Australia - Drone Licensing from July 1st 2019

[MarkyW74]

If you own a drone you'll need a 'flyer's licence' from July

 

[Big buzzer]

How do you get one in Aus and are the limitations any different?

 

[AnzacJack]

Same limitations as most places around the world. 400ft, 30 metres from people and buildings, not over populous area (which CASA define as - if it can hit someone if it falls out of the sky) and 3nm from airports.

 

[Simo73]

For commercial reason's or just everyone in general?
Will that include private property/

 

[AnzacJack]

I haven’t had a chance to have a good read through yet, but I think the intention is going to be for everyone. I asked CASA how they whervgoing to apply this to minors. It seems 16 plus will need an ARN and the new licences. They are not going to be the same as or as in depth as a ReOC or RePl and mainly just a way of ensuring ALL operators will at least be conversant with the rules. Of course, at a cost....

 

[MarkyW74]

According to the news report on the ABC, it applies to all drones over 250 grams, and for all users, both hobby and commercial;

This is from the ABC news website;

'Australia's aviation safety authority will establish a "flyer's license" and mandatory registration for drones from July this year, coinciding with a world-first drone food delivery business to be run out of Canberra.

For the first time, anyone in Australia who wants to fly a drone will have to be accredited by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, making it easier for police to track down miscreants.
"It will certainly give us big advantages in terms of complaints or reports of drones being flown improperly or against the safety rules," CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said.
"We'll have a starting point to know who flies drones in that area, what sort of drone they fly."
Prospective flyers of drones weighing more than 250 grams will need to pass an online education course and register their drone, according to policy documents prepared by CASA.
Flyer data would be kept in a database, finally allowing Australian authorities to get a picture of how many drones are flown in Australia, who is flying them and where.


Key points:

• Drone flyer data will be kept in a database to track users
• Those with drones of more than 250g will have to pass an online education course

CASA said the cost of registration would vary for different types of drones and whether they were used for fun or profit.
It estimated it would cost $20 annually per person for recreational drones and for some model aircraft operators.
The annual fee for each commercial drone would likely range from $100 to $160.'

 

[RayOZ]

I guess if you've got the money to have a drone hobby, you can give some money to CASA.

 

[Remote Pilots Australia]

Hi All

There are three level of licence proposed. Everyone will be required to hold a licence of one type or another and register their aircraft. SOCs (Standard Operating conditions) will still apply to all three classes of licence holder with the possibility for exemptions for the highest qualification as has always been the case

1. R.P.A. Recreational Pilots accreditation

This is the one for your average recreational pilot.

You will need to watch a short video and sit a multiple choice online exam of pretty modest scope, probably similar to the one the DJI 4 app puts to you when opening the software for the first time.

It is expected to take around 10 minutes total and you must renew your licence every three years. There is no charge for the examination or licence.

Aircraft registration will be $20 once off for all aircraft.

This licence will be introduced first on July 1

2. E.R.P.A. Excluded class Recreational PIlots Accreditation

This is for the person who is mostly a recreational pilot but would like to take on a little paid work in the sub 2Kg excluded category in non controlled airspace.

This will involve watching a slightly more in depth video tutorial and a more in depth multiple choice online examination.

It is expected this will take a total of around 30 minutes, again you must renew the licence every three years and there is no charge for the examination or licence.

Aircraft registration will be $20 once off for all aircraft if flown recreationally, if you fly it even part time commercially see the fee for registration for RePL below.

This licence is expected to be introduced by September 1st

3. RePL Remote Pilots Licence

This is the big one for commercial operators and required for a ReOC (remote operators certificate) if you want to be able to authorise flights that are outside the standard operating conditions.

There is a mandatory requirement to complete a course with a C.A.S.A. approved training organistation and is considered to be an investment of about 40 hours of study. I took about 20 hours for a 100% pass but have a good background in flight, radio and 25 years experience as an R/C instructor.

There is a 50 to 80 question, two and a half hour examination with a pass mark of 75% and mandatory 5 hours minimum practical flight evaluation. Cost will vary from provider to provider but budget around $1500 including your licencing fees and add another $400 if you want the Aeronautical Radio Operators Certificate which is required to operate in controlled airspace.

The licence is for life but you are subject to C.A.S.A. evaluation at any time and held to a high standard as far as observing the rules and safety.

Registration is $160 per aircraft per year for any aircraft used commercially. (greedy SOBs)

This licence is already in place.

Any further questions please feel free to ask.

Regards
Ari

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

A lot of excluded users will be likely to give that up.
Eg, I just got it because I could, perhaps using it some day or working to one day get my RePL.
If you have an ARN would you keep it and just say you aren’t doing anything commercial sub 2kg, or would you still keep that as a point of contact reference with CASA, or perhaps you just cancel it ?
I guess people here from Oz won’t know that yet for sure, probably one to ask CASA.

 

[Meta4]

A lot of excluded users will be likely to give that up.

If the points in post #8 are what they bring in, you might be right.
I wonder how many sub 2kg fliers are making enough to cover the annual $160 fee per aircraft.

Their attempt to squeeze $$ from the licensed and sub 2kg operators looks hard to justify when they were talking about charging on a cost recovery basis.
And charging for each drone is just milking it.
Many (most?) operators would have a primary machine and a backup that sits in the cupboard most of the time.

 

[Simmo]

Same limitations as most places around the world. 400ft, 30 metres from people and buildings, not over populous area (which CASA define as - if it can hit someone if it falls out of the sky) and 3nm from airports.

