New CASA drone website and updated flight restrictions

[KDog]

Hi All - not sure if this old news already, but CASA launched the droneflyer.com.au website in Oct 2017 and have also changed some flight restrictions which have been updated in the Can I Fly There app.

The new website explains the full range of recreational rules and other information in very simple, easy to understand language, however most of it was the communication of extant rules.

The interesting change I noticed was in relation to Helicopter Landing Sites, and from what I can tell, it almost appears to be a more pragmatic approach (hesitant to say relaxation) of the rules. Previously HLS had various restrictions like no-fly above 45m within a certain outer range of some HLS and then a larger NFZ within an inner range. There appeared to be little consistency between potentially busy HLS around hospitals and regional or remote HLS that would operate very infrequently, creating a source of potential failure to adhere to rules for certain sites.

The new rules are summarised on the droneflyer website:

"If your drone weighs more than 100g, you must keep at least 5.5km away from controlled aerodromes. Flying within 5.5km of a non-controlled aerodrome or helicopter landing site (HLS) is possible, but only if no manned aircraft are operating to or from the aerodrome. If you become aware of manned aircraft operating to or from the aerodrome/HLS, you must manoeuvre away from the aircraft and land as soon as safely possible."

Each non-controlled aerodrome/HLS still has its own NFZ, but these are comparatively very small compared with some NFZs applied to the same site in the past (check out the Can I Fly There? app).

Anyway, good to see CASA approaching drone regulation in a pragmatic and consistent way without making things any less safe for everyone.

 

[Grakat]

Hi there

I have seen this coming through on the app so it must be applied to the Can I Fly There application. There is only one HLS area that I have come across that is an absolute no fly zone in my area. I believe it is the HLS at Westmead hospital, which has a 5km total no fly zone around it.

Graham

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Yes, good to see the relaxing of some of the zones rules, some of those uncontrolled airfields are quiet for weeks.
Also the more people can get this out there for Aus flyers, the better, especially after Christmas and record drone sales for gifts !

Most people on forums and social media groups find this info easily, the rest of new flyers are harder to get this info to in general.
There were quite a few general news site articles on this recently, along with warnings not to fly near the Sydney - Hobart yacht racing.

Drone Complier is also a great CASA approved app (free), and easier to read detail, especially where there are multiple overlapping secondary zones.

Besides the CASA regs, people should become aware of National Parks rules in each state, they vary from total bans to total ok to fly . . .

But more of a worry now, MANY local councils imposing no fly bylaws from 'their' land !
This is going to have a huge impact on where you can fly in the 'burbs.

 

[KDog]

Besides the CASA regs, people should become aware of National Parks rules in each state, they vary from total bans to total ok to fly . . .

But more of a worry now, MANY local councils imposing no fly bylaws from 'their' land !
This is going to have a huge impact on where you can fly in the 'burbs.

Agree - I recently travelled up to Barron Falls Gorge near Kuranda only to find out that Queensland Rail had imposed a ban based on some obscure policy which I've still not been able to find and my queries to Queensland Rail have gone unanswered (Queensland Rail operates the Kuranda scenic railway which skirts the Gorge).

It seems that while CASA may be getting more pragmatic, other jurisdictions are applying the 'if in doubt, ban' approach. I can see this moving in the future towards every bit of public land being covered by layer upon layer of jurisdiction and conflicting rules, creating an unnavigable regulatory environment, and it won't be until there's enough noise from recreational operators that a 20 year process of harmonisation will begin to align all the different rules. May as well get all our flying in now... [emoji17]

 

[stratos]

I see that people are mostly respecting the rules, which is great! honestly they have bigger problems to deal with like all this recreations fliers in cesnas dropping all over the place !!

 

[bushie]

Our local council have banned all radio controlled machines in aall their parks. Were going to include drones but had legal advice this was not in their power. They are investigating g futher. They evidently had advice that only CASA can impose such bans.

