The European standard scenarios (STS) allow an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to operate in certain defined cases using a set of pre-defined conditions including the type of UA, flight speed, flight height, distance from the remote pilot and type of airspace without the need to obtain an operational authorisation. This article explores what exactly defines a standard scenario, from the operational requirements, the remote pilot responsibilities, the benefits of an STS and how the support of a drone consultant can ensure the process is run smoothly and efficiently.
What is the European Standard Scenario?
The European Standard Scenario (STS) was developed by EASA in coordination with the European Commission and National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) of the EU member states. It is part of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 under Appendix 1 and has been applicable for relevant drone operations since January 2024.
The STS was designed with the goal of standardising and simplifying drone operations within Europe, by developing a framework which allows operators to deploy drone missions covered by an STS without additional operational authorisation. Within the EU, there are currently 2 STS:
Operators conducting an operation which fits the requirements of an existing STS can submit their declaration to the relevant NAA, prior to flight. These requirements include but are not limited to; type of UA, flight speed, height above ground, distance from remote pilot, type of ground area and type of airspace. The operations must demonstrate compliance with these conditions and bare a very low risk to third parties in the air and on the ground.
What are the Requirements to Operate in STS-01 or STS-02?
Both STS-01 and STS-02 have clearly defined requirements that can be found in Appendix 1 for STS-01 and Appendix 2 for STS-02 of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 and have also been listed in EASA’s Easy Access Rules. The following paragraphs contain a summarised version of each STS, beginning with STS-01.
For STS-01, the flight limitations include an altitude limitation of 120 metres from the ground at all times with a 15 metre altitude increase above the height of an obstacle for its clearance if UAS is within 50 metres of an obstacle taller than 105 metres. The UAS is explicitly not allowed to carry dangerous goods.
The operational requirements for STS-01 are that the UAS must fly Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) at all times, within a predefined flight geography area and a contingency area with limits extending to at least 10 metres beyond the flight geography. The UAS is also required to have a ground risk buffer as per the altitude and weight shown below.
For untethered STS-01 operations, a ground speed of less than 5 m/s (18 km/h) is required, while tethered operations require a controlled area defined by the tether length + 5m centred on the fixed tether point.
STS-01 operations are to be operated with a C5 Class UAS, which must be an aircraft other than a fixed-wing unless it is tethered.
The flight requirements for STS-02 are similar to as STS-01, UAS must remain within 120 metres of the ground and increase of 15m within 50 of proximity of obstacles taller than 105m, with a maximum height of the operational volume not higher than 30m above the maximum height and cannot carry dangerous good.
STS-02 operational requirements state that the flight must take place in a controlled ground area in a sparsely populated environment. The area must include a flight geography area, a contingency area at least 10m beyond the flight geography limits, and a ground risk buffer based on the potential UAS travel and emergency situation. The minimum flight visibility requirement for EASA STS-02 (Beyond Visual Line of Sight with Airspace Awareness) is 5 km.
This means that the drone operator must ensure that visibility conditions allow for a clear line of sight of at least 5 kilometres to maintain safe operations and detect potential air or ground risks.
The minimum flight visibility requires that the drone operator has a clear line of sight of at least 5km and the UAS must be within sight of the remote pilot for launch and recovery. When the UAS is flying Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), it can be a maximum of 1km from the remote pilot without airspace observers. With airspace observers, the UAS can be a maximum of 2km from the remote pilot and the airspace observers need to be within 1km of the remote pilot, with robust and effective communication means.
What are the Benefits of Operating Under a Standard Scenario?
If a planned mission meets the requirements for an STS, there are many benefits to applying it to an operation. Organisations may consider STS-01 for operations such as construction site monitoring or infrastructure inspections and STS-02 for long-range infrastructure inspections, emergency response or medical delivery missions.
Advantages such as simplified regulatory approval, operational efficiency, scalability, and enhanced safety can help swing the decision towards operating under a pre-approved STS.
Although these benefits are advantageous to remote pilots, it should be noted that there are initial steps that should be considered prior to deciding whether an STS is suitable for the intended mission. Considerations such as operational limitations, additional training, emergency and contingency planning and availability of a drone with the compliant C-Class marking are all factors to assess before undertaking the required steps for a standard scenario.
What Are the Responsibilities of the Remote Pilot for STS?
Similarly to the operational requirements, there are specific responsibilities for the remote pilot for a UAS to operate under STS-01 or STS-02.
For STS-01, remote pilots must obtain accreditation through a theoretical knowledge certificate for standard scenarios, an STS-01 practical skill training, and finally pass an online theoretical knowledge exam plus an additional exam provided by the relevant authority. Once obtained, the certification is valid for 5 years and can be renewed through passing the exam again or completing the refresher training. Below is a chart based on the training programme for Switzerland with the Swiss FOCA.
