GM1 UAS.SPEC.100 The Use of Certified Equipment and Certified Unmanned Aircraft

CAA ORS9 Decision No. 16

GENERAL

For the purposes of UAS.SPEC.100 Use of certified equipment and certified unmanned aircraft, ‘certified equipment’ is considered to be any equipment for which the relevant design organisation has demonstrated compliance with the applicable certification specifications and received a form of recognition from the CAA that attests such compliance (e.g., a TSO approval).

The use of certified equipment or certified UA in the Specific category does not imply an automatic transfer of the flight activities into the Certified category. However, the use of certified    equipment or certified UA in the Specific category should be considered as a risk reduction and/or mitigation measure in the risk assessment. If the certification of those products is relied upon within the risk assessment, then all aspects/conditions related to that certification (such as performance limitations, routine maintenance, scheduled servicing and the qualifications/ approvals of the organisations and personnel carrying out those duties) must also be complied with.

An ETSO/ TSO approval approves the equipment, and not the installation of it on an aircraft. Therefore, the applicant needs to demonstrate via their risk assessment how this equipment does not impact on other aircraft systems or airspace users, an example is the electrical power requirements, i.e. this should not draw more power than the electrical distribution system can provide. This equipment should also not induce any electromagnetic interference on other equipment installed on the platform.