Australia G'Day from Australia

[Ezookiel]

Try the fact that the fee for some exemptions is higher than the fine for doing it illegally, and you wonder why the legitimate operators are getting really peeved.
Some of the areas we need exemptions there are buildings taller than the planned flight, so any aircraft at that height has far more things to be worried about than a drone, but still it all has to be put through the right processes.
It's really only the insurance cover from being legit, that makes jumping through all CASA's hoops worthwhile.


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[dasko]

could not of said it better myself mate , and the amount of UOC guys out there that are so pissed off with CASA is amazing, i wasnt aware of it until i was certified and met some of them.
lucky its not a industry like freight because there would be major strikes going on right now.

 

[southerndoug]

Last I heard they were considering requiring instrument rating theory pre-requisite for BVLOS. Takes 2 weeks full time to pass the exam ($3000) and most of the info would be irrelevant to drone flight. Irex would be a massive overkill for drone pilots in it's present form. CASA guy I spoke to said it's possible a more relevant qualification will emerge in the near to medium future.

My CASA guy said "I have just been told that IREX will be a requirement for BVLOS operations for the foreseeable future. Either the PIC or mission commander must hold it."

A less relevant exam there could not be....

I've got the text book for home study and am wading through it now...

 

[southerndoug]

contact drone worx i think his mate is a broker , look back through this page.
i am seriously disappointed in CASA, we go through a lot and pay a lot more to be legal / certified . But dont for one second think that CASA have your back now.
ive sent numerous emails to CASA in regards to uncertified guys in surrounding areas doing stupid stuff and acting as a commercial opp guy with no UOC, and to put it blunt they dont give a fkk.
i have not received ANY response. In fact i have heard second hand yes , that they have only fined 2 people since the rules came in.

just my frustration coming out here !!!!!

I feel your pain dasko! But CASA is woefully under-resourced in their RPA section, so any response to illegal activity will only probably happen when there is an accident, despite there being many examples of idiocy posted online. Personally I'm amazed at some of the RPA-acquired footage I see nearly every night on the mainstream media...

 

[Raymondo]

Cheers will follow up with Dronewrx.
I have also been talking to CASA regarding the new rules due in September for sub 2kg. Why should they be allowed to make a call to CASA the day before a job near an uncontrolled airfield, HLS or ALA, and fly all day with no radio work? We have to comply with 15 minute calls before and throughout our flight. If you are a solo operator, that means landing before your battery is exhausted, because you can't make a call while flying. It negates the requirement for us to get a radio licence, if we can comply with the new rule. That said, I think the sub 2kg option is dangerous. I proposed that they should at least have a Controller's certificate, giving them a Radio License and therefore making the same calls as us. I also suggested changing our radio call requirement to: make a call before the flight, then a further call after we land to change batteries (20-30min in most cases) and a last call to say that UAV operations are complete.

 

[southerndoug]

Try the fact that the fee for some exemptions is higher than the fine for doing it illegally, and you wonder why the legitimate operators are getting really peeved.
Some of the areas we need exemptions there are buildings taller than the planned flight, so any aircraft at that height has far more things to be worried about than a drone, but still it all has to be put through the right processes.
It's really only the insurance cover from being legit, that makes jumping through all CASA's hoops worthwhile.


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Agree. New Zealand has an opening for Shielded operations:

Shielded operation means an operation of an aircraft within 100 m of, and below the top of, a natural or man-made object. Examples could be a flight that takes place in a stadium below the height of the roof, or a flight that takes place in a forested area below the height of the trees.

My CASA contact said "not gonna happen".

 

[Ezookiel]

Agree. New Zealand has an opening for Shielded operations:

Shielded operation means an operation of an aircraft within 100 m of, and below the top of, a natural or man-made object....
My CASA contact said "not gonna happen".

Not sure if it was CASA or Airservices Australia, but I read exactly the opposite from one of them just recently in a document about the way ahead from here. It looked like shielded operations were going to be factored into future planning and development of rules and regulations etc.

