PART 108 SPECIFIC-CATEGORY AUTHORISATION DOSSIER

JARUS SORA v2.5 · Issued dossier · SAIL III

Dossier Reference SORA-DSR-0f2a1c-20260417-v3

Mission / Programme ID 3c4b8a1e-7d41-48e2-9e0b-1f7a2d3c4b8a

SORA Version JARUS SORA v2.5 (January 2024)

Dossier Version 3 (supersedes v2 following mitigation refinement)

Issued 2026-04-17T09:14:02Z

Authorisation Validity 2026-05-01 → 2026-07-31 (3-month programme)

Overall Status ISSUED

SAIL III

Critical OSO Gaps 0

Operator Acceptance ACCEPTED BY APPROVER

WHAT THIS DOCUMENT IS — AND WHAT IT IS NOT. This is a Part 108 specific-category authorisation dossier generated by FlightDocket from a completed JARUS SORA v2.5 ten-step assessment. It is the artefact an operator submits to SACAA when seeking specific-category authorisation under Part 108 for operations that fall outside the standard Part 101 VLOS/EVLOS/BVLOS modes approved in the operator's UASOC. It is not a self-approved operational document and it is not required for ordinary Part 101 missions or programmes. The Tenant Approver accepts this dossier internally before it is submitted to SACAA. The regulatory authorisation is granted (or refused) by SACAA. FlightDocket is advisory throughout.

PART 101 vs PART 108 — WHICH PATHWAY APPLIES TO YOUR OPERATION.
Part 101 (standard): Mission or programme → FlightDocket MAAR assessment → your approver authorises under your UASOC → fly. No SACAA per-operation approval. This is the normal path for VLOS, EVLOS, BVLOS, and night operations inside your approved UASOC modes. Your existing workflow.
Part 108 (specific-category, this dossier): Operation falls outside your approved Part 101 modes (for example, BVLOS over populated areas without existing dispensation, or high-risk corridor work) → FlightDocket SORA assessment → your approver accepts the dossier → operator submits dossier to SACAA → SACAA grants or refuses specific-category authorisation → fly under the SACAA authorisation. New pathway, used only when Part 101 does not cover the operation.

1. CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS (ConOps)

Item	Value
Operator	Demo TC-B Operator (specimen)
UASOC Reference	SACAA-ROC-2022-047
Operation Type	Infrastructure corridor inspection, BVLOS
Operational Area	Linear corridor, 8.2 km length, 500 m buffer each side
Location	N-class provincial highway corridor, Northern Cape (specimen location)
Mission Type	mission.type.infrastructure / infra.corridor.linear
Operating Mode	ops.mode.bvlos (daytime, VMC)
Aircraft	DJI Matrice 350 RTK (MTOW 9.2 kg, max speed 23 m/s)
UAS Class	Specific (non-C-class); Part 108 authorisation pathway
Max Altitude	120 m AGL
Max Range from PIC	4.1 km (BVLOS, with observer relay)
Kinetic Energy at Impact	~3.9 kJ (95th-percentile descent profile)
Planned Duration	Programme: 3 months; per-sortie: 45–90 minutes
Pilot in Command Pool	4 approved PICs (RPC + BVLOS + night endorsed)
Crew	PIC + Observer (mandatory, BVLOS) + Safety Officer

OPERATION RATIONALE. Scheduled structural inspection of transmission-line corridor and adjacent culverts over a 3-month programme. Mission is suitable for specific-category treatment under Part 108 because the corridor crosses sparsely-populated rural terrain with intermittent populated-area exposure (two villages) and proximity to uncontrolled airspace used by general aviation.

2. GROUND RISK CLASS (GRC)

GRC — Initial

Intrinsic ground risk (pre-mitigation)

UAS kinetic energy 3.9 kJ places UAS in SORA Annex A column "< 34 kJ". Operational volume intersects sparsely-populated (90% of corridor length) and populated (10% of corridor length, two villages). Per SORA §2.1 decision table, combined exposure gives GRC = 5.

GRC — Final

Residual ground risk after ground mitigations

M1 tactical-mitigation reduction of 1 step applied (per §M1.a). M2 emergency-response plan satisfies SORA §M2 minimum. M3 parachute recovery system (certified ballistic parachute) reduces energy on uncontrolled descent. Residual GRC = 4.

