10-20-2017, 06:04 AM
From the Oz this morning..
Quote:CASA cracks down on recreational drones
Australians who fly drones for fun will have to follow tougher safety rules imposed by the aviation watchdog to better “protect” the public.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority today will announce remotely piloted aircraft used for recreation must never be flown within 5.5km of any major airport in capital cities and regional centres.
They will also be forbidden in “non-controlled” airports or helicopter landing sites that are being used by other aircraft.
The crackdown brings rules governing recreational drones in line with those that apply to commercial ones, and follows industry concerns about mid-air collisions and laws that some pilots said effectively had allowed “open skies for drones”.
“All recreational drones must be flown below 400 feet (122m) at all times, kept more than 30 metres from people not involved in controlling the drone and only one drone can be flown at a time,” a CASA spokesman said last night. “All drones, recreational and non-recreational, must be kept away from areas where fire, police or emergency operations are under way unless there is approval from the person in charge of the ... operation.”
CASA director of aviation Shane Carmody said the regulator did not want to ban recreational drones but the new rules were necessary for public safety.
“CASA identified some areas in the drone rules that needed strengthening and clarifying to better manage the risks associated with flying drones,” he said.
“The changes make the safety requirements clearer for people flying drones and will make the rules easier to enforce.”
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson controversially flew a drone from a high-rise building in Townsville in July. She was cleared of breaching aviation rules but, under the new rules, had she been within 5.5km of the airport, the senator would have been liable for a fine of up to $10,500.
Independent senator Nick Xenophon last year warned Australians were at risk from very small commercial drones being sucked into plane engines and exploding after the regulator brought in laws that meant operators no longer needed certification or training for the aircraft.
Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan has warned regulations were removed too quickly and wants laws for commercial drones reintroduced. CASA said then that the relaxation of rules struck the right balance between safety and cutting red tape.