Would RADAR interfere?

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Sad but I doubt anyone will get a bar out of them, usually totally unwilling to even acknowledge the existence of drones. I have a contact who has been trying to set up meetings with them and Parks Victoria for over a year to work out some kind of framework for drone flying in those areas. Parks Victoria are finally coming to the table with a set of proposals in April, National Parks, nothing.

Agree, have seen many try and get permissions from Vic Parks, little luck, or only commercial with fees and a lot of hoops.

So Park Vic are propsing some dicussions on leeway this April ?
If so, that's good to know, hopefully SA, Tas, others more restrictive will follow.

edit - finished sentence lol

In NSW, you can apply for permission to fly a drone to take videos in National Parks

I have heard of that with NSW parks people . . . local offices much easier to deal with.
It's probably the best of the remaining states following the 2 that are totally ok to fly in Nat Parks etc, QLD and WA, and the NT where you can obtain a permit (free) to fly a drone in that states NPs during a visit.

But a week (or more) for permission ?
Spontaneous flights are so much more common, but if planning a trip to a specific park in NSW, I suppose it's good to be able to seek permission to do a flight or two legally.

I suggest an email or call and run through a rough plan . . . place, ~ time, duration (usually quick), only film if quiet / no other people around, not annoy wildlife, follow CASA rules, etc . . . and yes, offer to share footage would be a good idea.

Likely to be successful for a well considered and presented flight plan, and for the less frequented parks / attractions.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Agree, have seen many try and get permissions from Vic Parks, little luck, or only commercial with fees and a lot of hoops.

So Park Vic are propsing some dicussions on leeway this April ?
If so, that's good to know, hopefully SA, Tas



I have heard of that with NSW parks people . . . local offices much easier to deal with.
It's probably the best of the remaining states following the 2 that are totally ok to fly in Nat Parks etc, QLD and WA, and the NT where you can obtain a permit (free) to fly a drone in that states NPs during a visit.

But a week (or more) for permission ?
Spontaneous flights are so much more common, but if planning a trip to a specific park in NSW, I suppose it's good to be able to seek permission to do a flight or two legally.

I suggest an email or call and run through a rough plan . . . place, ~ time, duration (usually quick), only film if quiet / no other people around, not annoy wildlife, follow CASA rules, etc . . . and yes, offer to share footage would be a good idea.

Likely to be successful for a well considered and presented flight plan, and for the less frequented parks / attractions.

Actually its the other way round. My contact has been pestering them for over a year, writing to the state environment minister (no response of any worth) and constantly phoning parks Victoria. Finally they are drawing up proposals based on his conversations with them.

One of his contacts has admitted to being an avid drone flyer and has said that Parks Victoria do have authorised drone flying areas, they just wont publicise the info on their location.

There is no reason why the states should have different rules, as all Australian National and State parks etc. are Crown lands and are owned by "the Crown" not the Federal or state governments. Parks Victoria etc are agencies authorised by the Crown Lands Authorities to manage the parks on their behalf.

Victoria, the inefficient Bureaucracy state.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Actually its the other way round. My contact has been pestering them for over a year, writing to the state environment minister (no response of any worth) and constantly phoning parks Victoria. Finally they are drawing up proposals based on his conversations with them.

One of his contacts has admitted to being an avid drone flyer and has said that Parks Victoria do have authorised drone flying areas, they just wont publicise the info on their location.

There is no reason why the states should have different rules, as all Australian National and State parks etc. are Crown lands and are owned by "the Crown" not the Federal or state governments. Parks Victoria etc are agencies authorised by the Crown Lands Authorities to manage the parks on their behalf.

Victoria, the inefficient Bureaucracy state.

Good on your mate then, maybe all state members here should band together and do the same !
Is he mostly flying recreational or as a commercial pilot ?

Yes, annoying they seem to have different regs for a federal place in each state.
Like road rules, a lot should be standarised for less confusion when touring by road.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Good on your mate then, maybe all state members here should band together and do the same !
Is he mostly flying recreational or as a commercial pilot ?

