Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is seeking feedback on a draft annex to the Australian specific operational risk assessment (AusSORA) Advisory Circular.
The annex provides guidance on meeting airworthiness operational safety objectives for drone operations under AusSORA. It focuses on technical integrity, system safety and reliability, and continued safe operation.
Responses are invited by May 5 via the Consultation Hub.
The call for feedback follows CASA’s consultation on the AusSORA Advisory Circular (AC), which closed at the end of March. On April 7, CASA provided a summary of the responses, which will shape a new document that is expected to be released in late April.
Overall, respondents expressed strong support for the direction of the AC and its alignment with JARUS SORA 2.5. They said it improves structure, clarity and consistency compared to TMI 2024-03 and JARUS SORA 2.0. However, they also identified areas that need refinement to improve usability, flexibility and completeness.
Common feedback themes were:
- providing worked examples, templates and use-case scenarios to support practical application of the framework;
- improving document structure and readability, including reducing repetition, better placement of tables and simplifying complex descriptions;
- explaining clearly how key elements interact, particularly grid resolution and containment methodologies;
- concerns that the framework is optimised for aeroplane and multirotor systems, and does not adequately cater for novel or non-standard operations, including airships and high-altitude platforms;
- the need for a more detailed adjacent area determination and containment methodology, including updating assumptions and consideration of common failure modes; and
- the need for supporting tools and calculators to reduce complexity and improve efficiency for both applicants and CASA.
“Overall, stakeholders consider the AC to be fit for purpose and a positive step forward,” CASA said on April 7. “They noted its effectiveness depends on additional guidance material and tools.”
Some respondents raised issues outside the immediate scope of the AC but were consistent with broader industry feedback. These included:
- providing improved regulatory service delivery, resourcing and approval timeframes;
- progression of guidance for higher SAIL operations and air risk integration with crewed aviation; and
- broader considerations regarding scalability, operator maturity and repeatable approvals across the regulatory system.
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Image: CASA