Jamie wrote:Can you explain how a Buidling Suveyor can get a 'pop up' approval from Casa? Being that almost all of the CBD's within Australia have a helipad (hospital, media, private pad etc) within 3nm, they need an area approval or airspace excemption.
It costs over $500, proven aviation experience with knowledge of approach / departure paths, radio operator's certificate, detailed job specific risk assessment and 4 weeks per approval and you say you
have trained building surveyors?
The biggest problem with this new industry is the people who make the most money are the trainers. You failed to mention that the average insurance is between 5 - 10k per year for an operator. It takes a lot of $350 real estate photos to make that back.
The fact is that you can not operate within 3nm of any helipad, aerodrome and that includes ANY helipad including private helipads.
The amount of controllers who fly illegally within 3nm of the Melbourne CBD for instance is huge. There is the Alfred , Royal Melbourne, pier35, yarra Bank, Docklands etc means that no certified controller without the previously mentioned airspace excemption can legally fly within 5.5km of the city. According to CASA there are only 2 controllers (both experienced multi-thousand hour) pilots that have this approval in Melbourne.
Forgive me for me being skeptical on your sales pitch but the industry in not as big as you make it out to be.
Oh great, another angry old man with about 10% of the facts having a crack.. OK:
1. Approvals for operations that exist outside of the 'standard' UAV conditions (<400',>30m from people or prop, not over populous, by day VLOS, >3Nm from registered aerodrome, not for commercial without UOC) are granted by CASA under an area approval. CASR 101 describes this process. Please read this before you gob off, you sound like a fool.
Here is an actual area approval that if you ever read you NOTAMs you would have seen
"MELBOURNE FIR (YMMM)
MULTIROTOR UAS OPS WILL TAKE PLACE IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS
(REMAINING OUTSIDE 3NM FM SYDNEY AD AND BANKSTOWN AD)
SOUTH HEAD S33 49.9 E151 16.9
NORTH BONDI HEADLAND S33 53.5 E151 17.2
CAPE BANKS S34 00.1 E151 15.1
JIBBON POINT S34 04.9 E151 10.3
LUCAS HEIGHTS S34 03.5 E150 59.5
REVESBY S33 57.1 E151 01.1
RYDE BRIDGE S33 49.3 E151 05.3
FOR FURTHER INFO CTC: 0416 521 588
SFC TO 400FT AGL
FROM 04 232343 TO 07 240000 EST"
2. Yes, I have trained many non-pilots on CASA Approved RPAS courses that result in the issue of a controller certificate. They learn all the aviation specifics and can do AROC if they intend to operate in areas where and iComm is needed. My trainees know the rules and how to operate safely, I make damn sure of that. And BTW, the average area approval costs about $300
3. There are many ways UAV Operators are making money. I make most out of Ag work as that is my specialty. I chose the next two months for this course as we have finished survey of summer crops (they are all harvested), and winter crops are just going in so no crop survey needed for a couple of months yet. Insurance including the UAVs and $20M public liability is $1800 per year. My UAV ops come under my farm business insurance, on and off farm.
4. You can operate below 400ft within 3Nm of all aerodromes and helipads under CASR 101. We include agreement in our ops manuals not to operate within 3Nm of REGISTERED aerodromes and helipads without area approval from CASA. So the professionals aren't, but the hobbyists still can. If it is not a registered aerodrome or helipad, you'd never guess, but we apply AIRMANSHIP to the situation. Ever heard of that?
5. I agree with your last point, there are HEAPS of people out there just being gangster with drones, but not people with a Controller Certificate to protect. Why do you think I am giving up my time to get people who know what they should do, to dominate the space. I fly EMS out of Westmead. I get it mate. We have some good operators that ring us up and let us know they are going to have a UAV in the air, and we have some tossers who go air2air on us on approach.
You my good friend Jamie, are EXACTLY the sort of pilot who needs to do the course. You keep telling yourself the industry is not that big, and in the same breath wail about the ridiculous number of drones in your airspace. All the while the biggest drone manufacturer, DJI, has market capitalisation rapidly approaching 100 Billion, and Frank Wang is laughing at you mate, all the way to his Shenzen Bank. It is the next mobile phone and internet. You are living in a land of yesterday that you are desperately hoping to still exist. It is gone mate, I suggest you adopt the wiser strategy of 'know your enemy'. I'll see you on one of the Melbourne courses. Don't miss it, I will come looking friend.
, but because our industry really can dominate the UAV space. Good for us, good for aviation in Australia.
