You type your name using a custom script, scroll type signature font that emulates handwriting on the screen and when printed out. That’s what I used to sign my pilot logs and it looks like a handwritten signature (more or less). The CAA accepted it ok. Add a signature column onto the log and insert the typed font sig beside each item of maintenance work carried out. Also sign the bottom of your pilot log at the end of each calendar month. That’s the easy bit. The more work comes from the fact the log form templates have to be shown in the operations manual so the manual will now need to be updated.
Flight log signatures now? …
I know they want the pilot log seperated for each UAS, but is it still only the previous 3 months worth?
The school that trained me indicated
Pilot log - a single complete record of all flights taken as a pilot from the start of registration collated by calendar month and year and signed at the end of each month.
Aircraft logs - recorded flights of each aircraft so one log per aircraft
Battery logs - batteries for each aircraft - one log per aircraft
Maintenance log - one log per aircraft.
For the OA renewal you currently submit the 1 pilot log and all the maintenance logs
Not sure what you mean by the previous 3 months worth. You submit what I have stipulated above. You also sign a declaration that you have flown more than 2 hours during the 3 months before the application (which they will be able to check when they look at your pilot log record.)
Meant for the OA submission. We have a continuous log for each pilot, but only send the 3 months flown before renewal to demonstrate the >2 hours flying time.
They want your pilot log. T H E L O G. What has the 3 months got to do with it? They want your log. I can’t make it any clearer for you. If they wanted 1 month, 2 months, 1 year, a leap year, a monkey nuts year they would specify that. They are asking for T H E L O G which is when you registered and started flying. It has nothing to do with the last 3 months flying. That’s NOT what they are asking for!!!
Not sure how to respond … I’ve never had a problem renewing since we first got an OA (née PfCO) some years ago. They’ve always accepted what I’ve sent.
That is shocking to hear, but somehow not totally surprising.
Stopping the syching is easy but that’ll exclude the updates won’t it?
God Almighty, it there anything the CAA doesn’t want us to be? Not just being a sensible and competent Remote Pilot but we can now include to the list of necessary abilities- secretary, electronics, the mind of a barrister, businessman (can I say that nowadays?) and all-round consciencious perfectionist with a surreal amount of time on their hands!
Back to the drawing board:-)
I hear your pain on this subject as im just applying for my first OA, tonight i was ready to start the application, got my operation manual ready, flight logs and maintenance logs, then! Realised they want individually produced records for each uav, flights, maintenance and battery FFS! Is it really worth it ? My largest drone is a air 3 and a mini 3 i have my A2 c of c so i cant now see the point of all the burocracy and justification spending any more of my free time batteling with Xcell files and recording every detail of my drones DNA , its hard enough planning the flights and checking the legality of your take off point and negotiating the weather and the anxiaty issus with the public on your only free 2 days off work when you feel the inspiration to fly. And the cost of this obviously had to get my insurance before applying, wonder if they will give me a refund, 
Hang in there! The CAA have some sensible people and, apparently, some good changes may happen.
Would an AirData Gold plan go some way to helping with your records?
If the CAA accept the data then i will look into it, i have a basic account atm.
Don’t forget to take advantage of our exclusive AirData discount that you’re eligible to use @Russ2116 - see Members Only for the details.
I will look into this as i fly allot of hours with 3 drones, there is only so many hours in a day and i hate EXCELL!
Our renewal went through with all the extra information they wanted, but omg what a time sink!!
One bit of advice, they were very keen on us having detailed flight procedures ( including in flight procedures ) which tied in with the mitigations for PDRA01 … it was a real pain to review everything
Airdata are great but be careful - unless you have the Enterprise plan you cannot export the records.
The system they have for reminding of battery and aircraft servicing is great but was stumped when it came to exporting the data in order to submit it all to the CAA.
This is why I cancelled my Airdata subscription. That said, I wrote and asked them for the data and they kindly upgraded my account from Gold to Enterprise granting me access for which I am grateful.
Maybe that has changed now but I would perhaps ask them.
Just received my OA today and i am still wondering if its worth it? As i don’t fly anything above 2kg and have my A2 cofc. Have i wasted my money ? I feel the training and knowledge was beneficial.
Depends
For a UAV that falls outside A1, a pdra01 based operational authorisation does have some benefits over A2, A3 and article 16.
BUT to make use of them you need to follow your operations manual to the letter which (for the CAA reps reading this) is an excellent risk management approach, and not at all long winded.
To be honest, we only use a specific category flight if we can’t do what we need to under open category - its nice to have the option though.
Or a gap in GADC’s fantastic club:-) If you guys had something to help with the bureaucracy and relieve the stress of data wrangling then …
It seems, and I am happy to stand corrected on this, that Excel/Numbers cannot do the maths to calculate total flight time and months passed to indicate a battery, for example, needs a service.
I asked one of the online professionals and he said it wouldn’t be possible.
Perhaps it’s back to the drawing board for me…
For sure it was beneficial and you’ve the flexibility in where you can fly. It it s pain up the back side though!