Buildings are not specifically mentioned anymore Bud, except perhaps in the wording 'property'.

• you must not operate an unmanned aircraft in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, another person, or property
• you must not fly closer than 30 metres (or under certain conditions, 15m) of people
• you must not fly over any populous area.

 

[Remote Pilots Australia]

If you have an ARN would you keep it and just say you aren’t doing anything commercial sub 2kg, or would you still keep that as a point of contact reference with CASA, or perhaps you just cancel it ?

Ahh good point, I knew I would forget something. All R.P.A. pilots regardless of licence will be required to have an Aviation Reference Number (A.R.N).

Regards
Ari

 

[Remote Pilots Australia]

you must not fly over any populous area.

The definition of "populous area" is also quite grey. You can fly over a football field and if there is no one on it and no game in progress it is not a populous area. If you are flying over a 500 hectare field and there is one person working in that field it may well qualify as a populous area under the law.

Regards
Ari

 

[AnzacJack]

The cost per craft does not seem overly expensive, but, someone like myself who has control of over 30 RPAS and not making any money from them, this can be crippling. However CASA are aware of my issues and I’m working with them so hopefully operators like myself will have a better option. We are talking government body though, so who knows

 

[Remote Pilots Australia]

The cost per craft does not seem overly expensive,

From my perspective it's punitive and unjustified.

I think we probably agree that some form of licencing was always going to eventuate here as overseas and if it's inevitable then the balance is probably about as right as it can be.

On the other hand registration at the fee scale they are suggesting doesn't stack up. They are telling us that the reason for the registration is to cover the administration costs and the costs of establishing a database and management regime. Well, the truth of it is that as far as RePLs go they already have that. They collect all of this data from the training providers when we do the course and sit the exams. If they didn't know who I was and where to find me then how for example were they able to contact me out of the blue last month and invite me to attend a consultation regarding the new system at C.A.S.A.main office in Brisbane? I've already shelled out a fair bit in licencing and don't get me started on ReOC fees, the word thou$and$ is accurate.

Recreational pilots on the other hand are totally different. C.A.S.A. is not able to guess the number of R.P.A. in the country, they say between 30 000 and 100 000. That's a pretty large area of uncertainty and of course how could it be otherwise when people have been able to walk into any number of retailers and lay down their money and walkout with the gear for some years. This of course leads to recreational pilots being almost unknown and unpoliceable. The only recreational pilots who have ever been sanctioned are either caught in the act or silly enough to post footage of themselves on social media or YouTube.

Se the situation is that recreational pilots who account for 95%+ of the R.P.A. in the country and 99.5% of the actionable offenses are going to be charged $20 for unlimited aircraft while an RePL who is already on record, is unlikely to take part in an offense as they are formally trained in the rules and have too much invested to risk losing it are going to pay $160 per aircraft per year. There's not too many major Australian based players really, most of the big ones are overseas interests and the majority are small startups like anzacjack or myself. If everything goes perfectly I still don't expect to see any return over expenditure for 3 years and C.A.S.A. now want to sting me a 4 figure sum each year on top? After they establish the database and management system they justify continuing the fees of that scale on what basis for that matter?

At best this is an inequitable excercise in making the compliant few pay for the policing of the unknown and vast majority. At the worst it is nothing more than a blatant cash grab and a stealth tax. I already know of several operators who have said they will shut up shop if it is not re thought. Dropping the outrage and being just plainly honest another thousand or two (or more) a year for the next three years when I am already in for a 5 figure sum (and climbing) and I am not making any income may be enough to stop me. It was always going to be tight starting up a new business, it is with any business with over 80% of any kind going under in the first 2 years but this sort of fee structure was just simply not on the cards or factored in my business plan when I decided to give it a shot.

Fair to say I'm pretty preturbed.

Regards
Ari

 

[Simmo]

Personally, after operating for nearlly 2 years with an ARN in the Sub 2 kg category, I'm not going to pay the commercial rate.
I'll register, and pay the $20. Then if any jobs do come up, I'll sort that out then.
Its not that any of my Commercial jobs would come to the attention of the vast CASA investigations department....
Any of my other drones, I wont register. They are fast 250's or a massive Scarab, all have a place, and that wouldn't be in the public arena. (And not suseptable(sic) to DJI's Aeroscope idea's either??)

 

[Meta4]

At best this is an inequitable excercise in making the compliant few pay for the policing of the unknown and vast majority. At the worst it is nothing more than a blatant cash grab and a stealth tax.

Ari .. is the list of fees in post #8 recent or what they were putting around a few months back when they were asking for submissions?
If it's recent, it looks like submissions on fees have been ignored.

 

[Gordy Kehler]

In Canada as well, in rules coming into play in June 2019. Catagory is above 250 grams to 25 kg. Cost $5 per acft. Two tests, Basic and Advanced. Basic has 35 questions with 65% pass mark. Don't know about the Advanced. Each test costs $10. Advanced more for the commercial operator.

New rules more realistic than original rules.

 

[Remote Pilots Australia]

Ari .. is the list of fees in post #8 recent or what they were putting around a few months back when they were asking for submissions?

Hi Mate

The proposed legislation has changed a few times in slight details since submissions were called for but not in an significant way that would make you think it was in reaction to submissions. The proposed fee schedule has sadly remained unchanged.

Regards
Ari

 

[old man mavic]

i will be watching these new rules with interest,in the UK we have something similar coming in later this year,i do agree that the costs for commercial operators do seem disproportional to the basic hobby flyer charges,i suppose they think you are making a fortune and can afford it.