Drone discussion paper - Review of RPAS operations (DP 1708OS) - Civil Aviation Safety Authority

Response 444483701

Personal information

First name

(Required)

Luke

Last name

(Required)

Beverley

Should all RPA be registered?

Select your preferred registration options.

	None	Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations	All RPA
By RPA Please select all that apply	None None	Above a specific size/weight Ticked Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations For specific operations	All RPA All RPA
By RPA owner Please select all that apply	None None	Above a specific size/weight Ticked Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations For specific operations	All RPA All RPA
By RPA operator Please select all that apply	None None	Above a specific size/weight Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations Ticked For specific operations	All RPA All RPA

Please provide any additional comments:

I believe the options were a little vague. In saying this, I believe drone registration would be a move in the right direction for the subject. Personally, I feel that registration should be limited to a weight class, for example a drone/RPA weighing over 500g must be registered with a casa VH registration. The 500g lower limit would exclude the likes of racing drones and small indoor flying quadcopters, therefore keeping the sport openly accessible to all ages whilst keeping to the current CASA regulations. RPA's weighing more than 500g, including the popular Dji filming drones and similar offerings have been commonly found to be the main offenders with aerodrome/airspace infringements. I believe having these RPA's on a register with mandatory markings on the aircraft would contribute greatly to deterring pilots from partaking in dangerous operations and would make it easier to hold those pilots accountable for their actions.

Should all RPA users be required to meet training / proficiency criteria?

Select your preferred training and proficiency options.

	None	Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations	All RPA
Training Please select all that apply	None None	Above a specific size/weight Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations Ticked For specific operations	All RPA All RPA
Demonstration of proficiency Please select all that apply	None None	Above a specific size/weight Above a specific size/weight	For specific operations Ticked For specific operations	All RPA All RPA

Please provide any additional comments:

With the inbuilt flying aids most modern drones include 'out of the box' I believe training is not necessary for the recreational pilot. In my view, the current CASA regulations along with the 'Can I fly there' app are plenty enough to keep recreational pilots out of trouble.

RPA's used for commercial work (reimbursement for piloting) should have to undertake a certain level of training to gain and demonstrate a level of proficiency so that the commercial RPA industry can continue to shape the future of technology, whilst working toward an industry safety standard similar to the manned aviation industry.

Should the introduction of geo-fencing be mandated?

Should CASA mandate the introduction of geo-fencing options to limit the operation of RPA in certain areas?

Please select one item

Yes

Please provide your comments:

I believe proper regulations outlining airspace that RPA's are not allowed to operate in conjunction with the current penalty unit system used in the manned aviation industry would be a sufficient deterrent to pilots breaching airspace.

An inclusion of a NOTAM like system in the 'Can I fly there?' app would be a great addition to help pilots understand the dangers of airspace and the threat RPA's could pose to it.

What should be done about 'counter-drone' technology?

Provide your views on the ways in which counter-drone technologies should be managed and in what circumstances they should be used.

I believe counter RPA technology should be limited to a certain group of trained individuals and not be accessible to the general public. These trained individuals could include, special police units, airport officials and CASA representatives, such as the people who perform 'ramp checks'

Giving police this ability would allow them to deal with RPA's interfering with fire fighting operations, building proximity flying and so on.

Specify any particular aspects of counter-drone technology or its potential uses to which CASA should be devoting more attention.

I believe the anti RPA technology should be restricted to the larger RPA's (above 500g) such as aerial photography RPA's from the likes of dji and competitors. These RPA's are the most common offenders in airspace infringements.

Recreational pilots flying small drones (under 500g, racing drones etc) do not pose a significant threat to airspace, general public operations and so on. From my experience and what I believe to be the general consensus, pilots of small drones (under 500g) and custom built racing drones have a great respect for both their equipment and the equipment of others and are for the most part, very educated on the regulations and rules surrounding drone flying. Thus not posing a great enough threat to warrant the use of anti RPA technology on them.

Are we doing enough of the right things?

CASA seeks your view on the way in which we are approaching regulation of RPA in Australia today and for the future.

Again, I believe separation of RPA /drone classes by weight is the way of the future.

I believe 500g should be the weight that defines the limit of whether an RPA must be registered.

The current flying rules in my view are sufficient for RPA pilots. The main issue is enforcing them, with the addition of weight classes, registration and training for commercial use.

General comments

Please provide any final comments about CASA's review of RPA operations. You can use the comments box or upload a file submission.

RPA operations should not be viewed under the same banner. A custom built racing drone (under 500g weight and with flight times of 5 minutes, along with radio range of only a few hundred meters) is completely different from a dji professional filming RPA (can be remotely operated from kilometres away, includes a gps unit, full telemetry systems) and should be treated accordingly.