How we helped a land surveying firm
Flying drones in city centres or harbour environments is rarely straightforward, especially when you’re dealing with SEVESO zones, ISPS areas, CTR overlaps, or the practical impossibility of having a ‘controlled ground area’. A Belgian land surveying firm approached Drone Architect to bring clarity, structure, and legal certainty to their drone operations across a wide range of complex sites.
The challenge
Our client regularly has to survey high-risk/-density environments, such as:
- Industrial ports
- Urban construction sites
- Critical infrastructure zones
They held a BE-STS-01 permit but struggled with the restricted drone usage due to unclear compliance paths. They also lacked a complete Operations Manual and faced imminent Remote ID requirements.
Why "Controlled Ground Area" is a barrier
Regulations often require that drone flights take place within a controlled ground area: an area fully free from uninvolved persons. However, in practice – at active ports, rail zones, or large open construction sites – it’s nearly impossible to guarantee such isolation. As a result, open category flights or PDRA scenarios become legally and operationally difficult to execute.
Our solution
Drone Architect delivered a tailored solution including:
✔️ Legal feasibility analysis for port and city zones
✔️ Generic Operational Authorization documentation for two drones
✔️ Evaluate the use of MoC2512 Parachute and MoC 2511 Flight Termination Systems
✔️ Full rewrite of the Operations Manual
✔️ Remote ID retrofit strategy for older drones
The outcome
With the OA dossiers ready for submission, the client will now be able to:
✔️ Fly legally in SEVESO and ISPS zones
✔️ Operate in ports, populated city areas and CTRs
✔️Conduct inspections near tall infrastructure
✔️ Plan and assess new missions without requesting separate BCAA approvals