Ground Risk Mitigations Applied

Tier	Mitigation	Robustness	Evidence
M1	Population avoidance: 500 m lateral buffer over populated sections; altitude limitation 60 m AGL when within 200 m of any dwelling; programme rescheduling if headcount forecast > 12 in any corridor segment	Medium	Site survey report; real-time headcount monitor; corridor geofence
M2	Emergency Response Plan (ERP) covering out-of-control descent, battery anomaly, loss of C2 link, and crew injury. Local emergency services pre-notified.	Medium	ERP document linked to evidence archive; local SAPS + EMS acknowledgement on file
M3	Ballistic parachute recovery system (C-class certified, manufacturer-approved for MTOW 10 kg) deployed on airframe. Auto-deploy on attitude exceedance and manual trigger from PIC station.	Medium	Parachute certification document; last deployment test 2026-03-22 (PASS)

3. AIR RISK CLASS (ARC)

ARC — Initial

ARC-b

Uncontrolled airspace, low encounter rate

Operational volume is Class G (uncontrolled) throughout. Nearest controlled airspace is Class C at 18 km lateral distance. Nearest aerodrome is an unlicensed grass strip at 6.4 km. Historical encounter rate with manned aircraft in the corridor sector is below SORA §3.2 threshold. Per SORA §3.2 table, ARC initial = ARC-b.

ARC — Final

ARC-b

No downgrade required; strategic mitigations in place

No strategic air risk mitigation was required to achieve a lower ARC. Strategic operational restrictions (altitude cap 120 m AGL, daytime VMC only) keep exposure to other airspace users minimal. ARC final remains ARC-b.

Tactical Mitigation Performance Requirement (TMPR)

Per SORA §3.3, TMPR for ARC-b specifies a Medium robustness tactical mitigation against airborne conflict. Implemented through:

Pre-flight NOTAM review via ATC briefing service; any active NOTAM in the operational volume triggers programme pause
Visual Observer (VO) on station with dedicated radio link to PIC
ADS-B In receiver at ground-control station for traffic awareness within 10 NM radius
Published AIP NOTAM for the 3-month programme duration

4. SAIL DETERMINATION

GRC (final)	ARC (final)	SAIL (SORA v2.5 §4 matrix)
4	ARC-b	SAIL III

SAIL III. The Specific Assurance and Integrity Level for this operation is III (of VI). SAIL III defines the rigour level for demonstrating compliance with each Operational Safety Objective (OSO) — ranging from Low robustness where SAIL I suffices, to Optional where an OSO is not required at this SAIL. See §5 OSO Compliance for per-OSO evidence.

5. OPERATIONAL SAFETY OBJECTIVES (OSO) COMPLIANCE

#	Objective	SAIL III Robustness	Status / Evidence
01	Ensure the operator is competent and/or proven	M	MET — UASOC + 3yr history
02	UAS manufactured by competent and/or proven entity	L	MET — DJI Type 3 manufacturer
03	UAS maintained by competent and/or proven entity	L	MET — in-house Part 101 programme
04	UAS developed to authority-recognised standards	L	MET — CE / FCC / EMC certified
05	UAS designed considering system safety and reliability	M	MET — redundant IMU, GPS, motors
06	C3 (command, control, communication) link performance is appropriate	L	MET — encrypted link, Medium robustness
07	Inspection of UAS (product inspection) for flight-readiness	M	MET — pre-flight checklist enforced by platform
08	Operational procedures defined, validated, and adhered to	M	MET — Operations Manual + SMS
09	Remote crew trained and current	M	MET — RPC + BVLOS + night endorsed
10	Safe recovery from technical issue	M	MET — ballistic parachute + return-to-home + flight termination
11	Procedures defined for deviations from normal	M	MET — ERP v2.3
12	The UAS is designed to manage deterioration of external systems supporting UAS operation	L	MET — GPS-denied RTH; lost-link procedure
13	External services supporting UAS operations are adequate	L	MET — weather, airspace, credential surveillance
14	Operational procedures defined, validated, and adhered to (for environmental conditions)	M	MET — wind/visibility/ceiling thresholds enforced
15	C3 link performance is appropriate for the operation	L	MET — observer VLOS relay
16	Multi-crew coordination	M	MET — PIC/VO/SO roles with briefing artefact
17	Remote crew is fit to operate	M	MET — IMSAFE + medical + ELP active
18	Automatic protection of the flight envelope	H	PARTIAL — geofence + altitude limit; envelope protection at M robustness, planned upgrade to H
19	Safe recovery from Human Error	M	MET — checklist execution, RTH bound
20	A Safety Risk Assessment is completed	M	MET — this SORA dossier
21	SMS Human Factors evaluation has been performed	M	MET — SMS hazard register
22	The UAS is designed and qualified for adverse environmental conditions	L	MET — manufacturer IP certifications
23	Environmental conditions for safe operations are defined, measurable, and adhered to	L	MET — weather gate at M3 Phase 1B
24	Operator is connected with other airspace users, public authorities	M	MET — ATC briefing, NOTAM published, local EMS notified