Yes, annoying they seem to have different regs for a federal place in each state.
Like road rules, a lot should be standarised for less confusion when touring by road.

I only contact him through a local forum where he posts the "trials" of trying to get some reasonable rules in place. He is very persistent and it might just be paying off. He flies rec.

Victoria is all over the place on so many different levels. In one suburb its 60Ks on the main road. Enter another suburb on exactly the same road and its 50 or even 40, enter another suburb 200 metres later it goes back up to 60. Even the police have said they get confused. Its funny how they often post the mobile speed cams on the borders of the suburbs!

 

[cheddar-man]

In NSW, you can apply for permission to fly a drone to take videos in National Parks - I did this recently at Mt Canobolas near Orange. The Rangers were very helpful and processed my application in record time as I hadn't confirmed the dates of my visit until less than a week beforehand. They were even keen to see the video, which I shared with them once edited.

Hopefully the VIC equivalent of National Parks & Wildlife Service is as willing to assist.

I’ve applied for my Australian flying number? Once that comes through I’ll contact the National parks as would hate to upset anyone!

 

[Crouching Leopard]

I’ve applied for my Australian flying number? Once that comes through I’ll contact the National parks as would hate to upset anyone!

You can apply for your ARN (Aviation Registration Number) online through the CASA website and should get it almost immediately. In itself it is not necessary to have one to fly Rec but many people go for it anyway as it allows you into the CASA info portal. Its a necessity if you intend to take your licence. Sadly it doesnt give pilots any kind of authorisations or extra permissions.

I hope you get some traction with Victorian National Parks but from my experience, they dont grant authority to anything other than commercial operators with a Remote Pilots Licence (REPL), as well as a Remote Operators Certificate (REOC) and a specific commercial purpose ie flying for government promo videos, licenced advertising or media companies.

I have a friend who is a licenced commercial drone pilot, helicopter pilot and media company owner. He has all the certification, insurance and expertise there is. He even has some extra ïnfluence" as he was the drummer in the rock band "The Screeming Jets", "The Veronicas" and most recently Paul Murray. That often gets him into other difficult sites, but not National Parks. He gets permissions for specific jobs but he has to go through the hoops to do any drone flying in those areas.

However, Go for it and I Hope you get permission and post some shots. If you do, please post who you spoke to for future reference.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

You don't actually need an ARN yet for recreational flying, nor any pilot accreditation or aircraft registration / labelling etc.
As long as you are flying by the drone rules here . . .

Drone rules

Further recreational legislation is coming, sloooowwwwwly.
Recreational changes have been put off so many times now, again a couple of times since covid hit.
Maybe sometime this year something may happen, the latest is supposedly July this year.

The latest I could dig up . . .

Summary of consultation on drone registration amendments now available

Summary of consultation on drone registration amendments now available.

www.casa.gov.au

 

[br14nh]

Sad but I doubt anyone will get a bar out of them, usually totally unwilling to even acknowledge the existence of drones. I have a contact who has been trying to set up meetings with them and Parks Victoria for over a year to work out some kind of framework for drone flying in those areas. Parks Victoria are finally coming to the table with a set of proposals in April, National Parks, nothing.

That's a shame... I was really happy to get shots from Mt Canobolas, although I'm sure they're not fantastically entertaining as my first attempt, it gave me ideas about what I could try next. (Footage is here for any masochists among you - YouTube )
I wanted to get some creative shots of Federal Falls, but carrying an 8.5Kg backpack in 30deg heat in steep terrain did me in (it included a small bucket of sand in case of battery fire), I never made it the 2Km to the Falls from the car park as I needed enough in reserve for the return hike... (yes, I know 2K isn't much - I'm able to manage much larger distances on flat ground, I'm on a reasonable dose of immuno-suppressants that screw with muscle stamina, particularly up hills....)

NSWP&W manage the national parks and have a form available on their websites to download, complete and submit, as well as info about any areas that are temporarily restricted or off-limits... Overall, quite drone-friendly although having my RePL possibly helped support my application.


I hope Parks Victoria manage to get something happening!

