{"id":12127,"date":"2026-05-11T09:57:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T09:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/sts-or-sora-which-one-do-i-need-and-why\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T09:57:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T09:57:07","slug":"sts-or-sora-which-one-do-i-need-and-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/sts-or-sora-which-one-do-i-need-and-why\/","title":{"rendered":"STS or SORA. Which one do I need and why?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Those who want to become professionally active in the field of drones will sooner or later encounter the same question:<br \/>\n<strong>Do I need STS or SORA?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The answer is not the same for everyone. It depends on: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the type of flight<\/li>\n<li>with what Drone I will attempt<\/li>\n<li>the environment<\/li>\n<li>the frequency of work<\/li>\n<li>and the professional objective of the operator or company<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To be clear, let&#8217;s keep it simple. <strong>STS (Standard Scenarios)<\/strong> are <strong>predefined flight scenarios<\/strong> created by EASA so that professionals can perform <strong>specific demanding flights<\/strong> without the need for a specific study each time. <\/p>\n<p>Today there are two main ones:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>STS-01<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>STS-02<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With the STS:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you know in advance what is allowed<\/li>\n<li>you follow certain rules<\/li>\n<li>you are trained and certified<\/li>\n<li>and you can fly legally in many professional applications STS are the <strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">fastest and most practical solution<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> for the majority of professionals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment)<\/strong> is not a licence, nor a simple certificate.<br \/>\nIt is a <strong>detailed risk study<\/strong>, tailored <strong>exclusively<\/strong> to a specific business and activity.<\/p>\n<p>With SORA:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>a detailed description of what the undertaking wants to do<\/li>\n<li>all possible risks are considered<\/li>\n<li>procedures and security measures are established<\/li>\n<li>and approved by the Civil Aviation Authority SORA is necessary when flights are <strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">not covered by STS<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>When do I need STS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>STS are ideal when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the flights are frequently repeated<\/li>\n<li>are within the limits of the predefined scenarios<\/li>\n<li>involve typical professional tasks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>photography &amp; videography in urban areas<\/li>\n<li>building inspections<\/li>\n<li>technical works<\/li>\n<li>mapping with specific distances<\/li>\n<li>professional missions with a clear framework For most professionals, STS are the <strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">first and essential step in their development<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>When do I need SORA<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>SORA is required when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the flight cannot be performed at STS<\/li>\n<li>there are special circumstances<\/li>\n<li>the project is unique or highly specialised<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>flights over large crowds<\/li>\n<li>B-VLOS missions<\/li>\n<li>special industrial or government applications<\/li>\n<li>projects with increased safety requirements SORA is a solution for <strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">companies with a specific project<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">, not for routine daily flights.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>STS or SORA: which is better?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There is no &#8220;better&#8221; in general.<br \/>\nThere is <strong>more appropriate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>STS<\/strong> are:\n<ul>\n<li>more simply<\/li>\n<li>faster<\/li>\n<li>more economical<\/li>\n<li>ideal for continuous professional activity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>SORA<\/strong> is:\n<ul>\n<li>more complex<\/li>\n<li>more demanding<\/li>\n<li>adapted to special needs<\/li>\n<li>necessary only when there is no other solution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In practice: Most practitioners start with STS and only when necessary move on to SORA.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A common mistake<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many believe that: &#8220;If I do SORA, I don&#8217;t need STS&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In fact:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the SORA relates to <strong>a specific activity<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>the STS cover <strong>general professional operation<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many businesses have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>STS for everyday tasks<\/li>\n<li>and SORA for specific projects<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The role of the right guidance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The choice between STS and SORA should not be made lightly.<br \/>\nOne wrong step can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>unnecessarily increase costs<\/li>\n<li>delay the start of work<\/li>\n<li>or restrict the activity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is why proper guidance is crucial.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Patras Drone Academy<\/strong> is one of the <strong>few schools in Greece<\/strong> that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>train certified in <strong>STS-01 &amp; STS-02<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>have experience in <strong>SORA &amp; Operation Manuals<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>can properly guide professionals and businesses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The goal is not just certification, but:<\/p>\n<p>for each professional to choose what he or <strong>she really needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The dilemma of <strong>STS or SORA<\/strong> is not a matter of choosing between prestige and prestige, but <strong>of the right strategy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you want to work professionally, frequently and safely? \u2192 <strong>STS<\/strong> <\/li>\n<li>Do you want to perform a special or complex project? \u2192 <strong>SORA<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In both cases, the right guidance makes a difference.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Those who want to become professionally active in the field of drones will sooner or later encounter the same question: Do I need STS or SORA? The answer is not the same for everyone. It depends on: the type of flight with what Drone I will attempt the environment the frequency of work and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12125,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12127"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12127\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12127"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/patrasdroneacademy.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}