A2 CofC study guide
A2 CofC · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The A2 Certificate of Competence is the theory-based qualification that lets a remote pilot fly a small unmanned aircraft in the A2 subcategory of the Open category - that is, in areas where uninvolved people may be present, but never over them. It suits hobbyists and commercial operators who need more freedom than A1 or A3 allows but who do not want to move into a Specific category operational authorisation. The A2 CofC study guide has 8 sections and about 2,568 words.
01Air safety: hazards, risk and the barriers between them
A hazard is a source of harm: a busy road under the take-off point, a 15 kt gust, a partially charged battery, a helicopter route. Risk is the combination of the likelihood that the hazard causes harm and the severity of the outcome.
329 words, about 2 min02Airspace restrictions and UAS geographical zones
Most airspace a drone pilot must avoid is controlled airspace - in UK terms Classes A to E - comprising airways, control areas (CTA) and control zones (CTR). Around aerodromes you will also meet the ATZ (a cylinder around an aerodrome, roughly 2 nm radius to 2,000 ft) and the military MATZ .
325 words, about 2 min03Open category and subcategories A1, A2 and A3
The Open category needs no prior authorisation, but it is bounded by hard limits: maximum 120 m from the closest point of the surface, visual line of sight (VLOS) at all times, no carriage of dangerous goods, nothing dropped, and no flight over assemblies of people. Within it there are three subcategories, matched to aircraft class and pilot competency.
351 words, about 2 min04Human performance limitations
However automated the aircraft, the human decides. IMSAFE is the standard self-check: Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion/Eating.
289 words, about 1 min05Operational procedures: from site survey to shutdown
Good operations start away from the airfield. Do a site survey - on foot or with good imagery - to identify hazards, obstructions, the take-off and landing area, and where bystanders will be.
313 words, about 2 min06Unmanned aircraft: technical and performance limitations
MTOM (maximum take-off mass) includes battery, payload and anything you have bolted on - it is not the empty weight. The Open category classes hinge on it: C0 below 250 g, C1 below 900 g with a defined impact-energy limit, C2 below 4 kg, C3 and C4 below 25 kg (C4 has no automation beyond stabilisation).
321 words, about 2 min07Privacy and data protection
A drone with a camera processes personal data whenever the images can identify a living person, and UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply to that processing even if you never sell the footage. The principles are familiar: lawful, fair and transparent processing; purpose limitation ; data minimisation ; accuracy; storage limitation ; integrity and confidentiality; and accountability.
311 words, about 2 min08Insurance and security
Understand the difference between third-party liability cover (injury to others and damage to their property) and hull cover (your own aircraft). The operator - the person or organisation responsible for the flight - carries the liability, so check that the policy is in the operator's name and matches the actual operation.
329 words, about 2 min