Proposed minor amendments to the RPA and model aircraft registration scheme - (CD 2113US)

Closed 18 Nov 2021

Opened 5 Nov 2021

Feedback updated 18 Feb 2022

We asked

Between 5 November and 18 November 2021, we invited public comment on proposed amendments to registration and accreditation requirements for drones.

According to CASA regulations, drones are defined by their intended use:

  • model or remote controlled aircraft, is a drone flown for sport or recreation – solely for fun
  • remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is a drone flown for business or as part of your job – for commercial purposes.

A summary of the proposed changes includes:

  • amending the commencement date for model aircraft (recreational drone) registration and operator accreditation from 1 March 2022 to 1 July 2022
  • moving the registration incentive period to follow the new commencement date
  • removing the requirement to register RPA used for test flights in aircraft innovation, development, and manufacturing
  • aligning registration provisions so recreational drones are subject to the same 12-month registration period as commercial RPA
  • clarifying that a person may not sit the operator accreditation quiz, or hold a valid operator accreditation, until the person is at least 16 years old
  • updating Part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS) to require recreational drone operators to update changes to their contact details and other information provided to CASA as part of registration or accreditation. For example, a change of address or new email address.

The consultation asked participants to review the proposed amendments and provide feedback to:

  • Part 47 of CASR
  • Part 101 of CASR
  • Part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS).

You said

We received 159 responses from individuals or organisations, including:

  • 11 remote pilot licence (RePL) holders
  • 75 model aircraft owners
  • 6 RPA owners
  • 34 self-identified drone owners.

We thank respondents for their contributions and acknowledge their feedback is beneficial.

Key feedback

Registration of each model aircraft

Proposed amendments to register each model aircraft used for sport or recreation were largely unsupported. While 11% agreed with the proposed amendments, more than 80% of respondents disagreed.

The consultation addressed the likely consequence that each model aircraft or drone used for sport or recreation would be subject to a separate registration levy in the future. At present, there is no levy for registering drones flown for sport or recreation. However, many respondents commented about the potential future cost. The Australian Government has not determined the cost recovery model for any proposed levy. The value of any proposed levy will be released in a Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) on the CASA website. It will be open for public consultation before it is finalised, approved and published.

Some respondents were unaware that registration and accreditation requirements would not apply to owners and operators of model aircraft (drones) operating from approved model aircraft sites, managed by model aircraft associations.

Some respondents also asked for more information about the safety outcomes expected to be delivered by drone registration. Drone registration is a deterrent to poor safety behaviour as registered operators displaying unsafe behaviours can be personally identified and contacted. Further safety applications are expected in the future as technology evolves. The registration system will also provide wider public safety benefits for security, policing, privacy, and the environment (noise).

In addition, the requirement for accreditation and ongoing safety education makes sure every operator has demonstrated a sound understanding of the drone safety rules to protect themselves and others when flying their drone.

Clarifying the requirement for persons to be 16 years old to complete the operator accreditation

Comments from respondents indicated widespread confusion of the regulatory history and requirements for young people wishing to fly model aircraft (drones) for sport or recreation under the new scheme.

To summarise:

  • The requirement for a person to be at least 16 years of age to obtain an operator accreditation (commercial or recreational) was first consulted on in 2019.
  • This was written into the regulations in 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, implementation of recreational operator accreditation and drone registration were delayed until 2022.
  • Under the existing regulations for recreational operators, not yet implemented, CASA cannot issue an operator accreditation to a person under 16 years of age.
  • Provisions for people under 16 who wish to fly model aircraft (drones), will include:
    • flying a drone that weighs 250 grams or less unsupervised
    • being supervised by an accredited adult who is 18 years or older, when flying a drone that weighs more than 250 grams
    • flying at an approved model aircraft site under the management of a model aircraft association, where registration and accreditation exemptions apply.

The proposal sought to amend the part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS) to align with subregulation 101.374E (2) which already explicitly states an applicant is eligible for an accreditation if the applicant is at least 16 years old. This is an administrative change. Despite this, the proposed amendment was supported by fewer than a quarter of respondents. More than two thirds of respondents disagreed with the proposal.

Removing registration requirements for certain aircraft test flights

The majority of respondents were either interested in, or operated, model aircraft. Given the commercial nature of the proposal to remove registration requirements for certain RPA test flights, more than a quarter of respondents declined to express an opinion on this question. About two-thirds of those who did, agreed with the proposal to remove registration requirements for certain RPA flown for test flights. Many respondents identified a potential for this exemption to be exploited. However, we are aware of this potential consequence and are developing mechanisms to prevent this.

We did

Acknowledging that some of the measures are not popular, we will proceed with the proposed amendments as consulted. 

We expect model aircraft registration and operator accreditation will open from 1 July 2022 and be required by 30 September 2022.

Accreditation will be free and valid for 3 years.

Registration will be valid for 1 year. The Australian Government has not determined the cost recovery model for any proposed levy. The value of any proposed levy will be released in a Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) on the CASA website. It will be open for public consultation before it is finalised, approved and published.

Provisions for people under 16 who wish to fly model aircraft (drones), will include:

  • flying a drone that weighs 250 grams or less unsupervised
  • being supervised by an accredited adult who’s 18 years or older, when flying a drone that weighs more than 250 grams
  • flying at an approved model aircraft site under the management of a model aircraft association, where registration and accreditation exemptions apply.

