New User with CASA RPAS Training Question

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Melbourne, Australia
Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and to UAV's. I plan to get a Phantom 2 Vision+ in the next few weeks. I've had my PPL about 25 years and have always wanted to do some aerial photography.

My research has raised some issues here in Australia, regarding CASA rules.

1. They talk about getting trained by an authorized "type" trainer, but I can't find any listing for "type" trainers. The ACUO website gives a link for a CASA listing, but the link doesn't work. I live in the southern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria and would want one reasonably local. I already have my PPL, so I won't need that part of the training.

2. CASA mentions different requirements for small and large UAV, but I can't find a definition for the difference.

3. I've seen footage taken at sports and other events, in Australia, where UAV's fly over crowds, players, action moments etc, all within the 30m exclusion. I've seen footage taken for popular TV shows of UAV's flying in city and suburban areas, with people and traffic nearby, also within the 30m exclusion. And some of these TV clips have the UAV rising higher than the 400 foot limit. Are these all being given exemption/permission by CASA? Does it take long to get such permission?

I heard about a guy in the US being hired to film someones wedding at a busy city park, with lots of people attending. How much notice would a UAV operator need to do that here in Oz?

Thanks and looking forward to your replies to my first post,
Andrew
 
Here is a list of authorized training places. Have a chat to them maybe ?
http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?W ... =PC_100959

CASA is pretty helpful if you email them. I asked for some info and they give me the link above and answered my questions.
Email is on there website, but I was emailing this addy [email protected]

I'm in Melb to and had also had a PPL briefly (didn't keep it current :( )
 
While you are chatting to CASA ask them what progress they are making on clearing drones less than 2kg to work without CASA approval. Submissions closed back in June and CASA stated that their preferred option was for <2kg to be exempted from the restrictive licensing rules for larger craft.
 
Once I found dout the training was $3-6k I was done with them :p
I only wanted to do a course just to get more info and learn a few things... I was hoping there was course work / a book I could just buy without doing the course.
I have no interest in doing anything commercial.. Anyways CASA said speak to the training centres... Had a chat to a few.

Its worth emailing CASA on that address if you have any questions. The person answering is pretty good... Think its just one person who looks after all the drone stuff.
 
justin00 said:
I'm in Melb to and had also had a PPL briefly (didn't keep it current :( )
Justin, I was always told that being current with your license only matters if you want to fly. Once you have your license, you have it for life. Hence, you have the theory part and shouldn't need to do the course again for RPAS.

I didn't fly for about 20 years, and all I had to do to get back up was a few refresh hours with an instructor. Mind you, I became cash-poor again about 5 years back, so I'm once again no longer current.

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Yeah you do but you need to keep it current.. and do X amount (can't remember) every 3 months.
Also need to re-do medical every 4 years... I haven't been involved with aviation stuff for 4 or so years so can't quite 100% remember.
but yeah your right.. I have the license in theory... I just am not allowed to fly lol :]

Very odd you didn't need to do a medical??? and the ASIO check to get clearance??.... I was always told you had to have the red ID card displayed it all times when out in the airfield.

I stopped for same reason... it was like $250/hr to take the plane out.. and 20 mins is wasted taxi'ing and do pre flight checks etc...
 
justin00 said:
Yeah you do but you need to keep it current.. and do X amount (can't remember) every 3 months.
Also need to re-do medical every 4 years... I haven't been involved with aviation stuff for 4 or so years so can't quite 100% remember.
but yeah your right.. I have the license in theory... I just am not allowed to fly lol :]

Very odd you didn't need to do a medical??? and the ASIO check to get clearance??.... I was always told you had to have the red ID card displayed it all times when out in the airfield.

I stopped for same reason... it was like $250/hr to take the plane out.. and 20 mins is wasted taxi'ing and do pre flight checks etc...

Oh I forgot about the medical, but I think it's every year, if I recall. As for an ASIO check, I think they brought that in just after I stopped flying. My license is still the same green folder with string and cards inside that I got back in 1986. I expect I'll have to upgrade that if I want to go back to flying sometime. The license I have is what used to be called a Restricted PPL, which is better than the current restricted license.

But yeah, without currency, no one will hire you an aircraft. But $250/hr sounds a bit rich. That's probably a Piper with instructor. I think you can still hire a Cessna 150 for around $150. I do prefer Pipers though.
 
Yeah the place I flew had new piper warriors III (all were year 2003 or something like that, onwards..) some of them had glass cockpits. All though I didn't like glass... for some reason when reading altitude for e.g, my brain had trouble processing the numbers like 100,80 etc etc.. I had trouble figuring out if it was going up or down.. It sounds pretty silly when you tell people, but apparently it was a fairly common issue/complaint until you got used to them. Getting used to them didn't take long but I much preferred the old analogue dial cockpits.

Anyways to rent it out with instructor when I was getting lessons was $320/hr. It used to go up like $5/hr every 2-3 months.. The place said it was "fuel costs" but none of the other schools in the airport (Moorabin in VIC) didn't increase!!

From chatting with friends $150 would of been the hourly price with an instructor doing RA out in a ultra light (Jabiru or something) in a 'regional' airport.
 
justin00 said:
The place said it was "fuel costs" but none of the other schools in the airport (Moorabin in VIC) didn't increase!!

From chatting with friends $150 would of been the hourly price with an instructor doing RA out in a ultra light (Jabiru or something) in a 'regional' airport.
Oop... sorry, I meant $150 just for the aircraft. When I had the funds, I went up on my own a lot, or with a friend or two, which you could do with a Restricted License - just couldn't leave the training area.

I started at RVAC in the 80's, at Moorabbin. At that time it was the busiest airport in the southern hemisphere and had full-time controllers, 24/7. I loved how busy it was. And I always flew the Pipers there. Love the Piper ground effect. I had a fav, but when I returned years later it was no longer on the line. VH-ITE, I think it was a 180.

When I got back into it, a dozen years ago, I flew at Tyabb for a while. They only had Cessnas for training, so I flew their 150 aerobats and their 172 (I think they only had one 172 on the line at that time). But due to some unfortunate bad timing with their nav course, I ended up back at RVAC (Moorabbin) to do the course and the hours. Of course, my funds were unexpectedly cut short after my 2nd Nav and I couldn't continue. :( But... being at 2 clubs briefly gave me the option of 2 training areas.. lol.
 
CASA RPAS training question confirmed

Hi all,

For us Aussies who have a PPL, I got confirmation today via email from CASA. All you need is 'type' training and 5 hrs.

To quote from the email I got: "as you already have a ppl all you need is manufacturers type training of a UAV platform and 5 hours of logged flight time on the UAV for which the type training was received."

Yay!
 

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