Faculties in formation of Non-EASA Standard Scenarios (STS-ES-NE)

General Information

«Non-EASA activities or services» are those excluded from the scope of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 2.3(a), which include military, customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, border control, coastal surveillance or similar activities or services, under the control and responsibility of a Member State, undertaken in the general interest by or on behalf of a body vested with public authority.

On 25 June, Royal Decree 517/2024 on the civilian use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) entered into force in Spain. In this regulation, it is detailed in Section 1a of Chapter IV, that the practical training of remote pilots carrying out non-EASA activities or services must be provided by an Entity authorised by AESA for training in national standard scenarios ("STS-ES-NE"). This training shall only apply to non-EASA activities or services applicable in y Spanish sovereign territory and airspacea to the use of unmanned aircraft.

In addition, two national standard scenarios specific to non-EASA activities or services have been defined through the publication of the Resolution of the management of the state aviation safety agency with code GR-D-031 approving national standard scenarios (STS-ES-NE) for UAS operations in the "specific" category in non-EASA activities or services in accordance with Royal Decree 517/2024 of 4 June, which develops the legal regime for the civil use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)

In accordance with point UAS.STS-ES-NE.040 of the Resolution, all those Entities authorised by AESA that wish to provide practical training in national standard scenarios («STS-ES-NE») must do so in accordance with the training scheme described in the Annex to Royal Decree 517/2024 and, in addition, must comply with the requirements laid down in Appendix 3 of the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, comply with point 11 of the same Appendix and have an Instruction Manual adapted to the training carried out by the Entity.

Declaration of Faculties

All those natural or legal persons who wish to provide the practical training of remote pilot UAS intended to carry out activities or services Non-EASA, must previously submit a responsible declaration addressed to AESA.

You have at your disposal the following guide that indicates step by step how to correctly submit the declaration as a UAS operator, as well as the student declaration. .

• Guidance for the submission of a declaration to provide practical training in a national standard scenario, specific to non-EASA activities (STS-ES-NE).
• Link to the procedure 

In addition, those Faculties that use UAS in their possession to provide practical training must register as UAS operators and include the operator number on all their UAS. All information regarding operator registration is compiled on the website at Drone/UAS operator registration.

From the moment the application is submitted through the website, the entity may begin to exercise as an authorised entity and provide training and assessment of practical skills for that national standard scenario in which it has been declared, specific to non-EASA activities (STS-ES-NE). In those cases where the request is not correct for any reason, it will be resolved with a resolution for non-compliance and a new application must be submitted.

The list of entities declared to EASA as authorised to provide practical training in national standard scenarios specific to Non-EASA activities or services ("STS-ES-NE") is provided below. (regular updating)

Documentary Records

Student declaration:

The Faculties that carry out practical training activities in any of the two national standard scenarios (STS-ES-NE) specific to the Non-EASA activities, must send monthly the declaration of students who have passed the continuous evaluation, and thus have obtained the accreditation of practical skills for each national standard scenario, as appropriate.

The procedure is carried out through electronic headquarters, in which the following data must be provided;

• Name and surname of the student. 
• Identification data of the NIE/NIF/PASSPORT.
• Scenario declared (STS-ES-01NE or STS-ES-02NE)
• Date of delivery of the accreditation. 
• Personal coding of the accreditation provided by the entity or the UAS operator.

The Faculties will have 15 calendar days from the moment in which the training described above has been completed, to deliver the remote pilot accreditation in national standard scenarios No EASA (STS-ES-NE). 

Instruction Manual for Faculties: 

Entities carrying out the practical training of remote pilots specific to non-EASA activities and services must have an Instruction Annex to their Operations Manual, or a separate Instruction Manual specifying all the aspects required in point 11) of Appendix 3 to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947.

As a help to the Faculties, a Guide Material has been developed for the elaboration of the Instruction Manual, where the essential normative aspects are collected, so that the interested parties can adapt the content of the document to their own Instruction Manual of their training. 

• Material Instruction Manual Guide for Faculties.

Theoretical training in national standard scenarios (STS-ES-NE)

The necessary training that accredits the UAS pilot specific to non-EASA activities consists of three parts, theoretical training, theoretical-practical training and training based on a continuous assessment of practical skills of remote pilots. 

In the case of the theoretical training of remote pilot specific to non-EASA activities, it will be the same training of theoretical knowledge of remote pilot for the category "specific"of the standard scenarios (STS), being the syllabus and the content of the subjects of the exam the one indicated in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, which is available at this link:: Syllabus exam theoretical knowledge STS Ed.02.