Interesting

 

[KDog]

Our local council have banned all radio controlled machines in aall their parks. Were going to include drones but had legal advice this was not in their power. They are investigating g futher. They evidently had advice that only CASA can impose such bans.

Interesting

Interesting indeed. What Local Government Area are you in?

This is frustrating - I work in supply chain consulting and all the future-technology focused analysts are saying that drones are one of the top 10 technology mega trends to shape industry in the the next five years, and then we have every disparate jurisdiction in Australia doing everything they can to ban the use of drones to the extent possible under law. When will drone regulation harmonise so that drones can enable growth instead of hamstringing it!?!?

 

[bushie]

Interesting indeed. What Local Government Area are you in?

This is frustrating - I work in supply chain consulting and all the future-technology focused analysts are saying that drones are one of the top 10 technology mega trends to shape industry in the the next five years, and then we have every disparate jurisdiction in Australia doing everything they can to ban the use of drones to the extent possible under law. When will drone regulation harmonise so that drones can enable growth instead of hamstringing it!?!?

Mandurah city, South of Perth.

 

[AgPhotoWings]

I love choppers, and loved hanging out of them filming.
Though looking at video footage today , I would say 99% is covered by drones.
Can I be bold enough to say, maybe the chopper pilots are trying to save their ***.
I know of one case of a Brisbane golf course wanting to use a drone to survey the course was told to use a chopper as they where 15 KM from a neighboring airfield. the Chopper was allowed a 1000ft clearance.....where is the logic in that?

 

[Simmo]

1000ft? what 300 mtrs? My clearance would have been 120 mtrs...350 ft.... 15k's from an airport? dunno what you're getting at?

 

[AgPhotoWings]

1000ft? what 300 mtrs? My clearance would have been 120 mtrs...350 ft.... 15k's from an airport? dunno what you're getting at?

This is all 3rd hand info....My point is if a chopper can safely fly at 1000ft, (may have been 1000mts) what is the problem with a drone. The course is Indropilly, Airfield, Archerfield. Check it out!

 

[KDog]

This is all 3rd hand info....My point is if a chopper can safely fly at 1000ft, (may have been 1000mts) what is the problem with a drone. The course is Indropilly, Airfield, Archerfield. Check it out!

Solely because the helo has comms capability with the Archerfield tower; a licensed RPA operator with their comms certificate (and the physical comms equipment) can operate in controlled airspace after gaining clearance from Air Services Australia, so I’m surprised that they couldn’t find someone to do the job with a drone.

Evidently Indroo Golf Club is only partially in the NFZ, although that doesn’t really help them if they want the whole the course surveyed.

I’ve been looking at the RPA licence courses; they’ll set you back about $2k with the comms component - not cheap but essential for anyone looking to do commercial work (if for no other reason than so you can get public liability insurance).

As drones become more prolific I can’t see regulation getting any less restrictive, but I see substantial opportunity to streamline the processes involved to for commercial operators to get flying efficiently (or, equally as inefficiently as aircraft operators do)...

 

[AgPhotoWings]

Solely because the helo has comms capability with the Archerfield tower; a licensed RPA operator with their comms certificate (and the physical comms equipment) can operate in controlled airspace after gaining clearance from Air Services Australia, so I’m surprised that they couldn’t find someone to do the job with a drone.

Evidently Indroo Golf Club is only partially in the NFZ, although that doesn’t really help them if they want the whole the course surveyed.

I’ve been looking at the RPA licence courses; they’ll set you back about $2k with the comms component - not cheap but essential for anyone looking to do commercial work (if for no other reason than so you can get public liability insurance).

As drones become more prolific I can’t see regulation getting any less restrictive, but I see substantial opportunity to streamline the processes involved to for commercial operators to get flying efficiently (or, equally as inefficiently as aircraft operators do)...

I think the choppers have been around a long time and the drones must be like a pest!
I think it best we don't rock the boat ...to hard...