23 of 24 OSOs MET at required robustness level. 1 PARTIAL (OSO-18) with explicit planned upgrade path. No OSO is NOT MET. Dossier is regulator-ready for Part 108 submission subject to the operator's acceptance of OSO-18 partial status, documented below.

6. AUTHORISATION SUMMARY

Issuing authority (once granted)	SACAA — specific-category authorisation under Part 108. This dossier is the submission artefact; SACAA's decision is the authorisation. Operator accepts the dossier internally; the operator does not self-authorise a Part 108 operation.
Platform role	Advisory only — FlightDocket generates the dossier from the ten-step SORA assessment, not the authorisation.
Dossier status (specimen)	ACCEPTED INTERNALLY · ready for SACAA submission (SACAA response outside scope of this specimen)
SAIL	III
Validity window	2026-05-01 → 2026-07-31 (inclusive)
Approved aircraft	DJI Matrice 350 RTK, registration ZA-SWUASROC-001
Approved PIC pool	4 approved PICs (actor references redacted in specimen)
Operating mode limitation	BVLOS, daytime, VMC only. Night operations excluded from this authorisation.
Altitude limitation	120 m AGL maximum; 60 m AGL within 200 m of dwellings
Operational volume limitation	Linear corridor as defined in §1 ConOps; deviation > 500 m terminates sortie
Crew requirement	PIC + Observer + Safety Officer, minimum
OSO-18 conditional acceptance	Accepted at Medium robustness for this programme; Automatic flight envelope protection upgrade to High robustness tracked as corrective action CA-2026-041, due 2026-06-15.
Emergency response	ERP v2.3 activated for the duration of the programme; SAPS and EMS notified

7. CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS

Programme authorisation expires 2026-07-31. Any sortie intended after this date requires a new or amended authorisation.
Deviation from the approved corridor > 500 m triggers automatic sortie termination. PIC has unrestricted authority to terminate earlier on any safety concern.
NOTAM affecting the operational volume received after M3 and within 2 hours of deployment triggers sortie cancellation with 100% MC credit per platform policy.
Any mission-relevant change to OSO-18 (envelope protection) upgrade status must be recorded against CA-2026-041 and reflected in the next sortie's pre-flight evidence.
PIC, Observer, and Safety Officer must confirm IMSAFE self-assessment before each sortie.
Any Category A or Category B occurrence reopens the SORA dossier and may trigger mid-programme reassessment.
Post-flight telemetry must be uploaded within 48 hours of each sortie for flight-data anomaly review.

8. DOSSIER INTEGRITY AND REFERENCES

Dossier SHA-256	`7a3f4c8b9e2d1f56a8b4c7e3d0f2a1b6c4e8d3f7a2b9c5e1d8f0a6b3c7e4d2f9`
Evidence artefact ID	`ev-0f2a1c3b-4e5d-6f7a-8b9c-0d1e2f3a4b5c`
Storage	Append-only immutable archive, 7-year retention
Assessment source	FlightDocket SORA assessment engine v1.0 against JARUS SORA v2.5 (January 2024)
Regulatory framework	SACAA CAR/CATS Part 101 (25th/26th Amendment 2023); Part 108 (specific-category pathway); ICAO Annex 19 Safety Management

9. OPERATOR ACCEPTANCE AND APPROVER SIGNOFF

The Tenant Approver accepts this SORA dossier internally as complete and correct, before it is submitted to SACAA for Part 108 specific-category authorisation. FlightDocket is advisory. Operator acceptance is not an operational authorisation — the SACAA authorisation, once granted, is the authority to fly.

Tenant Approver name: K. Raath (specimen)
Designation: Accountable Manager / Chief Remote Pilot
Signed at: 2026-04-17T09:14:02Z
Digital signature: sig-0f2a1c3b-4e5d-...

Safety Officer acknowledgement: M. Raath (specimen)
Signed at: 2026-04-17T09:16:41Z