Since December 31, 2020, every operator of a UAS weighing more than 250g is obliged to register. This also includes UAS under 250g that are equipped with cameras or other sensors to capture personal data. Several identifiers (ID) are listed in the EU drone regulations. The most important include the e-ID, the remote pilot ID and the remote ID. These are distinguished from each other by their meanings.

e-ID

There is a prescribed format for the e-ID within the EU, which consists of many individual components. The registration number is now explained using the example "DEU123456abc7-xyz-". "DEU" stands for the country of registration, in this case Germany. The following digits of the e-ID are randomly generated. The "7" in this case is a control digit, which is calculated using the PIN "xyz". The PIN should be kept secret so that it cannot be used by unauthorized persons. This e-ID must be attached to the drone. It therefore identifies the legal owner and operator of the drone. This number can be attached to several drones.

Remote Pilot ID and Remote ID

The remote pilot ID (RP-ID) is part of the operator ID and is a number on the EU certificate of competence for remote pilots. It is the personal identification number for remote pilots, which must be carried during operations. The remote pilot ID is issued by the Federal Aviation Office after the request and registration. The remote pilot ID certifies the pilot himself and is therefore not required by law to be attached to the drone. However, this ID should not be confused with the remote ID. The remote ID identifies the drone as an approved UAS for the A2 subcategory of the "Open" class, i.e. the EU remote pilot certificate. The Remote ID must be affixed to the drone.

The Federal Aviation Office has created a FAQ for further questions. In it you will find answers to frequently asked questions. You can find exclusive content from events and much more on our Instagram account.

As a UAS operator (Unmanned Aircraft Systems operator) in Germany, you are required to have special insurance for your own drone. It is important to note that conventional private liability insurance does not usually cover any damage to the drone.

The first question is whether the drone to be insured is to be used privately or (also) commercially. In the case of commercial use, for example by our UAS consultant Markus Rossol, we recommend a combined insurance policy that covers both commercial and private use of the drones.

Compulsory insurance applies to all drones, multicopters and model aircraft. Drone insurance policies are available from around €15 per year, but in addition to the price, you should also consider the following factors.

The contract term

The contract terms of the various insurance models vary greatly. Most insurance policies are very flexible and the minimum contract term is often only 12 months. There are also offers with no minimum term at all, with monthly or even daily termination options.

The sum insured

Insurance policies with cover sums from 1.5 million euros are common. Larger sums of 20 to 50 million euros are also often offered. These models are usually linked to private liability insurance so that larger claims, such as personal injury, are also covered.

Amount of the deductible

The deductible refers to the personal contribution to be made to the claim amount in the event that the insurance has to be claimed. When choosing insurance, it should be noted that the amount of the excess is partly predetermined and partly freely selectable. There are also insurance policies with no excess at all. The principle usually applies here: the higher the excess, the lower the premium.

The geographical scope

Especially if you want to travel with your drone - whether privately or, like us, to trade fairs such as the AERO 2023 last week - you should definitely pay attention to the geographical scope of the drone insurance. Here, the offers differ in insurances with the scope of application Germany, Europe-wide or worldwide (sometimes with exceptions such as "worldwide without US territories"). An insurance policy with a worldwide geographical scope does not necessarily have to be more expensive than a policy that is only valid in Germany.

The area of application

As previously mentioned, it is important to consider whether the drone is only to be used privately or also commercially. If the drone insurance is linked to the private liability insurance, this usually excludes commercial use of the UAS. One way to cover commercial and private use in one insurance policy is to take out combined cover. Here, both usage scenarios are insured and it is also possible to book certain additional services.

The number of copters

Regardless of the area of application, it is important to decide how many copters are to be insured. If only your own drone is to be insured, this is usually noted with the serial number in the insurance policy. It is also possible to cover the flying of third-party drones in addition to your own drone. Please also note that a drone driver's license is required for flying common UAS with a take-off weight of 250 g or more. Since January 2021, you have been able to obtain the small drone license online from the German Federal Aviation Office (LBA). Here you will take part in an online training course followed by an exam to ensure that you have the basic knowledge required to fly a drone safely.

Number of insured taxpayers

The number of insured pilots determines whether and, if so, who other than you may pilot the insured drone. The various insurance models differentiate here between your own person, your own person and family members or your own person, family members, friends and strangers. In addition to insuring your own drone, labeling it is also mandatory in Germany. Self-adhesive aluminum stickers engraved with the eID and the EU drone registration number are best suited for this purpose. In the event of damage, for example, the EU drone registration number can be used to determine who owns the drone and how it is insured. Registration is required to obtain the eID (or UAS operator number). In Germany, you can register online to obtain your eID. Among other things, you will need to provide your drone insurance number.

