New Plain English Guide for Australian RPA operators

[MAvic_South_Oz]

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Good to see this new comprehensive guide for RPA operators in Australia.

https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/part-101-micro-excluded-rpa-operations-plain-english-guide.pdf

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A lot to do with Excluded category, but all the basics are there for recreational pilots.

Please have a read and discuss anything you find that you're not sure about.

Me, I think CASR 101.073 VLOS is going to raise some questions.
"You must not navigate the RPA using the view provided by an onboard camera (referred to as first person view)."
I'm going to ask a CASA rep about this, as it indicates we can't view the screen to fly and record video, which is ridiculous.

The whale (and other such) watching rules link for NSW is dead, I've let them know.
Page 37 has the dead link, and diagram page 38 is correct for NSW.

Right NSW Parks page is Whale watching approach zones | NSW National Parks
But this 100m rule is only for NSW as far as I'm aware, other states 300m same as for aircraft.

 

[Galeforce1]

..
Good to see this new comprehensive guide for RPA operators in Australia.

https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/part-101-micro-excluded-rpa-operations-plain-english-guide.pdf

​

A lot to do with Excluded category, but all the basics are there for recreational pilots.

Please have a read and discuss anything you find that you're not sure about.

Me, I think CASR 101.073 VLOS is going to raise some questions.
"You must not navigate the RPA using the view provided by an onboard camera (referred to as first person view)."
I'm going to ask a CASA rep about this, as it indicates we can't view the screen to fly and record video, which is ridiculous.

The whale (and other such) watching rules link for NSW is dead, I've let them know.
Page 37 has the dead link, and diagram page 38 is correct for NSW.

Right NSW Parks page is Whale watching approach zones | NSW National Parks
But this 100m rule is only for NSW as far as I'm aware, other states 300m same as for aircraft.

I've just had the email from CASA, too. Hardly new? It's dated September 2020, last year.

That VLOS statement seems to me to be a general reference to cover pilots trying to fly beyond VLOS rather than using the camera to position the drone for photography. Note the word 'navigate', suggesting travel from one place to another. If it had said, for example, 'position the RPA' then I would be worried.

 

[Meta4]

Me, I think CASR 101.073 VLOS is going to raise some questions.
"You must not navigate the RPA using the view provided by an onboard camera (referred to as first person view)."
I'm going to ask a CASA rep about this, as it indicates we can't view the screen to fly and record video, which is ridiculous.

Galeforce is correct.
Think about driving your car.
You need to be looking out of the windscreen at the forward view for the majority of the time, but no-one would suggest you can't also look at your speedo from time to time.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Hardly new? It's dated September 2020, last year.

Goes to show how slow they are to update us :/
I know it's basically unchanged, just some of the terminology and how in depth is more than usually shown on the basic rules pages.

Galeforce is correct.
Think about driving your car.
You need to be looking out of the windscreen at the forward view for the majority of the time, but no-one would suggest you can't also look at your speedo from time to time.

I've emailed asking to clarify the dead link, plus if I can ask a question re VLOS.
I might just clarify on chat or phone when I get a chance.

You are both probably right re 'navigate' terminology.

 

[micinqld]

The distance from whales (marine life) is confusing given that recently a local Whale Watching tour stopped at 100m from the whale and had swimmers in the water with in a few meters of the whale.
The whale came within touching distance of the boat but they couldn't start their engines to avoid it and had to stay for a couple of hours until the whale moved on.
Yet my MM1 has to stay 300m away!

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

The distance from whales (marine life) is confusing given that recently a local Whale Watching tour stopped at 100m from the whale and had swimmers in the water with in a few meters of the whale.
The whale came within touching distance of the boat but they couldn't start their engines to avoid it and had to stay for a couple of hours until the whale moved on.
Yet my MM1 has to stay 300m away!

I think if a whale or dolphins come up to a boat or swimmers (surfers, paddle boarders etc) by themselves that's ok.
On YouTube there are some AMAZING drone vids of whales (including Orcas) coming up to and interacting with people on and in the water.
The people were fine and not acting outside any rules, the drone footage was obviously not within most countries rules.
I noted the drones appeared to no affect the behaviour of the whales in any way either, but it will be a hard long slog for anyone to get these rules changed.

Best we could hope for is what NSW has (100m for drones) if ever the legislation for this was looked at to be made uniform across Australia.
Knowing our law makers though, NSW would also be changed to 300m !!