Have you received a Drone this Christmas?
Drones are extremely popular and an amazing Christmas gift. If you have received a Drone or have considered purchasing one yourself, you will want to know how to pilot that equipment like a professional and that means knowing the Australian drone safety rules.
We know health and safety rules are the boring bit of any hobby. However, when it comes to flying a drone, it’s incredibly important that you know the laws. You don’t want to find yourself in a tricky situation. Drone flying should be fun for everyone!
So, let’s get into some of the rules and regulations you need to know before you take your drone for its very first spin.
Drone Flying Rules:
- Keep Your Drone Below 120 Metres
All drones must be flown no higher than 120 metres (400 feet) from ground level. Don’t worry, this isn’t to interrupt your fun, but it does keep your drone safe from causing accidents with other aircraft, such as helicopters or commercial planes.
- Stay 30 Metres Away from People
You might love your drone, trust us we get it they are awesome, but not everyone wants one buzzing overhead. So, to avoid intruding on someone’s peace and privacy keep your drone at least 30 metres away from the general public (Unless they are involved in any drone filming activities)
Just make sure you are flying safely and have their prior consent if you are capturing their image.
As for public places like the beach, sporting events, or parks, you must not fly a drone over people enjoying these spaces.
- You Must Be Able to See Your Drone
Just because your drone has a camera that links to a handheld device, does not mean you can fly your drone like you’re imitating a Call of Duty simulation! If your drone goes out of sight, you have flown too far.
Make sure you can always see your drone with your own two eyes.
- Don’t Fly If It Affects Public Safety
This one may seem obvious, but it must be said. Do not fly over any emergency action. That goes for in-action emergency operations, firefighting efforts, and search and rescue operations. This could endanger lives, so keep your drone away from these types of situations.
Also, use a little common sense and if you think your drone flying could negatively affect people, aircraft, or property then avoid the area.
- Drone Flying and Commercial Airspace
Commercial airspace: if your drone weighs over 250 grams, you must keep a distance of 5.5km from a controlled airport. However, if your drone weighs under 250g you can fly within 5.5km of a helicopter landing site or a small aerodrome. If you notice active aircraft, you must move your drone away and land it until the aircraft has departed.
- Do Not Fly at Night
You should not fly your drone at night or through conditions with low visibility, like fog and clouds. Also, you will have to be pretty handy at multi-tasking if you plan to fly more than one drone at a time but regulations state that you can only pilot one drone at any given time.
For more information on Drone Safety visit the CASA website – Know Your Drone.
Get CASA Certified Accreditation
Are you interested in making money from your drone?
If you want to make money from your drone commercially, you’ll need to take part in a CASA-accredited course, like the drone pilot courses we offer at Global Drone Solutions.
You will also need to register your drone.
The drone industry is booming, and many professionals are making an incredible living flying these versatile pieces of equipment.
Fancy joining those who have entered the lucrative drone industry through our high-quality drone courses? Get in touch with our expert team to see what course suits you.
