Regulation · European Union
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
EASA's Special Condition for VTOL sets airworthiness objectives for a type certificate for small person-carrying VTOL aircraft. The special condition is the certification basis. Means of compliance explain how an applicant can show it meets those objectives. Neither document is itself an issued type certificate.
EASA's consultation page for the Special Condition for VTOL says the related products are VTOL aircraft with more than two lift/thrust units. The page, updated in July 2025, points to the final fourth publication of means of compliance (MOC-4 SC-VTOL Issue 2, noted as released by July 11, 2025) and a proposed fifth publication (MOC-5 Issue 1, dated July 18, 2025) that was out for comment.
EASA's MOC-4 document says the special condition was issued in July 2019 because existing specifications did not fit VTOL-capable aircraft. It says SC-VTOL prescribes airworthiness standards for issuing a type certificate, and changes to that certificate, for a person-carrying VTOL-capable aircraft in the small category. It says the special condition states safety and design objectives and does not itself contain the means of showing compliance. Means of compliance, and some guidance, are published separately.
EASA's Easy Access Rules page for small-category VTOL-capable aircraft, publication date November 4, 2024, says the October 2024 consolidation includes SC-VTOL Issue 2 and three means-of-compliance issues.
A production organisation approval is a different document. PAL-V said in September 2026 that its EASA Production Organisation Approval authorises manufacture of aviation products. all-electronics.de reported that this was not a completed type certificate for the Liberty.
Sources for this note
Where tracked vehicles stand
Rows are limited to vehicles on this site. "In a program" and "target" are not issued certificates.
| Vehicle | Document | Standing | Date | What the source says | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Production organisation approval (not a type certificate) |
Issued |
PAL-V said in September 2026 that EASA had approved its production organisation, which authorises manufacture. all-electronics.de reported the date as September 7, 2026, and wrote that this is not a completed type certificate. The aircraft type certificate is not issued. |