On Friday 10 August 2012, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the United Kingdom produced the fifth edition of CAP722, their guidance document relative to RPAS operations in UK airspace.
This document had previously been published as DAP Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operations in UK Airspace – Guidance: June 2001. The first edition of CAP 722 appeared on 29 May 2002; subsequent editions appeared on 12 November 2004, 28 April 2008, 14 April 2009, and 6 April 2010.
The layout of the new document has been amended to more clearly separate Civil and Military guidance and as such the chapters have changed in many areas. In addition, while there are many minor textual changes to the document, a significant revision has been made in many areas and as such, it is recommended that those involved in RPAS operations review the entire content of the document.
CAP 722, “Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in UK Airspace – Guidance”, is compiled by the CAA’s Flight Operations Policy Department. It is intended to assist those who are involved in the development of RPAS to identify the route to certification, in order to ensure that the required standards and practices are met by all RPAS operators.
Overall, the purpose of the document is to highlight the safety requirements that have to be met, in terms of airworthiness and operational standards, before a RPA is allowed to operate in the UK. Whilst RPAS flights beyond the limits of visual control (defined herein) are currently restricted to segregated airspace, the ultimate aim is to develop a regulatory framework which will enable the full integration of RPAS activities with manned aircraft operations throughout UK airspace.
CAP 722 is wholly dependent on contributions from responsible agencies; however, while it does not replace civil or military regulations, it is intended to draw together independent civil and military guidance, so as to establish best practice for all RPAS activities. Wherever possible consolidated guidance will be simplified and harmonized with other European nations. It is acknowledged that not all areas of RPAS operations have been addressed, thus comment is welcomed from industry and government sectors.
It is of interest to note that, even though the CAP722 glossary acknowledges, amongst others, the terms Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), which are two ICAO recommended terms, it still refers to Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Aircraft (UA) throughout the document. As CAP722 matures even more, and the ICAO recommended terms find more acceptance in UK, such inconsistencies are bound to be corrected.
The CAA UK is complimented on their vision and wholeheartedly thanked for their diligence.
The CAP722 document can be downloaded here.