Discover the new MANEX drone operations manual.
To start a UAS operation in a specific category in French and/or European low altitude airspace, the operator must obtain an operating licence, linked to his activity declaration, from the competent authority of his country. The MANEX (or previously the MAP) is a document drawn up by a drone operator which groups together all the activities of the remote pilots, the aircraft, and the regulatory obligations. It is fundamental to ensure the safety of the operation in the air and on the ground during flights.
What does a MANEX plan contain?
In the introduction, the operator must undertake to apply and respect all the aeronautical regulations that will be defined. He must also keep himself informed of regulatory changes and inform all those involved.
Thereafter, the drone operator presents the characteristics of his activity :
– The overall organisation of the operation (organisation chart).
– The operational functions and responsibilities of each member of the operation: operator and persons responsible for each axis (remote pilot, maintenance, technicians, security…).
– All the company’s activities with the standard national scenarios (or with the regulatory transition a European scenario) planned
– The means used, i.e. the list of all the aircraft it wishes to fly and their technical characteristics, specifying the activities that will be carried out and their maintenance conditions in order to ensure optimal airworthiness.
– The inventory of all internal drone pilots at the operation. Then, the operator must define the skills and training required according to the activities to be performed.
Secondly, the operator must define and describe a system for monitoring incidents during operations in order to improve safety during operations and then put in place the necessary measures to ensure that the event does not recur.
Finally, the drone operator will establish the different procedures to be followed to carry out the operation:
The methods to be followed before each operation:
– Maintenance and general advice to be applied for an aircraft,
– Checking all documents to be presented in case of control,
– Identification and protection of the overflight area,
– Identification of all elements that may present risks during the flight,
– Checking the skills of the remote pilots,
For the drone operator to carry out his mission, he must respect :
- general procedures valid for all operations as well as procedures specific to a single operation.
- the operating procedures for each type of aircraft: giving the category of the aircraft, the operational performance, the limitations and the conduct of the flight.
- emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a problem (crash, etc.) and a response plan
The MANEX is a record of all the operator’s activities and should always be kept on file.
As previously stated, this file is required for the operation of aircraft under a national (or European) standard drone scenario. It is imperative that it be brought back into compliance when a modification is made. The operator must be able to present the updated MANEX in the event of an inspection, or risk being penalised.
To avoid these inconveniences, we offer GestaDRONE software, which automatically generates a MANEX operations manual, updates the document in a few clicks, and then communicates these updates in real time to the Directorate-General for Civil Aviation (DGCA).