The operator is also required to develop an operations manual and detail the safety measures, which includes defining the operational volume and ground risk buffer, ensuring the contingency and emergency procedures through tests and simulations and developing an Emergency Response Plan (ERP).
The remote pilot must establish the controlled ground area, notify and brief all people within the area regarding the risks and safety precautions and obtain their explicit consent prior to the operation.
Finally, the UAS must have a C5 Class Marking and have an active and updated remote ID system, along with the EU declaration of conformity and identification label for C5 which must be fixed to the UAS or accessories kit. For more on class marking, take a look at Murzilli Consulting’s article, “Our Guide to CE Marking for Drones in Europe”.
Before STS-01 operations, the remote pilot must carry out a pre-flight check to ensure the termination systems are operational and that the direct remote ID is active. During the flight, the remote pilot is expected to maintain VLOS and conduct airspace scans to avoid collision, only operate one UAS at a time, not operate from a moving vehicle, remain the only remote pilot for the duration of the flight, discontinue the flight if there is any risk to the aircraft, people, animals, environment or property and execute contingency and emergency procedures if required.
Remote pilots for STS-02 operations are also required to complete the same training programme as in STS-01 (with an additional specific practical part for STS-02), following the steps mentioned above to obtain a certificate which is also valid for 5 years and can be renewed by retesting or completing the refresher course.
Remote pilots for STS-02 must complete the STS-02 practical skill training and obtain accreditation which can be provided by a declared training entity or a UAS operator that has declared compliance with STS-02.
The operator is also responsible for developing an operations manual and to define the operational volume and ground risk buffer. They are required to conduct flight tests or simulations to validate the contingency and emergency procedures. They must inform all personnel in the controlled ground area of the risks, provide them with a safety briefing and get their explicit consent in the participation of the mission.
For STS-02, the drone itself must have a C6 class marking as per EU Regulation 2019/945, with an EU declaration of conformity. It is also required to have an active system to prevent the UAS from breaching the flight geography and be fitted with an active and updated remote ID system.
The operator must create an emergency response plan which covers the risk mitigation, emergency alerts and authority notifications and role distribution for the personnel. They need to establish proper placement and effective communication with the airspace observers and verify the visibility conditions with them. The operator may also need to update the geo-awareness systems before the flight, if required.
Prior to the flight, the remote pilot is responsible for setting the programmable flight volume to remain within the flight geography and to verify that the flight termination system is working correctly and that the remote identification system is active and updated.
During the flight, the operator must scan the airspace for risks, maintain control of the specified UAS and not operate any additional aircraft during the flight. Operators are not permitted to operate from a moving vehicle and must follow all contingency and emergency procedures.
Throughout the mission, the airspace observer/s are responsible for scanning for collision risks with crewed aircraft, maintaining awareness of the UAS position and to alert the remote pilot of any potential hazards.
Are There Any Standard Scenario Alternatives?
While there are currently 2 published STSs, the dynamic scope of the industry allows for input from its stakeholders. The EASA website encourages suggestions for potential new STSs or adaptations to the existing ones. If, in theory a suggestion was to be taken onboard, it would take time as all STSs in Regulation 2019/947 are considered hard law and the existing appendixes have gone through an approval process to be added as amendments to the regulation.
Although there have been no alternative publications to the EASA STSs as of February 2025, in December 2024, the Spanish Civil Aviation (AESA) published 2 national Standard Scenarios, STS-ES-01NE and STS-ES-02NE specifically for non-EASA related activities.
These scenarios apply to national public authority missions such as those carried out by the military, police, firefighters and border control under Spanish Regulation Royal Decree 517/2024, a framework defined for UAS operations within Spain. They are considered complimentary and work alongside EU Regulation 2019/945 and 2019/947, by complying with EU rules such as training and operational limitations.
For more on Royal Decree 517/2024, check out the infodron.es article featuring Murzilli Consulting’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and Commercial Space, Juanjo Sola.
How a Drone Consulting Firm Can Support with Standard Scenarios
The previously mentioned considerations, including STS limitations, additional training, emergency and contingency planning and ensuring that a drone has a class mark C5 for STS-01 or C6 for STS-02 in order to be compatible with the mission, need to factor in to assess whether the operation can be done within the limitations of a standard scenario.
Defining these processes can be faster and more efficient with the support of a drone consulting team. Murzilli Consulting’s range of customised services can facilitate everything from UAS C-Class and CE marking to certification and strategy support and aviation authority liaison to ensure your organisation is well-covered for an STS application.
If you would like to know more about our custom support services related to standard scenarios or any of our other speciality services, write to us for more information or to book an initial consultation.