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

That's a shame... I was really happy to get shots from Mt Canobolas, although I'm sure they're not fantastically entertaining as my first attempt, it gave me ideas about what I could try next. (Footage is here for any masochists among you - YouTube )


NSWP&W manage the national parks and have a form available on their websites to download, complete and submit, as well as info about any areas that are temporarily restricted or off-limits... Overall, quite drone-friendly although having my RePL possibly helped support my application.


I hope Parks Victoria manage to get something happening!

Had to Google it to see where it is, but looks like a nice spot to walk / fly etc.
It shows up on Google as a State Park Conservation area, so maybe that makes a difference to a National Park ?
Not sure.

Couldn't play the video, comes up as 'ooops, something went wrong !' . . . maybe it's listed private ??

I think I found the Word doc download link for the NSW Park drone permission.
This is for recreational drone flight only, (commercail ops are a whole other application process), and seems to be very specific to each flight a pilot wants to do . . .

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/...hash=B9A3DBF5542F9B3135B4E6C65AA5196627E6E7A4

Yes, it'd be a start if Vic Parks, the SA Parks, Tas Parks etc do something drone friendly like NSW has begun.

I suppose it comes down to budgets to have someone oversee the permits process, consider them, issue them, advise parks concerned about them, and monitor over time.
Most Parks depts are REALLY underfunded in state budgets and operate on a very tight budget.

Probably why QLD and WA and to a certain extent NT have taken easier lines on drone flight in parks.

 

[Crouching Leopard]

Had to Google it to see where it is, but looks like a nice spot to walk / fly etc.
It shows up on Google as a State Park Conservation area, so maybe that makes a difference to a National Park ?
Not sure.

Couldn't play the video, comes up as 'ooops, something went wrong !' . . . maybe it's listed private ??

I think I found the Word doc download link for the NSW Park drone permission.
This is for recreational drone flight only, (commercail ops are a whole other application process), and seems to be very specific to each flight a pilot wants to do . . .

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/...hash=B9A3DBF5542F9B3135B4E6C65AA5196627E6E7A4

Yes, it'd be a start if Vic Parks, the SA Parks, Tas Parks etc do something drone friendly like NSW has begun.

I suppose it comes down to budgets to have someone oversee the permits process, consider them, issue them, advise parks concerned about them, and monitor over time.
Most Parks depts are REALLY underfunded in state budgets and operate on a very tight budget.

Probably why QLD and WA and to a certain extent NT have taken easier lines on drone flight in parks.

Its a beautiful and very popular spot.

Sadly not. They operate under the same basic rules. All those lands are owned ultimately by "the Crown" and are just managed by state authorities such as Parks Victoria.

There may be a variation in ownership if the land was purchased by the state, but the management is still Parks Victoria.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Its a beautiful and very popular spot.

Sadly not. They operate under the same basic rules. All those lands are owned ultimately by "the Crown" and are just managed by state authorities such as Parks Victoria.

There may be a variation in ownership if the land was purchased by the state, but the management is still Parks Victoria.

Yeah I know you're right there for Vic, we're the same for (state) conservation parks here in SA . . .
Just I was quoting the NSW member @br14nh thinking NSW might be slightly different in management rules.

His video of Mt Canobolas is near Orange, looks nice for sure, shame it wouldn't play. might just need to adjust privacy settings for that.
Can be set from private to unlisted, and with a link you can then share only by that link, not publicly showing for anyone.

 

[bmcelya]

Having walked this amazing peninsular the other day, when it was very windy 30mph+, I intend to go back again on a still day to video this beautiful headland with my Mini 2.

However, there is a large maritime radar installation on top of a hill near the headland and I'm wondering what interference this might give to the drone?

Anybody any experience of this please???

Maybe just go and do a takeoff, keep low and see what happens???

