CAD Launches Small Unmanned Aircraft Advanced Training Organisation Scheme with HKPC on the Pilot Run to Help Lay down Training and Assessment Benchmarks

(Hong Kong, 20 December 2021) The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of the HKSAR Government announced today to launch the Small Unmanned Aircraft Advanced Training Organisation Scheme (SUA ATO Scheme) under which approved training organisations can provide advanced training courses and conduct assessment for those remote pilots of small unmanned aircraft (SUA) conducting higher risk SUA operations. After the SUA Order was gazetted in July, to tie in with the new regulatory regime, the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) collaborated with CAD on a pilot scheme to validate the SUA training syllabus and assessment criteria. This would pave the way for approval of the SUA training organisations under the new regulatory regime.

HKPC welcomes the launch of the SUA ATO Scheme and will actively support the implementation of the policy. The new legislative regulation not only ensures public safety, but also contributes to the development of SUA technology, more robust basic training, and further promotion of the application of SUA in education, business and industrial, and personal aspects. HKPC is committed to promoting SUA R&D technology, using advanced technology to evolve the industry and nurture future “InnoTalent”. Also, through its Hong Kong Industrial Drone Technology Centre, HKPC is collaborating with the industry to showcase different application scenarios of SUA in smart city and the business and industrial sectors, ranging from high-rise building exterior wall and infrastructure (such as tunnel) inspection, environmental monitoring, spatial information surveying, disaster area rescue, logistics distribution, inventory management, to production facility monitoring.

The HKPC Academy of HKPC has been offering training courses on the application of SUA. The first certified course in the pilot was launched in mid-July and was taught by SUA pilots with relevant experience and qualifications. Through actual flight experience, trainees can master basic theories and new regulatory requirements, strengthen safe operation and monitoring skills, and develop higher crisis awareness, laying a firm foundation for professional flight. The relevant courses are also funded by the government’s Reindustrialisation and Technology Training Programme for two-third of the course fee. Upon course completion, eligible trainees can obtain advanced level theory and flight certificates for SUA issued by HKPC and may apply with CAD for Advanced Rating thereafter. The above measures will help promote the development of SUA technology and provide larger application scenarios.

To learn more about the SUA training courses of HKPC Academy, please visit the dedicated webpage: http://u.hkpc.org/sua1

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The Civil Aviation Department announces the launch of the Small Unmanned Aircraft Advanced Training Organisation Scheme, with HKPC participating in a pilot scheme to validate the small unmanned aircraft (SUA) training syllabus and assessment criteria to help further promote the local application of SUA for education, business and industrial, and personal purposes.