Help! RPA, RePL, ReOC, EVLOS BVLOS. Which ones do I need?

[Meneer]

Gday from Perth guys,

My workplace is trialling using drones to regularly take pictures of containers being filled from the top (10m in the air). Previously we had someone climbing up only to take pictures then climb down afterwards.

I am just confused what accreditations and/or licenses do the company and/or myself need to get to do this properly.

The regular scenario will be like this:

1. The drone to take off from the front office to what we call "transit point" about 200m behind the office, 100m away from the container.
2. Using UHF, the grabber operator will radio the pilot to take pictures
3. The drone to take off from transit to take pictures then land back at the transit point (and radio back that it is OK to continue filling the container)
4. Repeat step 2-3 until container is full.
5. Then fly back to the office for picture downloads and replace the battery.

The above will be minimum 6 times a day.

I am confused with what accreditations and/or licenses we/I need to get from CASA because:

• The drones are provided by work (not mine)
• I will have to operate the drones from the office
• The drones are NOT to leave the property in any circumstances.

We have trialled this for a couple of months and it has been extremely successful. I am now very confident flying FPV (I guess few hours a day every day will do that, lol). Now we need to finalise this making it official with the right permits.

Thanks is advance guys

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yeah, a perfect use for drones in an industrial sense, will save time, $ and be safer.

Get onto CASA chat to double check, there's always a chat window in the drone section, and it's soooo easy to get the drill straight from them.
I just went there (CASA link) > Drones < its a virtual response, maybe it will go to a real person after a while.

But seems pretty reasonable to start investigating, when I type in > what licenses to operate commercially <
It replied . . .
"If you want to fly a drone or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) commercially, you will need to get an operator accreditation or a remote pilot licence (RePL) and a remotely piloted operator's certificate (ReOC) or work for an organisation that holds a ReOC. You must also register your drone."

Which is pretty accurate.

If in any doubt still, or wanting to clarify things, just give them a call on 131 757, they are very approachable by phone.

The rest of your VLOS questions are nothing to do with licensing as such, but part of drone rules.

"operate drones from the office" . . . I think you will need to maintain VLOS during ops.
If that is not possible, it might be something you need to reconsider, even Google / Alphabet have to go through a lot of $$$ processes to get BVLOS approval.

I wouldn't mention your 'trial' flying this FPV, CASA would not approve of both BVLOS or operating in any fashion pre licensing etc.

 

[Meta4]

Gday from Perth guys,

My workplace is trialling using drones to regularly take pictures of containers being filled from the top (10m in the air). Previously we had someone climbing up only to take pictures then climb down afterwards.

I am just confused what accreditations and/or licenses do the company and/or myself need to get to do this properly.

The regular scenario will be like this:

1. The drone to take off from the front office to what we call "transit point" about 200m behind the office, 100m away from the container.
2. Using UHF, the grabber operator will radio the pilot to take pictures
3. The drone to take off from transit to take pictures then land back at the transit point (and radio back that it is OK to continue filling the container)
4. Repeat step 2-3 until container is full.
5. Then fly back to the office for picture downloads and replace the battery.

The above will be minimum 6 times a day.

I am confused with what accreditations and/or licenses we/I need to get from CASA because:

• The drones are provided by work (not mine)
• I will have to operate the drones from the office
• The drones are NOT to leave the property in any circumstances.

We have trialled this for a couple of months and it has been extremely successful. I am now very confident flying FPV (I guess few hours a day every day will do that, lol). Now we need to finalise this making it official with the right permits.

Thanks is advance guys

You do not need RePL or ReOC for what you are wanting to do.
CASA documentation is clunky but if you go to the Very small, excluded category RPA section here:

Operator accreditation

Get accredited to use your drone for activities other than sport or recreation.

www.casa.gov.au

... that tells you what you need to fly a small drone commercially without a lot of licences etc.

​

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

You do not need RePL or ReOC for what you are wanting to do.
CASA documentation is clunky but if you go to the Very small, excluded category RPA section here:

Operator accreditation

Get accredited to use your drone for activities other than sport or recreation.

www.casa.gov.au

... that tells you what you need to fly a small drone commercially without a lot of licences etc.

​

Good point.
All you need to do is get the drone used commercially regoed, a small annual fee.
I have my ARN and under Excluded category, just because it seemed like a good step in the event I wanted to do something of a commercial nature.
As I hadn’t gone down that road at all, I haven’t paid a drone rego fee as yet, but could anytime to enable me to operate that way.

 

[Meneer]

Thank you guys for the response.

I guess I start with the RPA first and try to register the drones.

I will do more research about BVLOS. It is somehow a bit counter-productive if we can't do it considering the original idea of using the drone is "having less people to enter the Dangerous Zone"

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yes, an ARN, RPA, the register drones to be used for Excluded category.
You will be in the 'Very Small' category, under 2kg.

Info half way down this page, with links to the areas you need to do.

Operator accreditation

Get accredited to use your drone for activities other than sport or recreation.

www.casa.gov.au