Would be the only sensible way to go - it's hard to argue that a drone is a risk at any height if there are much taller bigger obstacles all around it.
Short of that also being the only spot a helicopter can land in the area, in any such area a drone would be pretty low risk to an aircraft.



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[Raymondo]

Hi Droneworks,
Also chasing insurance,
could i get those details? Thanks
Cheers

Same here. Every PDS I have seen so far has an 'out' for drones, even when they say they cover them. Loose descriptions of Aircraft and Hovercraft.

 

[Skidbita]

Anyone have any experience with 'Drones for hire'?
Is it any good or just 50 people quoting on the one job??

 

[Jarado]

Hey guys,

Just read thru this whole thread...
Getting straight to the point, are any of you actually making decent coin out of having an OC licence and doing work legally?

I have my pilots licence and been working on the manuals for months and am about to submit but having read the latest posts etc... is it all worth it?? If it is only a lack of insurance that is the difference it sounds like this wont stop many people who are willing to take the risk with their sub 2kg drone particularly come September..?

Be really interested to hear your feedback on if there is still money to be made out there or if it is a struggle because of illegal operators and too much competition etc. I completely agree that this whole thing has and does cost a lot of money to get set up - has it been worth it for you?

Thanks

 

[timax]

This has been a very interesting thread and thanks all for posting your experiences.
I have been wondering if its worth my while getting certified for the past 12 months or so. Im a stills shooter and have a client or 2 i would like to use a drone for but doubt i could ever shoot legally without too much hassle and cost to my client.
So although i probably know the answer is "NO" can i ask a hypothetical .
Client is a builder who wants a shot of the view from a 7th story penthouse that he hasn't built yet . Block of land is say 50m x 50m, laneway behind and road out front and a building each side. So impossible to find a 30m clear area to take off. Impossible to be 50m away from a road and impossible to be 30m away from footpath or other property so impossible to do the job.
Unless i close the road and put up barriers to make sure any public are 30m away.(too expensive) How do the realestate guys shoot legally?
I dont know of any property for sale in Sydney where you wouldnt be 30m away from something.

 

[dasko]

Hey guys,

Just read thru this whole thread...
Getting straight to the point, are any of you actually making decent coin out of having an OC license and doing work legally?

I have my pilots license and been working on the manuals for months and am about to submit but having read the latest posts etc... is it all worth it?? If it is only a lack of insurance that is the difference it sounds like this wont stop many people who are willing to take the risk with their sub 2kg drone particularly come September..?

Be really interested to hear your feedback on if there is still money to be made out there or if it is a struggle because of illegal operators and too much competition etc. I completely agree that this whole thing has and does cost a lot of money to get set up - has it been worth it for you?

Thanks

to be straight with you at this point in time i am to invested into the business to pull out, this is the old " it seemed like a good idea at the time " its very cut throat with certified guys and non.
the only way for it to be viable is if you have a few solid contracts with reputable companies in remote locations.
There are hundreds and now into the thousands out there doing this, there are real cowboys that do a crap job and then make it hard to trust me or any next operator coming in to try again.

i had my nickers in a knot about the sub 2k rule but the more you look into it they dont have the ability for high quality work with those cameras, you need atleast the X5 with a micro 4/3 to justify some pricing.
the other part is CASA dont do ANYTHING to enforce there rules, i have reported a pile of guys without even a reply.
You call them and they take your details and they never call you back . its a disgrace we go through all the training and costs for zero support.
Gallery of Australian Exhibition at 2016 Venice Biennale to Reveal "The Pool" as Both Artefact and Catalyst of Change - 1

this guy is not certified , made the news as a refuge that couldn't dive so took up droning pics , then had an art gallery launch . i don't care who you are that's commercial use and nothing was done,
CASA is a JOKE!!!!!
So maybe look at another option before shelling out $50+ K because you will have many more regrets than success.

