I can see that many drone operators in these forums do not have a good understanding of general aviation operations and flight law even with a REPL or drone licence. This is understandable if you have not completed general aviation pilot training as airspace can be very complex and flight law is taught as a separate subject in GA flight training with huge volumes of Regulations, Orders etc.
The Drone Regulations (In Australia) are well designed to provide appropriate separation between light aircraft and UAV most of the time. However, there is still always a risk of operating in the same airspace. The lowest height that GA aircraft are supposed to fly is 500 feet AGL in the country and 1000 feet AGL over populated areas.
For GA flight training, we have areas that are designated as “Low flying areas” these are normally in rural areas and allow light aircraft to practice emergency procedures down to very low levels such as treetop height. We also have hundreds of ALAs (private airstrips) that aircraft will approach and depart from, these areas are not marked on any maps or DJI website.
In addition under the stress of unplanned weather or poor flight planning, VFR light aircraft may occasionally need to fly lower than this minimum height to remain visual. In practice, this should not happen but in reality, it does.
With the requirement for the carriage and use of radio in those country airport zones, the pilots are often broadcasting intentions and not necessarily talking to anyone. To use VHF (Airband) radio in Australia you must have a radio operators licence which will teach you how to use the radio correctly and with the right terminology on the right frequency. Good practice in flight is to maintain a listening watch which does not require you to reply to broadcasts unless you consider that this aircraft may conflict with your operations. To much radio-chatter is a bad thing.
It is important that if you have the permission to operate in a zone that requires the use of radio that you do broadcast your intentions every few minutes so that any aircraft in the area know to avoid or look out for your location. They may not speak to you unless they need to but hopefully they have understood your location and are able to remain clear of your work area. Most light training aircraft in Australia do not have ADSB, most do have Mode C transponders and almost all would have VHF radio.
As a CPL and flight instructor, for over 30 years it is of great concern to see many of the high altitude and poor visibility drone flight videos in this forum. Google the damage that a small bird can do to an aircraft particularly if it goes through the windscreen and you will see why pilots are scared of drones. I think the way DJI have GEO fenced their drones is brilliant and regulations are definitely needed, but it is not the complete answer. I think drone operators should learn as much as they can about aviation, meteorology and flight law so everyone can enjoy the shared airspace. There is plenty of free information out there.
Happy & Safe Flying
Blakey