Summary

Drone insurance is offered by numerous insurance companies. Some of these include Allianz, HUK Coburg, R+V Versicherung, Generali, ADAC and AXA. Regardless of whether you want to fly your own or someone else's UAS privately or commercially in Germany, you need appropriate drone liability insurance. The numerous insurance companies also offer numerous insurance models that cover a wide variety of usage scenarios. So decide in advance exactly where you want to fly your drone, who is allowed to control your drone and how high the sum insured including your excess should be in the event of a claim.

Bremen-based IT service provider develops solutions for integrating UAS into the existing airspace structure

Bremen, 14.04.2023: b.r.m. IT & Aerospace will present the ideas for the project platform "U-Space Reallabor Nord-Westdeutschland und Deutsche Bucht - UAS-Leitstelle Bremen (USSP)" together with its partners at the "Bremen City of Aerospace" state stand at AERO 2023 in Friedrichshafen from April 19 to 22.

The first stage of the U-Space Real-World Laboratory North-West Germany and German Bight will cover a corridor from the mainland across the Jade Bay into the German Bight. It will be used to research and develop systems for the safe interaction of UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and manned aircraft under VFR, IFR and night VFR conditions.

As part of the development process, b.r.m. IT & Aerospace is working closely with Bremen's Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials Research (IFAM). The Bremen-based IT service provider is developing an intelligent IT infrastructure for the safe interaction of drones and manned aircraft, which will support the development of the rapidly prospering drone market.

To this end, b.r.m. IT & Aerospace is planning to set up the Bremen UAS Control Center (USSP). As a certified USSP (U-Space Service Provider), the company will be able to offer its customers all the necessary IT information services for the operation of drones from there.

"At its core, the safe integration of drones into air traffic is a question of digitalization," says Markus Rossol, Managing Partner of b.r.m. IT & Aerospace. "Our company has already taken significant steps in the development of a sustainable USSP data center. Last year, we were able to gain important insights as part of the VTOL-EGM environmental monitoring project supported by the European Regional Development Fund together with OptoPrecision GmbH."

The missions with the Optoprecision VT-4 "Rochen" drone with a range of up to 600 km started at the new Hatten-UAS drone test center at the Oldenburg-Hatten airfield (EDWH). Among other things, BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flights were also carried out.

Visit us at the AERO 2023 and you will find us at the joint stand of the State of Bremen in Hall A2/216.

Contact: Markus Rossol, Managing Partner b.r.m. IT & Aerospace
E-Mail: markus.rossol@brm.de
Phone: +49 421 341494

At AERO 2023 in Friedrichshafen, aerospace experts will of course also be giving presentations. What is new here is that a separate one-day specialist event will be held just for the topic of drones. The presentations will focus on various aspects of drones and will be held during AERODrones, i.e. from 19.04. - 21.04.2023. Several entrepreneurs and scientists will report on their findings and experiences. As a figurehead for the state of Bremen, b.r.m. IT & Aerospace and its partners, who have jointly set milestones for the drone industry, will be at the forefront.

On the first day of AERO 2023, U-Space provider Markus Rossol from b.r.m. IT & Aerospace will give a presentation together with Tim Strohbach from IFAM. The topic will be the U-Space Real Lab North-West Germany & German Bight. This will take place on the stage during the AERODrone from 12:00 to 12:20.

On Thursday, 20.04.2023 Markus Rossol from b.r.m. IT & Aerospace and Tim Strohbach from IFAM will talk about the joint project U-Space Reallabor Nord-Westdeutschland and Deutsche Bucht. The presentation will take place on this day from 15:00 to 17:00 in the Conference Center East in the Berlin room. Entitled General Aviation made in Niedersachsen, it is promising not only for experts from unmanned aviation but also for those from manned aviation.

On the same day, the Managing Director of b.r.m. IT & Aerospace Harald Rossol will give a presentation on the stage in Hall A2 from 3:30 to 3:50 pm. He will be talking about his company b.r.m. IT & Aerospace and the Bremen USSP UAS control center. Rossol will also explain the future function and tasks of a U-Space Service Provider.

The following day, Dr. Martin Nägele from Optoprecision GmbH will talk about the VTOL-EGM project, which was successfully completed together with b.r.m. IT & Aerospace, will speak about the VTOL-EGM project. This presentation will also take place on the stage in Hall A2.

You can find an overview of the various halls and conference centers here. We also share the latest information and impressions on Instagram @brm_it_aerospace.

As already announced, AERO Friedrichshafen 2023 will take place from 19.04. - 22.04.2023. Thereby b.r.m. IT & Aerospace will represent the state of Bremen as an aerospace center. The associated stand "Landesstand Bremen City of Aerospace" is located in hall A2 with stand number 216. AERODrones, a three-day trade fair for drones, will take place in this hall. Under the theme "Drones in BOS use", the main focus will be on the use of drones for public safety. Both governmental, such as the police and fire department, and non-governmental actors will be presenting their application concepts. These include Aviaspace Bremen e.V., Optoprecision GmbH and Flugplatz Hatten GmbH. Harald Rossol as Managing Director of b.r.m., Maximilian Strauß as Senior Aerotechnical Consultant and Markus Rossol as U-Space Provider will be managing the stand together with the partners and will be available to answer your questions.