View attachment 144978

As to your original querie about radar interfering with a drone. While working in Blaine, WA USA in the late seventies, I went out with a local fellow to fly his model planes. There were ray-domes in the area that ran intermittantly, and the govmt. wouldn’t say about a schedule. I don’t know what branch. If my friend was flying when they turned it on, his aircraft would crash. He had a box full of busted planes and parts. His field was about two miles from the nearest dome. I have no idea of transmitter frequencies, of either his planes or the radar. Personally, I wouldn’t fly anywhere near active radar. From the other posts it sounds like radar is turned off in the area you mention. Good deal.

 

[Gringorio]

I've flown many times from ships, take offs and landings, with the radar on. It was never an issue. In fact, the bridge could even track the larger drone (matrice) with the rader and help me find poachers at night. Like other's have said, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Meta4]

Personally, I wouldn’t fly anywhere near active radar.

As another drone flyer who has flown around active maritime radar hundreds of times, I can also confirm that it won't have any effect of DJI drones.

 

[bmcelya]

As another drone flyer who has flown around active maritime radar hundreds of times, I can also confirm that it won't have any effect of DJI drones.

Thanks. Good to know my drone won’t go kaflooey near a naval vessel. Or maybe some maritime radar is ground based. Educate me. Ground based radar I’ve been around, the domes are 50’-100’ in diameter. Would an active one ground a drone? Like the OP, maybe fly close to one that you know is spinning and find out. Hard to tell if it’s running since it is obscured by the dome. Ray-domes often operate intermittently.

Notwithstanding, I avoid all high powered transmissions; microwave, radar, LiDAr, radio/tv, cell, etc., for my own safety as much as the drone, which I should have mentioned above. That might seem a bit ****, but it might be surprising what comes out of some of those systems. The target transmission may be safe but the spurious emissions hardly ever are. Accordingly, FCC rigorously tests for those. Rogue transmissions are not on purpose of course, merely a by-product of licensed high power transmitters. Even if they say it’s safe, I choose to stay clear.

Side bar: One of the Mexican revolutionaries used to throw his captured adversaries into the transmitter room of one of the clear channel radio stations, whereby they were microwaved to a crisp. This was before microwave ovens were invented so they wouldn’t have used that nomenclature.

 

[MS Coast]

I've flown many times from ships, take offs and landings, with the radar on. It was never an issue. In fact, the bridge could even track the larger drone (matrice) with the rader and help me find poachers at night. Like other's have said, I wouldn't worry about it.

Side bar: One of the Mexican revolutionaries used to throw his captured adversaries into the transmitter room of one of the clear channel radio stations, whereby they were microwaved to a crisp. This was before microwave ovens were invented so they wouldn’t have used that nomenclature.

Ok, I just have to ask. Who were these revolutionaries and when did this happen? Did revolutionary movements in Mexico and high-powered radio transmitters really overlap? The 1910-1918 revolution?

 

[bmcelya]

Ok, I just have to ask. Who were these revolutionaries and when did this happen? Did revolutionary movements in Mexico and high-powered radio transmitters really overlap? The 1910-1918 revolution?

Revolution might not be the right term, maybe uprising, which there have been a few since Villa. Late 40’s I think. The radio station was one on the US border, which is where all the big ones are. XERF maybe. It was awhile back. Documentation? I’ll look around for something, maybe a Mexican newspaper clipping. I was a first phone engineer back then and was listening to the Mexican engineer of that station tell his story. The details shouldn’t be recited here. Engineers don’t lie, sort of like Vulcans, though they do make math errors once in awhile (smile). Keep in mind that clear channels in the USA are limited to 50k by law. Across the border they ran them at 250k, aimed right at us, meaning we couldn’t use that frequency in this country. Bad manners. As for the transmitter executions above, a 250k watt transmitter generated so much heat that it took three concentric rooms in order to access the giant glowing glass tube, with heavier fire suits at each room going in. The bandito and the station owner were on the same political wavelength so everyone was happy except the flamee. The second door in was hot enough to slowly incinerate most carbon life forms. The the third door, h*** on earth. Today, radio transmitters are all solid state and that kind of heat is gone. Well, there are some third worlders using hand-me-down hardware. Hoping not to instill any lame brain ideas here. Maybe this should be private messaging, as it’s not drone related.