CASA warns of dangers posed by amateur drones in Australia
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has warned about the risks of recreational drone flights over mass events and near manned aircraft. The warning followed several incidents in Queensland, including drone flights during camel races in Winton and Boulia, ABC News Australia reports.
Photographer Ann Britton accidentally captured a small quadcopter flying alongside camels during races in Winton, western Queensland, in July. According to her, the drone was moving along the track at spectator level. Organisers made three announcements over the public-address system asking for the device to be landed, but did not know who was operating it.
Britton had planned to launch her own drone from a safer distance and with permission, but kept it on the ground because of the search for the unauthorised operator among spectators and the risk of a collision. She holds commercial drone operating certification.
Drone near helicopter
Winton sightseeing helicopter pilot Kate de Koning described a dangerous episode at last year’s races in Boulia. After landing at the end of one of her tours, she saw a drone a few metres above the helicopter’s spinning rotor blades. According to her, this meant that the unmanned aircraft could have been in the air while the helicopter was approaching to land.
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De Koning makes many take-offs and landings each day near the race site. She said she was willing to coordinate flights with drone operators, but was concerned about cases where they did not report their presence or follow the rules. Race organiser Bec Britton noted that drones are banned for visitors, but enforcing this across a large area is difficult.
Rules for operators
CASA spokesperson Steve Creedy stressed that recreational drone owners must not fly over crowds of people, including concerts or camel races. He added that commercial operators with the appropriate approval may be an exception.
Drones must not be launched when a manned aircraft is nearby, or within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled airport. If an operator spots an aeroplane or helicopter nearby, they must move away and land the drone as quickly and safely as possible. No licence or age limit is required to operate small recreational drones in Australia, but operators must know CASA’s rules.
Queensland’s fire service also reported that it periodically detects drones in areas of emergency incidents or finds aerial footage on social media. Such flights can create risks for manned aviation and force it to halt operations, potentially delaying rescue operations.