Drones are being used more and more frequently in German agriculture and forestry and are used in a variety of ways. Among other things, they are used for the application of pesticides. Drones and aircraft make it possible to control pests without destroying plants, as is the case with tractor wheels, for example. However, the dropping of objects from manned and unmanned flying objects is prohibited in Germany. The dropping of pesticides is one of many exceptions. Normally, the farmer would have to deal with a great deal of bureaucracy to register this special case. However, the so-called national standard scenarios (DE.STS.FARM) have been developed to significantly simplify and speed up this procedure. It is the first approved standard scenario for drones in Germany.

National standard scenario

This national standard scenario is an application that must be completed by the farmer. To do so, the farmer must provide a UAS operator with the appropriate drone license. The farmer declares his willingness to do so and submits the completed application to the Federal Aviation Office. It should be noted that only declarations that are submitted by 31.12.2023 at the latest and used by 31.12.2025 will be accepted. After the completeness check, the application will be approved. A fee of €200 will be charged for this. Once the application has been approved by the Federal Aviation Office, the operating license is limited to a period of two years. After that, a new application must be submitted. Further information for standard scenarios can be found on this website.

At the 61st general meeting of UAV DACH e.V., the association was restructured. The new basic program was also adopted.

The board of the association for unmanned aviation "UAV DACH e.V." was newly elected. Markus Rossol was elected to the new, broader-based board of the association as the board member responsible for Air & Ground Infrastructure. He thanks the members of the association for the trust they have placed in him and looks forward to a cooperative collaboration. Special thanks also go to the outgoing members of the Board, whose successful association work has accompanied UAV DACH e.V. to date.

Furthermore, the new basic program "inform, network and shape" now comes into force. This was previously adopted at the 60th General Assembly in November 2022. Further information can be found on the UAV DACH e.V. website. There are also new posts on our Instagram account.

The AERO takes place this year from April 19 - 22. More than 600 international exhibitors will be presenting their latest aircraft, technologies and much more. The most important and exciting companies in the aviation industry will once again meet at Lake Constance.

We as the company b.r.m. IT & Aerospace are also at this event and have our own stand with specialist staff. We represent the state of Bremen as an aerospace center. We will be happy to provide you with the latest information from the U-Space North Germany & German Bight real laboratory. Of course, this also includes the topic of drones and our Hatten-UAS test center. We have conducted new tests that we would like to share with you. Founder and Managing Director Harald Rossol and U-Space Provider Markus Rossol will be attending the trade fair and supporting our stand. As a fresh board member of UAV DACH e.V. in the area of infrastructure, Markus Rossol is the contact point for the latest developments in the drone industry.
We will publish a video of our stand on our Instagram account. More information about AERO 2023 will follow in the near future.

This year the Amsterdam Drone Week 2023 took place from 21.03-23.03. The event offers an international platform for drones, their technologies and their use. Interested parties, companies and authorities meet in Amsterdam and exchange information about the latest developments and research. These are shared and discussed in presentations and panel discussions. This was also the case at the EASA High Level Conference, which focused on the construction of an IAM ecosystem and the integration of drones into conventional airspace. U-Space provider Markus Rossol from the company b.r.m. IT & Aerospace listened attentively. Amsterdam Drone Week connects and promotes the use of drones.

SORA 2.5 was presented by EASA on February 9 and 10. Two workshops were held for this purpose. You could follow the event on site and digitally in a livestream.

Main task

The SORA itself is a model for the determination prior to drone operation. It is a model for risk analysis and for minimizing this risk. The process generally includes Annex A, the compliance regulations and the SORA safety case. This document can be used to authorize drone operations.

The event was primarily aimed at industry and the relevant authorities, as they were to be given a comprehensive overview of the new changes to SORA. As there was much need for discussion and room for interpretation among experts following the publication of SORA 2.0, JARUS revised it in consultation with several institutions and republished it as SORA 2.5. SORA 2.5 is not a new, independent method, but merely contains improved and updated content from SORA 2.0, so that the foundation remains the same. In addition, there were changes and restructuring, which were summarized in a presentation published at the European Drone Forum 2022. The new document can be viewed on the JARUS website.

New with SORA 2.5

Some topics from the previous documents have been reworded and added so that a more comprehensible and clearer version has been published. New additions are Annex A, F, and I. Annex A contains the structure of the so-called manual operator and Annex F a quantitative model for the assessment of soil risk. The last main change to the SORA, Annex I, provides a glossary that clearly explains definitions of technical terms and abbreviations using examples.