As part of the changes at the CAA to a more efficient and timely SUAS (Drone) application and renewal process, the regulator has announced a switch away from the 'old school' SRG1320 Paper Form to a new online based process.
This article provides a high level overview of the changes and we'll update the blog as we get more granular detail on the new process over the next few weeks. Make sure you subscribe to the blog to be kept up to date.
Total Read Time: ~2 minutes
New Application Process
The new application process is designed to help improve the efficiency of the CAA's internal verification processes and make the customer journey more simple and efficient for you; their 'customer'.
The new application process does away with the requirements for customers to complete the CAA SRG 1320 Form which often led to errors (and thus, delays in processing applications and renewals) and instead, sees any initial application for or renewal of a standard permission being processed via a simple online form which guides you through the various sections.
One of the great things about the online form is that it includes an element of built-in verification and validation of data which should help prevent some of the problems which were so commonly seen in the SRG 1320; namely items such as the Operations Manual Version Number not matching that shown on the 1320 and different names being present on the 1320, Operations Manual and/or the Insurance documents (these should all match!)...
The details of the verification logic can be found on the CAA's website HERE - an example is shown below.
Payment
Another element of permission applications which has always seemed to cause delays is the processing of payments.
The CAA always advised against putting your card details onto the SRG1320 and that they would call the customer to collect payment via telephone if no details were present. However, in practise; it seemed that if you missed the initial call from the CAA, it would be up to the customer to contact them and make payment - failure to do so would often result in a delay of a few months in the issuing of a permission as the problem was often only spotted when a frustrated customer enquired into why they had yet to be issued with a permission and find out where it was... Frustrating to say the least!
The new online application process includes the option to make a secure payment via the internet without having to leave the application process which is a huge leap forward.
When?
The changes to the application process take effect from the 18th April 2018 but if you already have your permission submitted to the CAA (or are planning on doing so soon) then fear not; the original SRG 1320 Forms can still be used up until the 1st June 2018.
It is also worth noting that the SRG 1320 will continue to be used for NON-STANDARD permissions, it is only for standard permissions that the new online system will be utilised.
Conclusion
This is a big step forward for the CAA and one which is great to see. For a long time it has been clear that the current processes and infrastructure were struggling to cope with the demand placed upon them and hopefully, these new processes combined with the service level improvements which should come from the increased fees associated with initial applications and renewals will be great for both the industry and the regulator!
We'll bring you more on the new process and any updates in the next few weeks.
If you have any questions or want to know more just drop us a line on +44(0)1491 526 700 or send an email to us info@flyicarus.co.uk and we'll be happy to help out!