IMO .....

 

[DeanH]

to be straight with you at this point in time i am to invested into the business to pull out, this is the old " it seemed like a good idea at the time " its very cut throat with certified guys and non.
the only way for it to be viable is if you have a few solid contracts with reputable companies in remote locations.
There are hundreds and now into the thousands out there doing this, there are real cowboys that do a crap job and then make it hard to trust me or any next operator coming in to try again.

i had my nickers in a knot about the sub 2k rule but the more you look into it they dont have the ability for high quality work with those cameras, you need atleast the X5 with a micro 4/3 to justify some pricing.
the other part is CASA dont do ANYTHING to enforce there rules, i have reported a pile of guys without even a reply.
You call them and they take your details and they never call you back . its a disgrace we go through all the training and costs for zero support.
Gallery of Australian Exhibition at 2016 Venice Biennale to Reveal "The Pool" as Both Artefact and Catalyst of Change - 1

this guy is not certified , made the news as a refuge that couldn't dive so took up droning pics , then had an art gallery launch . i don't care who you are that's commercial use and nothing was done,
CASA is a JOKE!!!!!
So maybe look at another option before shelling out $50+ K because you will have many more regrets than success.

IMO .....

This is good advice, the industry seems to be saturated in the main populated areas so anyone starting now has a tough road ahead. And your on the money, I think I just hit over $50k with X5R and upgrade editing to cope with RAW. Regarding illegal operators, I have just resolved to the fact that I have to compete with anyone licenced or not and drive home the insurance fact that if someone claimed it could be pursued all the way back to the company owner that booked the illegal guy.

Has anyone been chasing the latest CASA news re blanket approvals for UOC holders for night ops which is supposed to be happening soon?

 

[DeanH]

Anyone have any experience with 'Drones for hire'?
Is it any good or just 50 people quoting on the one job??

Depends where you are located/chasing work, if in main city like say sydney then its a real challenge to win work.

 

[Jarado]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Bit disheartening to know that we are all trying to do the right thing and play by the rules but because of a lack of enforcement from CASA the commerciality of the industry is suffering. And is likely to become even more-so come September when every man and his dog is flying a sub 2kg drone around. Heck why limit it to sub 2kg even if CASA aren't policing it now...

I googled Abdul Moeez and agree that is a bit of joke..

I am a bit taken back to by the $50k figure you suggested. I am in for about $10k so far being the pilots cert and Inspire 1. On top of this I can see the OC would be circa $5k. Where has most of your other costs come in may I ask?

 

[DeanH]

My costs are high because I started early and purchased a few drones before the Inspire and I had to get my PPL theory (Private Pilot Licence) to get my Controllers Certificate so this was way harder and more time consuming compared to now. So yes you can do it cheaper but beware there are way more things to spend money on to get a business going and performing than just equipment. You should also calculate the cost of time that you put into business. I am trying some networking with Controller Certificate holders, which state are you in?

 

[Jarado]

Thanks Dean.. I am in Queensland - Brisbane.

Bit of a shoutout - Are there any OC holders out there that would be interesting in a commission based arrangement? I have a few areas I want to niche into but need someones licence to work under in the interim. Happy to come to a profit share arrangement to come under your OC. Happy to obide/train up with any requirements, checklists, logging etc you have in place. If so please PM me.

Thanks!

 

[DJB]

Hi Guys,

I am a UOC holder on the Gold Coast.
Happy to catch up and network with any other pilots in SE QLD.

Cheers

 

[lovetofly]

Hi all,
Just UOC certified on Wednesday after a long 6 month wait.
I wouldn't give up on the UOC path. Hang in there as you feel much safer with insurance and be more respected by the general public. That has been experience anyway.

Good to all going for there UOC.
Paul.

 

[DJB]

Congratulations Paul.

I am finding more and more clients are asking for Certification. I have had flyers printed as a way of trying to educate potential clients.

Cheers,
Darrin