Madrid, 14 January 2022 (AESA)

The State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) approves new forms of recognition of training for non-EASA drone pilots, i.e. pilots of the Security and Emergency Forces and Corps, including training certificates under European regulations.

This new form of recognition has been in force since 1 January 2022, with the publication in the Official State Gazette of revision 5 of Appendix I, on Acceptable means of compliance relating to the training and certification of pilots operating RPAS/Drones, and affects both the pilots of the non-EASA bodies themselves and the operators providing services for them, who will be able to certify their training to operate in these scenarios with European certification.

The theoretical knowledge required of remote pilots will be justified, in addition to the means previously recognised, also if they are in possession of a certificate of theoretical knowledge of the remote pilot of the Standard Scenarios (STS) in force, after passing an examination of theoretical knowledge carried out by AESA.  

The practical knowledge required of remote pilots may also be justified if they have full practical skills training accreditation for the national standard scenarios issued by an entity recognised by EASA or a UAS operator declared to provide the training and assessment of practical training, both for the standard scenario STS-ES-01 and for STS-ES-02 respectively.

Please refer here to all training requirements for non-EASA operations, i.e. activities or services excluded from the European Regulation, including customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, border control, coastal surveillance or similar activities or services.