The theoretical training can be given by a training entity, a UAS operator, or on their own, always following the agenda contained in the published syllabus. It is recalled that only EASA is responsible for the evaluation of the theoretical knowledge of remote pilot and the issuance of the corresponding certificate.

The format of the theoretical knowledge exam in the “specific” category under a standard scenario (STS) will depend on the previous theoretical training in the “open” category available to the pilot, with two alternatives:

• If ‘open’ category A1/A3 pass test is available: There will be a theoretical exam of 40 questions, with a duration of 40 minutes, based on 8 subjects.
• If an ‘open’ category A2 certificate is available: There will be a theoretical exam of 30 questions, with a duration of 30 minutes, based on 5 subjects, described in the Syllabus.

Registration to access the exam is done through the Virtual Office of the Electronic Headquarters of AESA; the exams have telemonitoring technology (access to webcam, microphone and screen)

The theoretical knowledge test shall consist of 40 multiple-choice questions aimed at assessing the remote pilot's knowledge of technical and operational attenuations and shall pass at least 75% of the total theoretical knowledge test score.

Access to the exams is limited to a period of 30 days, which starts from the moment the access notification is sent. If after the period of 30 days no attempt of examination is made, the pilot of his application will be given up and consequently to regain access, he will have to make a new registration.

Theoretical-practical remote pilot training

Prior to the practical remote pilot training, the qualified entity must provide training and theoretical-practical evaluation specific to each national standard non-EASA scenario in which the training is being provided. This training must be developed in the Instruction Manual of the authorized entity, through a specific training program and the modality with which it will be carried out, including at least the following subjects; 

• operational limitations and standard scenario requirements;
• requirements and characteristics of unmanned aircraft in the standard scenario; 
• standard scenario operating procedures; and
• required coordinations typical of the standard scenario (if applicable) 

The authorised entity shall be responsible for defining the assessment and registration method applicable to the trainees receiving the training, so that it can be demonstrated that the trainee has acquired the training and knowledge defined in the training programme.

Practical remote pilot training

After the online passing test of the theoretical knowledge exam carried out before AESA, it will be necessary to carry out a specific practical training to the desired standard scenario, which must be taught through a Faculty Entity before AESA.

This training should consist of a continuous assessment of practical UAS remote pilot skills, as well as a subsequent delivery of the accreditation of practical UAS remote pilot skills in the national standard scenario No EASA (STS-ES-NE) in which the training has been carried out.

In order to facilitate these Entities to carry out a correct training in accordance with the national standard scenarios No EASA (STS-ES-NE), the Guide to provide training and assessment of practical skills in STS-ES-NE has been provided. In this guide you can find the most relevant aspects to provide training, such as the following:

• General requirements for the provision of training
• Documentary requirements
• Requirements for UAS used in training
• Practical skills training programme for remote pilots in European Standard Scenarios (STS), including pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight planning;
• Requirements for the representative flight area of the STS;
• Type of accreditation to be issued after passing the training and continuous evaluation.

IMPORTANT* 

Once the training and evaluation of practical remote pilot skills has been completed, the Entity must inform AESA within 15 days of all those pilots who have obtained the accreditation of practical remote pilot skills in standard scenario, so that the student must not perform any additional procedure with AESA once the practical evaluation has been completed.

Direct Distance Identification System (“DRI”) requirement

From 1 January 2024, it shall be a prerequisite that UAS intended to carry out “specific” Category Training operations under any of the national standard non-EASA scenarios (STS-ES-NE) have a Direct Remote Identification System ("DRI").

The training entities and the UAS Operators declared to provide the practical training of the national standard scenarios No EASA (STS-ES-NE) shall ensure compliance with Appendix 6 and Appendix 4 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 respectively, the performance of which is to comply with the applicable provisions set out in the declarations, including the requirements applicable to the operations of the standard scenario to be formed. 

It will be advisable for the Training Entities to indicate and show the student, within their training activities, the operation and methodology of using the Direct Distance Identification System (“DRI”) to ensure that the future remote pilot knows the application, installation and operation of this device. It has all the information in the section of Remote identification system and class markings.

Contact AESA UAS Division:

In case of doubt or special situations related to the ‘specific’ category training, you can direct your query to the drone mailbox (formaciondrones.aesa@seguridadaerea.es).