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CASA Approvals

  • Over Or Near People (OONP). This allows any CDS pilot to fly up to and over people, even without consent, in virtually any location. Safety is enabled by the use of small, light drones with propellor guards, or the use of drones fitted with parachutes.

An alternative OONP scenario is also allowed when operating in a controlled environment (eg, a motor racing circuit) and informed written consent is provided by all participants within that area. In this case, the limitations on the drones are removed, so any kind of drone can be used OONP.

Contrast this with the extreme restrictions applied to the vast majority of drone companies, whose pilots must operate within the standard operating conditions, which means they are not allowed to fly closer than 30m from a person (measured from a point vertically below the drone).

  • Extended Visual Line-of-Sight (EVLoS) Class I & II. EVLoS allows you to fly Beyond Line-of-Sight (BVLoS) at any location in Australia without the cost, complexity and long delays associated with (site-specific) BVLoS approvals, but with certain restrictions.

Class I allows extended operations with a co-located spotter, up to 1.5km away. It also allows you to fly when your peripheral vision is compromised, eg when using goggles for First-Person-View (FPV) operations. CDS also has experience doing this, at various motor racing circuits;

  • Mount Panorama during the 4-day Challenge Bathurst races,

  • Phillip Island during the 4-day Festival of Motorsport races

  • Sandown at Club-level races

  • Broadford at Club-level races.

Class II allows cascading, overlapping spotters to very quickly enable a larger area to be flown as a BVLoS operation.

Contrast this with the vast majority of drone companies, whose pilots are not able to legally leverage these benefits, so cannot legally fly FPV (with goggles) and must remain within Visual-Line-of-Sight (VLoS) of their drone at all times.

  • Area approvals (eg, CDS is currently approved to fly all of Sandown Raceway circuit, which is partially in controlled airspace). CDS has also held approvals to fly at Flemington and Moonee Valley horse racing tracks, which are wholly within controlled airspace.​

Contrast this with other drone companies, whose pilots are only legally allowed to fly in uncontrolled airspace.

  • Night flying. CDS’ pilots are legally allowed to fly drones at night (provided that a day recce has been carried out at that location). CDS also has experience doing this, at Moonee Valley Racecourse.

Contrast this with most drone companies, whose pilots are legally restricted to only flying during the daytime.

  • Flying at Military Airports. CDS has previously done jobs that were near a Military Airport. CDS’ ReOC specifically allows operation near or within Military Airports, and CDS has experience doing this.

  • Operating within close proximity to an active, operational Helicopter Landing Site (HLS). CDS has previously needed to closely co-ordinate our movements with a helicopter company at Flemington Racecourse, as we were both operating in close proximity to each other and sharing airspace. This is certainly feasible to do, and can be done safely, when done properly.

  • Operating next to a prison. Trust me, most prisons have the ability to detect drones flying near them, ask me how I know! :-(  Fortunately, CDS had already obtained the proper permissions beforehand, so this was quickly sorted out, and all ended well! :-)

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