DJI Mavic pilots - Australia

[caspian]

thanks! I like the sideways pan at the start of the second video.

knock your gimbal tilt speed back, it's way too sensitive on stock settings.

 

[Peter mavic air]

Mavic air in South Australia

 

[DucPati]

knock your gimbal tilt speed back, it's way too sensitive on stock settings.

Thanks for the tip. Didn't know I could adjust that but I'll look at it now

 

[Phill]

Here ya go:

I'd love to get my RC cars on there

 

[Ray Singcar]

Hi
I am from Cronulla and love my Zoom. Fly Cronulla beach, Gunamatta Bay and Garrawarra with my RC PLANE Club. Happy to fly with any other locals.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

Re the Can I fly app, it is quite useful but the warnings can be easily misread.

Tonight, flying at Semaphore near Adelaide I had a guy very nicely approach me after I landed and show me the app with a warning about if my drone is less than 100grams etc and proceeded to tell me that I shouldn’t be flying there. I tried to explain that I was allowed to fly there, but he wasn’t having any of it. If the warning is read fully it states that one is not allowed to operate with a drone over 100grams if you are aware, or become aware of aircraft using the heliport(s) under which circumstances you are to land as soon as it is safe to do so.

At the time, sunset, there were no aircraft operating that I was aware of and so I was allowed to operate. The rules and warnings can be confusing if you don’t read them fully. I am glad the chap, also a Mavic 2 Zoom flyer, talked to me nicely and had the moral courage to advise me kindly of my actions, but actually I was in the right. Just sayin”. Let’s not make life any harder than it already is!

 

[caspian]

I am glad he handled it politely, but based on your description you were correct. that part of the rules at least is fairly clear, even if some of the others are nonsensical.



I had a decreasingly less polite discussion with a rather entitled amateur full scale pilot recently whose attitude could be summarised as that full sized aircraft "owned" the airspace from ground level to infinity under all circumstances. I told him that if we're expected to fly below a safe ceiling then he's equally expected to maintain his safe minimum to provide deconfliction.

I had a helicopter fly directly across my estate yesterday morning at an estimated 300-400ft yesterday, certainly below minimum. wish I'd had my rangefinder handy.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

The lifesaving helo was flying up and down the coast pretty low too, at least below 400’. I had waited for them to cease plus a few hours.

I’m also a commercial pilot and I recall my first airborne encounter with a ‘drone’ some 30 years ago in a Cessna with my mum. I had briefed her to let me know if she saw any other aircraft. About half way through, she said ‘there’s another plane down there’ and pointed right below us. I banked to locate it - I only went to about 80 degrees but she still had an unexplained response of grabbing the console and letting out a not small shriek. I saw the aircraft - a remote controlled plane, just like I’d made 10 years prior, at about 200’. With plenty of clearance at about 3000’ we carried on, my mum confessing later that she saw other planes in the flight but didn’t say anything!

Fond memories!

 

[Phill]

There was an Aussie rescue heli pilot on the Phantom forum a while back who warned us that they operate at 200' and to keep an eye out for them when flying.

 

[Twitch]

G'day.. Have always been a tech junkie. New to flying, been interested for a while, but the size of the drones have always put me off.
The Mavic really grabbed my attention. Pulled the gun and pre-ordered.

I'm also in Adelaide, Brighton. Slight concern though, my house is 5.5km from the airport (using Google maps distance measurement).
Any issues?

Hi Szern I would suggest to download app “Can I fligh there” this will give you clear picture as to where you can or not.
Cheers Twitch

 

[artisan]

I am glad he handled it politely, but based on your description you were correct. that part of the rules at least is fairly clear, even if some of the others are nonsensical.



I had a decreasingly less polite discussion with a rather entitled amateur full scale pilot recently whose attitude could be summarised as that full sized aircraft "owned" the airspace from ground level to infinity under all circumstances. I told him that if we're expected to fly below a safe ceiling then he's equally expected to maintain his safe minimum to provide deconfliction.

I had a helicopter fly directly across my estate yesterday morning at an estimated 300-400ft yesterday, certainly below minimum. wish I'd had my rangefinder handy.

So in those "Warning - Restrictions apply here" zones, we are actually allowed to fly?? Does it not say " do no launch" as this zone is within 5.5ks from aerodrome, but if already flying, land when/if safe?... Confusing.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

So in those "Warning - Restrictions apply here" zones, we are actually allowed to fly?? Does it not say " do no launch" as this zone is within 5.5ks from aerodrome, but if already flying, land when/if safe?... Confusing.

Yes, it’s confusing if you stop reading the whole first paragraph. To précis it, if over 100grams and you notice manned aircraft operating then don’t take off if within 5.5 kms. If you are already airborne then keep clear of the other aircraft and land as soon as safe.

