UK OPERATIONS MANUAL
Building a UK UAS operations manual
A UK operations manual must describe the real organisation and operation and support the applicable UK CAA route. It should not present Irish IAA or EASA member-state procedures as UK requirements.
Govern the document
Include ownership, approval, distribution, revision control, definitions, operator details, organisational roles and responsibility for operational decisions.
Describe people, aircraft and operation
Connect crew competence, recency, UAS configuration, maintenance, software, airspace, site assessment, weather limits and go/no-go criteria to the intended UK operation.
Separate normal, contingency and emergency procedures
Define triggers, responsible roles, communications, immediate actions, reporting and records. Link controlled checklists and registers rather than duplicating conflicting text.
Maintain UK-specific references
Record the applicable UK authorisation, UK CAA publications and local operating constraints. Review them whenever the operation or regulatory basis changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Irish manual be reused for a UK operation?
Its structure may be a starting point, but authority references, legal basis, route, procedures and national conditions must be reviewed for the UK operation.
Is a template enough?
No. A template becomes useful only when it accurately describes the operator, aircraft, people, environment, limits and evidence.