maintenance, demonstrations, research
Commercial Operations
Experimental
operations

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Authorisation Regime
>25 kg
Authorisation required
<25 kg
Communication
(declarative regime)
General Case Exceptions
Development
No CoA required, but
1 year authorisation
Scenarios C and D
<50 kg
VLOS only

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RPAS
TECHNICAL &MARKET ASPECTS

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Sector Characterization
Around 20 companies manufacturing (or integrating) RPAS.
Most under 20 employees.
Not much competitors at that time.
The subsystem sector dominated by FCS projects.
Total sector, including operators and companies working in
related activities, around 200 companies.
AERPAS has already 65+ members.
An unknown number of individuals are providing semi-
amateur services.

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About AERPAS*
Micro (< 5)
45%
Small (< 50)
38%
Big (> 50)
17%
Size of the organization
Only activity
31%
Main
24%
Secondary
38%
Future
7%
The RPAS activity is
*Based on a survey of 29 members of AERPAS.

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Type of businesses*
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Operator
Component manufacturer
Research
Services (to RPAS sector)
System manufacturer
Distributor
End user
Activities
*Based on a survey of 29 members of AERPAS.

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Markets*
*Based on a survey of 29 members of AERPAS.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Topography
Video & Photo
Agriculture
Infrastructure monitoring
Research
Governmental Security
Military
Private Security
Markets

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Types of RPAS
Fixed Wing (aircraft)
– More autonomy
– More speed
– Less sound
– More climate range (temperature, wind & rain)
Rotatory Wing (helicopter & multirotor)
– Vertical takeoff and landing
– Fly to a fixed point or at low speed.
– More maneuverability and flight precision.

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Example of Light Aircraf

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Example of Multirotor

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What is it going on in EU*?
*ASSORPAS poll (Italian UAS Association)

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RPAS Uses: Near and Long Term
• A report from the CE dated April 2014 stated that:
– Short term: more promising areas seems to be
infrastructures or photography. Precision agriculture is
another area where RPAS are being used.
– Long term: Goods transport or even persons …

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Operation Profiles*
*ASSORPAS poll (Italian UAS Association)
**A 500 m circle has an area of 79 Ha.
Most of the real operations are framed between the limits of VLOS