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Operations manual and checklist generator

Fill in the operator, aircraft and operation details and get a draft operations manual with pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight checklists, contingency and emergency procedures and an emergency response plan, ready to adapt.

Operations manual template index and pre-flight checklist

Operator

Operation

Aircraft

Emergencies

What it includes

Operations manual

Document control, organisation and responsibilities, concept of operations (ConOps), aircraft and maintenance, security and privacy, and regulatory references.

Checklists

Planning, on-site pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight, adapted to the aircraft type and autopilot.

Contingency and emergency

Link loss, low battery, GPS loss, leaving the flight geography, manned traffic, people in the area, VTOL transition failure, loss of control and fire.

Response plan (ERP)

Steps after an accident, contacts and occurrence reporting to AESA under Regulation (EU) 376/2014.

It is a template to adapt: marked gaps are completed with your real data and procedures, and the result is reviewed against the current AESA requirements and guidance. It is not a document ready to submit.

Guide: the operations manual

What the operations manual is

It is the document in which the operator describes how it carries out drone operations safely: who is responsible for what, how each flight is planned and flown, how aircraft are maintained and what to do if something goes wrong. In the specific category it is one of the central pieces of the authorisation application and of standard scenario declarations, and it is the crew’s daily reference.

How to complete the draft

  1. Fill in the details of the operator, aircraft and operation. If you come from the SORA assistant, the category, SAIL and aircraft data are loaded automatically.
  2. Complete the marked gaps: operator number, staff training, operational volumes, flight termination methods, extinguisher, insurance…
  3. Adapt the procedures to your aircraft and way of working: the lists are a common starting point, not the only correct way.
  4. Review the result against the current AESA requirements and guidance and, for the specific category, against your risk assessment.
  5. Rehearse the emergency procedures with the crew; you can practise failures and contingencies in the professional drone simulator.

Contingency and emergency

Contingency procedures bring the aircraft back to a normal situation when it leaves the flight geography or a problem arises (link loss, low battery, GPS). Emergency procedures apply when there is already an immediate risk and the aim is to end the flight in the least dangerous way. The emergency response plan (ERP) covers what to do after an accident: assistance, notifications, preserving evidence and reporting the occurrence.

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Questions

Can I submit this document to AESA?

Not as it is. It is a draft that saves you the structure and usual procedures, but you have to complete it, adapt it to your operation and check it against the current AESA requirements and guidance.

Is my data stored?

No. The document is generated in your browser. Only if you request the AI adaptation is the operation data sent (not the operator’s details, phone numbers or insurance) to write it, and it is deleted once finished. Your name, email, user type, an encrypted fingerprint of your IP and the report are stored for 24 months from our last contact or until you ask for their deletion.

How do I use it with the SORA assistant?

When you finish the SORA assistant, click “Generate the operations manual draft”: mass, dimension, height, type of flight, category and SAIL are loaded.

Which format is it downloaded in?

As a Word file (.doc) you can edit, or as a PDF from the browser’s print option.

What is the difference between contingency and emergency?

A contingency is an abnormal situation that can be brought back under control (for example, link loss with automatic return). An emergency involves an immediate risk and is resolved by ending the flight as safely as possible.

Arm, transition, land. And let Captain Pitot tell you how to improve.