Heavy-lift drone operations almost always fall outside the Open category of European drone regulations. This means a special permit, the SORA, is required. But what exactly does this permit entail, and what does it mean for you as a client?
What is the SORA permit?
SORA stands for Specific Operations Risk Assessment, a detailed risk analysis that Drone Lift compiles and submits to ILenT (the Dutch supervisory authority for environment and transport). Based on this analysis, ILenT grants permission for flights in the Specific category: operations more complex than the Open category allows.
Drone Lift holds the SORA permit with permit number NLD-OAT-231/02G, issued by ILenT under EASA standards, valid for loads up to 1,000 kg. This permit is held by Drone Visual B.V., the sister company of Drone Lift.
Why is SORA required for heavy-lift?
Drones with a maximum take-off mass exceeding 25 kg, such as the FlyingBasket FB3 or FB4, may never fly in the Open category. When the payload is also heavy and flights take place above or near people, the risk level increases to the point where a formal risk assessment is mandatory.
SORA is required for
- Flights with drones heavier than 25 kg MTOW
- Operations in controlled airspace
- Flights near critical infrastructure
- Night or BVLOS operations
What does this mean for you as a client?
As a client, you don't need to worry about the permit. Drone Lift handles the complete permitting process: from risk assessment to airspace coordination and location-specific approvals. You specify what needs to be done; we ensure it can be done safely and legally.
This also makes us deployable in situations where other providers drop out: controlled airspace near airports, operations over water, or locations near critical infrastructure such as high-voltage lines.
SORA 2.0 and the future
Drone Lift operates under SORA 2.0, the most current version of the European risk assessment framework, developed by JARUS and implemented by EASA. This framework provides a standardised approach for complex drone operations across Europe, which also enables cross-border deployments such as our TenneT operation in Germany.
Summary
The SORA permit is not a bureaucratic formality, it is the foundation that makes safe, professional heavy-lift drone operations possible in complex environments. Drone Lift holds this permit and handles everything from A to Z.
