Specific operations risk assessment

Specific operations risk assessment (SORA) is a risk assessment process.

JARUS created SORA to help drone operators and authorities work out the risks of drone flights and what safety measures we need. It provides a consistent way to keep things safe for all drone operations.

 

Who should use SORA?

SORA is for drone operators who need approval for operations that have risks not yet fully covered by their risk management processes. This includes operations like:

Steps in the SORA assessment process

The SORA assessment process includes the following steps:

  • Concept of operations (CONOPS) development
  • Ground risk class (GRC) assessment
  • Air risk class (ARC) assessment
  • Specific assurance and integrity level (SAIL) determination
  • containment assessment.

Concept of operations

A concept of operations (CONOPS) outlines the planned operation by defining the:

  • operational area
  • contingency volume
  • ground risk buffer.

Together these parts make up the operational volume.

Ground risk class assessment

A ground risk class (GRC) involves a:

  • iGRC - the risk to people on the ground before you have considered any safety measures.
  • fGRC - the risk to people on the ground after you have implemented safety measures, such as sheltering or exclusion zones.

You can work out the fGRC by:

Population density

We use the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census data sets to work out the highest population density per square kilometre.

M1 mitigations

An M1 mitigation refers to the ability to reduce the population within the operational volume.

M2 mitigations

An M2 mitigation refers to reducing the force of the drone when impacting a person.

Air risk class assessment

The air risk class (ARC) assessment looks at the risks to other airspace users and applies measures to reduce that risk.

To identify the ARC for the operational volume, you will need to determine the airspace encounter category (AEC). We base the AEC on the airspace type and likelihood of encounters. You can find a guide to ARC in section 4.4.3. of the Jarus guidelines on SORA.

Applying to reduce the air risk class

You may be able to reduce the ARC in some circumstances. To reduce ARC, you will need to be demonstrate that the likelihood of an encounter with another airspace user has been reduced. We may accept some of the following mitigations to reduce the ARC:

  • flight restrictions based on stakeholder engagement
  • flying at night to reduce visual flight rules (VFR) traffic
  • deconfliction plans.

Stakeholder engagement

Stakeholder engagement is essential for:

  • identifying typical flying areas/routes
  • understanding local air traffic volumes
  • working with local airspace users, emergency services and relevant authorities to identify risks
  • implementing operational restrictions and mitigations to reduce air risk.

Specific assurance and integrity level

SORA uses a risk scale, called a specific assurance and integrity level (SAIL) level (ranging from 1 to 6 in Roman numerals). This rating reflects the potential risks of the flight. Higher ratings mean stricter safety requirements for your drone, your training, and how you manage risks.

Operational safety objectives

SORA uses operational safety objectives (OSOs) to manage risks associated with an out-of-control situation. These are safety goals to prevent those situations from happening. We assess each OSO carefully for:

  • Integrity: the quality of the safety objective.
  • Assurance: the level of confidence in reaching the safety objective.
  • Robustness: the level of robustness is a combination of integrity and assurance represented as four categories; optional, low, medium and high.

Containment

Containment considers the risks to people within the adjacent area if the operational safety objectives fail. The adjacent area is the surrounding space where the operation is expected to end if a loss of control occurs, beyond the ground risk buffer.

Containment includes requirements based on the population at risk within the adjacent area.

Emergency response plan

An emergency response plan controls consequences once the drone is out of control. It details how local authorities such as fire brigade and air traffic control, will respond. The aim is to limit the residual effects and harm from an out-of-control event such as a drone crash.

Documents for an application

If you wish to apply using SORA, you must submit:

  • an application form and applicable checklists
  • evidence supporting claims and requirements.

We might ask for more documents after the assessment process if required.

For complex operations, we recommend arranging a pre-application meeting.

BVLOS training areas

We encourage applicants to seek approval of an area for the purpose of training and testing. We will generally issue these approvals for the validity of your ReOC. This allows you to continue to train new staff and maintain competency and currency for all staff operating BVLOS.

We recommend you choose a low-risk location that is only as large as necessary for BVLOS training and testing.

Demonstrating compliance

To demonstrate compliance with SORA, operators must:

  • submit a complete SORA-based safety case, including the application form and checklist
  • provide evidence supporting claimed mitigations for ground and air risk
  • provide evidence or declaration for OSOs at the determined SAIL
  • meet the containment requirements for the operational area.

Population density determination

We accept population density maps that use the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census data to identify the population density for a specific area.

The ABS produce population density maps with the smallest grid size of 1 km by 1 km.

For operations near populated areas, SORA requires:

  • higher levels of mitigation, such as sheltering or exclusion zones
  • more robust contingency plans
  • consideration of dynamic populations, such as crowds and roadways.

Calculating drone characteristics and dimensions

To calculate the characteristics and dimensions of a drone for the SORA ground risk class:

  • use wingspan for aeroplane and powered-lift aircraft
  • use blade diameter for single-rotor helicopters
  • use the maximum distance between blade tips for multi-rotor helicopters
  • ensure the maximum speed reflects the highest possible commanded airspeed. 

If there’s a mismatch between dimensions and speed, use the higher value to assign your drone category.

Incomplete applications

An incomplete application means we have found areas where we need more information or clarification to meet the requirements of regulation 11.030 of the CASR.

Common challenges

Some common challenges operators face when completing a SORA, include:

  • miscalculating fGRC and/or ARC
  • lack of supporting evidence for ground risk mitigations
  • inadequate mitigations to reduce encounter rate for ARC reduction
  • lack of supporting evidence for OSO compliance
  • failure to adequately describe the CONOPS.
     
Last updated:
15 Apr 2025
Online version available at: https://www.casa.gov.au//drones/flight-authorisations/beyond-visual-line-sight-operations/specific-operations-risk-assessment
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