For the latest information on model aircraft registration and accreditation requirements, visit www.knowyourdrone.gov.au

We continue to work with model aircraft associations to identify new sites where their members can continue to operate, without the requirement for accreditation or registration.

CASA has mechanisms in place to reduce or eliminate the impact of registration costs in exceptional circumstances. For example, registered charitable organisations or public interest events.

CASA will also conduct a post-implementation review.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

CASA is seeking feedback on minor amendments to:

  • Parts 47, 101 and 202 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR)
  • Part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS).

These amendments are required to implement model aircraft registration as intended by the Australian Government.

Minor changes are also required to address some ambiguities in the existing drone registration and operator accreditation regulations.

A Technical Working Group (TWG) appointed by the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel met on 3 November 2021 to consider the proposed amendments. They considered the changes pragmatic.

The proposed amendments

The proposed changes include:

  • amending the commencement date for recreational drone registration and operator accreditation from 1 March 2022 to 1 July 2022
  • moving the transitional registration incentive period to follow the new commencement date
  • removing registration requirements for remotely piloted aircraft test flights that currently impact on aircraft innovation, development, and manufacturing
  • aligning the recreational drone registration provisions so they are registered separately, and expires 12 months after initial issue
  • removing ambiguity to reinforce that a person may not sit the operator accreditation quiz, or hold a valid operator accreditation until the person is at least 16 years old (this is implied by the current rules but is not explicitly stated)
  • updating Part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS) to require recreational drone operators to update any changes to their contact details, or any other information provided to CASA as part of registration or accreditation. For example, a change of address or new email address.

In August/September 2017, CASA published a drone discussion paper. Consultation showed that most respondents supported some form of registration, training, and proficiency for the use and operation of drones.

The Australian Government supported the introduction of mandatory registration for all remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), and the requirement for operators to successfully complete a basic online competency test regarding the safe use of RPAS. Accordingly, CASA developed a proposed registration and accreditation scheme for RPA and model aircraft.

In May 2018, CASA published a Review of aviation safety regulation of RPAS.

In November 2018, a technical working group (TWG) was established and included representatives from both the commercial and recreational industry, to consider drone registration and operator accreditation.

The TWG was established by the Aviation Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), whose role is to support CASA's engagement with industry and seek input on regulatory and associated policy approaches.

The TWG members strongly supported the introduction of a drone registration and operator accreditation scheme. However, there were some concerns expressed about the impact on some model aircraft owners and operators.

Between 25 January and 22 February 2019, CASA consulted publicly on a proposal to introduce remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and model aircraft registration and operator accreditation. A summary of consultation was released on 30 July 2019.

Why your views matter

CASA recognises the valuable contribution community and industry consultations make to the policy decision-making process and future regulatory change. We are consulting to ensure that the proposed new rules are clearly articulated and will work in practice and as they are intended.

Documents for review

All documents related to this consultation are attached in the ‘related’ section at the bottom of the page. They are:

  • Summary of proposed change on CD 2113US, which provides background on the proposed change
  • MS Word copy of online consultation for ease of distribution and feedback within your organisation

Note: The MS Word document is not to be used as an emailed submission, unless there are extenuating circumstances, and this form of submission has been agreed to by the consultation project lead.

Comments on the CD 2113US should be submitted through the online response form.

What happens next

When consultation closes, we will review each submission received. We will make all submissions publicly available on the CASA website, unless you request your submission remain confidential. We will also publish a Summary of Consultation which summarises the feedback received, outlines any intended changes and details our plans for the regulation.

All comments on the proposed changes will be considered. Relevant feedback that improves upon the proposed regulations and is consistent with the regulations and other CASA policy, will be incorporated in the final ruling.

CASA expects to make the proposed amendments in December 2021, which will come into effect from 1 July 2022. The feedback we receive from this consultation will also assist CASA in developing implementation and transition plans.

Post-implementation review

CASA will monitor and review the new rules during the transition phase and on an ongoing basis. We will also continue work on proposed further changes to the Parts 47 and 101 regulations to better support drone operations.

What happens next

When consultation closes, we will review each submission received. We will make all submissions publicly available on the CASA website, unless you request your submission remain confidential. We will also publish a Summary of Consultation which summarises the feedback received, outlines any intended changes and details our plans for the regulation.

All comments on the proposed changes will be considered. Relevant feedback that improves upon the proposed regulations and is consistent with the regulations and other CASA policy, will be incorporated in the final ruling.

CASA expects to make the proposed amendments in December 2021, which will come into effect from 1 July 2022. The feedback we receive from this consultation will also assist CASA in developing implementation and transition plans.

On 3 November 2021, the original TWG was reformed to consider these minor amendments to the drone registration and operator accreditation regulations.

TWG members reiterated earlier comments about the relationship between compliance and realisation of the intended safety objectives and expressed concerns that this could be impacted by a requirement for individual registration of model aircraft. However, it was acknowledged that this will be dependent on the required levy and that this is subject to separate consultation.

The TWG members reacted positively to the initiative on drone test flights. Comments on other matters were neutral and overall, the TWG members considered the changes pragmatic.

Post-implementation review

CASA will monitor and review the new rules during the transition phase and on an ongoing basis. We will also continue work on proposed further changes to the Parts 47 and 101 regulations to better support drone operations.

Audiences

  • Sport and recreation operators/clubs
  • Drone operators
  • Approved self-administering aviation organisations
  • Drone manufacturers
  • Drone repairers

Interests

  • Drones/uncrewed aircraft systems
  • Sport and recreational aviation
  • Carers of children who own drones