It’s a bit of a silly rule for HLS as helos often operate below 400’ well beyond 5.5kms from base. I’m an ex military helo pilot and we would often operate at low level, especially over sea, trees or scrub. The general rule of see and avoid always applies.

 

[artisan]

Yes, it’s confusing if you stop reading the whole first paragraph. To précis it, if over 100grams and you notice manned aircraft operating then don’t take off if within 5.5 kms. If you are already airborne then keep clear of the other aircraft and land as soon as safe.

It’s a bit of a silly rule for HLS as helos often operate below 400’ well beyond 5.5kms from base. I’m an ex military helo pilot and we would often operate at low level, especially over sea, trees or scrub. The general rule of see and avoid always applies.

Thank you for the clarification. It seems that a few more places have now opened up for me to fly

Im new to flying and the app so read it as, if the drone is over 100g then don't launch at all within 5.5kms of that aerodrome; but, if you already have, as to say launched illegally then land if/and especially if there are aircrafts in sight.

Confused myself I think.

Thanks again.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

Thank you for the clarification. It seems that a few more places have now opened up for me to fly

Im new to flying and the app so read it as, if the drone is over 100g then don't launch at all within 5.5kms of that aerodrome; but, if you already have, as to say launched illegally then land if/and especially if there are aircrafts in sight.

Confused myself I think.

Thanks again.

You’re welcome and welcome.

 

[caspian]

Yes, it’s confusing if you stop reading the whole first paragraph. To précis it, if over 100grams and you notice manned aircraft operating then don’t take off if within 5.5 kms. If you are already airborne then keep clear of the other aircraft and land as soon as safe.

It’s a bit of a silly rule for HLS as helos often operate below 400’ well beyond 5.5kms from base. I’m an ex military helo pilot and we would often operate at low level, especially over sea, trees or scrub. The general rule of see and avoid always applies.

well if you're only going to read part of whole 80 or so words on the page, yes you'll only understand part of the message.

it's not a silly rule in the slightest. why exclude someone else from airspace not being used, as long as they provide right of way when required? and why were you operating below CASA regulated height?

I used to belong to a predominantly fixed-wing model club that operated directly across the road from a Blackhawk squadron base for many year. we had very cordial relations with the base commander. if we saw a chopper coming in, it was generally not practical to land all aircraft and clear the strip in the time available, so we got down to about 20-30' height and circled directly over the field so the chopper driver knew where we were. never a single problem or complaint, ever.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

well if you're only going to read part of whole 80 or so words on the page, yes you'll only understand part of the message.

it's not a silly rule in the slightest. why exclude someone else from airspace not being used, as long as they provide right of way when required? and why were you operating below CASA regulated height?

I used to belong to a predominantly fixed-wing model club that operated directly across the road from a Blackhawk squadron base for many year. we had very cordial relations with the base commander. if we saw a chopper coming in, it was generally not practical to land all aircraft and clear the strip in the time available, so we got down to about 20-30' height and circled directly over the field so the chopper driver knew where we were. never a single problem or complaint, ever.

I don’t mean it’s silly that we are allowed to fly - I mean it is silly because helicopters frequently operate at our heights in this area and others - pretty much anywhere.

The good news is that drone operators can generally hear them coming from a long way off and take precautionary action. Unless it’s a Blackhawk fitted with a hush kit - then they’ll be on top of you before you know it! This happened to me in the USA - about 100M away and the only reason I knew the helo was there was because it turned around at the hover and I was then in the ‘loud’ zone.

 

[Twitch]

I to belonged to model aero club in Sydney and the field I flew at regularly was at least 10 miles from an aerodrome and had near miss when a military chopper loomed up from a valley to fly over our field at less than 500 feet.
My only option to avoid the worst was to take my model higher.
Other members who witnessed the incident were also shocked at height the chopper was operating at.
I believe that rules for UAV’s operation near airports are there for a reason so it is in your own best interest not to launch or fly in the areas that are shown on the app.
CAN I FLY THERE.

 

[Phill]

I don’t mean it’s silly that we are allowed to fly - I mean it is silly because helicopters frequently operate at our heights in this area and others - pretty much anywhere.

The good news is that drone operators can generally hear them coming from a long way off and take precautionary action. Unless it’s a Blackhawk fitted with a hush kit - then they’ll be on top of you before you know it! This happened to me in the USA - about 100M away and the only reason I knew the helo was there was because it turned around at the hover and I was then in the ‘loud’ zone.

I had one fly over my house so low that I could make out the soldier hanging out the back doors face.
Any closer and I could have read her name tag.
I didn't hear it until t was on top of me.
Luckily I had just landed in my yard.
My son who is in the army reckons they were probably on a beer run.

 

[ChoccyBoy]

My son who is in the army reckons they were probably on a beer run.

They fly low like that mainly to avoid ABMs.

Anti Beer Missiles.

 

[wombat]

Any of you guys know the current rules for drone flying in New Zealand, think of going there again.