Synergy Positioning Systems Gains CAA PT102 Certification for UAV Operations

November 17, 2015 – Synergy Positioning Systems has announced its approval for CAA PT102 certification for UAV operations, which allows the company more flexibility around rules imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) under the new Civil Aviation Rule PT101.

One of the new rules that came into force on August 1st, 2015 requires UAV operators to gain permission from landowners or occupiers to operate UAVs over their property.  Companies can apply to operate under CAR PT102 of which UAV distributor and consultancy business Synergy Positioning Systems immediately applied for and, on October 23rd 2015, was granted.

Jeremy Neilson, UAV business development manager for Synergy Positioning Systems, says achieving PT102 certification is great news for Synergy clients, as the consultancy is now able to operate in places where other operators that don’t hold the certification would find it very troublesome to fly.

“For companies like us, with various projects spanning many square kilometres, the PT101 rule is extremely restrictive.  Having the ability to take on larger scale projects again means our clients can expect the same level of service and rapidity of results they were receiving before the new ruling.

“It’s a widely held opinion that the tightening of UAV operation rules is an anti-innovation measure. But we also concede that a set of rules were needed to help avoid something catastrophic happening. There’s no shortage of media coverage about near-misses or houses going without power due to wayward drones.”

In order to qualify for the certification, Synergy Positioning Systems had to provide CAA with a rigorous set of procedures and manuals proving the systems the consultancy firm has in place and the equipment that the company uses in conjunction with its expertise, ensures minimal risk to the public.

High resolution, high accuracy geo-referenced orthophotography and Digital Surface Models have become increasingly accessible and usable data sets for a wide variety of purposes, thanks to the increased availability of professional UAV systems.

Synergy Positioning Systems has enabled a large variety of entities to access such data quickly and accurately through comprehensive UAV flight planning and data management.

UAVs are now being utilised regularly in a number of industries, proving their worth as aerial tools for many tasks, from road construction monitoring and the surveying of quarry stockpile volumes, to agricultural and environmental management surveys for flood or erosion monitoring, forest plantation surveys and even emergency planning and search and rescue operations.

Further information on Synergy Positioning Systems’ UAV consultancy services is available at /services/services-uav