Interview with Natale di Rubbo, the Drones Project Manager (Open and Specific Category) at EASA

We just had the chance to speak to Natale di Rubbo, who is the Drones Project Manager for both the open and specific categories at EASA.

He took the chance to tell us more about European UAS operations outside of designated U-spaces, which will be part of his workshop tomorrow during Amsterdam Drone Week.

Natale also mentioned that to enable BVLOS operations at scale in Europe, a solution for integrating drone traffic with other traffic sources needs to be found, but they currently don’t have a reliable detect and avoid system that would be required for complex drone operations at scale.

His workshop tomorrow at Amsterdam drone week seeks to address this problem by exploring options to utilize U-Space services outside of U-Space airspaces and by bringing drone operators together to find possible solutions. You can find him tomorrow from 9:00 - 10:30 at D201.

About Natale di Rubbo

Natale di Rubbo has dedicated over two decades to various roles within the field of aviation. With his extensive experience, Natale has become a recognised expert in the management, maintenance and certification of both crewed and uncrewed aircraft systems.

In July 2013, Natale joined the Italian Ministry of Defence in the National Armaments Directorate as an Airworthiness Certification Section Leader. Over the course of nearly three years, he led the certification team responsible for the initial airworthiness of various aircraft, including M346, M345, NATO AGS and Scan Eagle. Natale also held significant roles in the development of EMACC and multiple NATO working groups.

Natale later transitioned to EASA, where he served as a Regulation Officer for Initial Airworthiness for Part 21 and UAS. He was the Project Manager for the development of the Opinion, which included the proposed regulation for UAS operations in open and specific categories. In April 2020, Natale was promoted to the position of Drone Project Manager, where he has been overseeing the coordination of activities for UAS operations in the open and specific categories.

Throughout his career, Natale has also held various roles within the Italian Air Force, including Maintenance Training Lead, C-130J and G222 Maintenance Center Chief of Engineers and Avionic Shop Lead. These roles enabled him to develop a broad set of skills in aircraft maintenance, training, and operational support.