People and organisations wanting to fly commercial drones with a maximum take-off weight of less than two kilograms no longer need to apply for a certificate and licence from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). The new rules, which cut the cost and red tape of operating very small commercial drones while protecting public safety, take effect September 29, 2016. “This means very small commercial drone operators can avoid the requirement to pay about $1400 in regulatory fees, as well as the need to develop manuals and other documentation,” according to CASA. “There is also a requirement to complete an online notification process so CASA has the details of all under two kilogram commercial drone operators.” Operators must acknowledge they know and will follow the strict operating conditions and will comply with the Civil Aviation Act and regulations. Penalties can be issued by CASA for breaches of the regulations, CASA said. “The operating conditions for under two kilogram commercial drones include only flying during the day and in line of sight, no flying within 30 metres of people, no flying above 120 metres, no flying within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled airport and no flying over populous areas such as beaches, parks and sporting ovals,” CASA said. Drones must not be flown in an area near emergency operations such as firefighting, accidents or search and rescue. “Anyone who wants to operate an under two kilogram commercial drone outside the standard operating conditions must apply to CASA for a remotely piloted aircraft operator’s certificate and a remote pilot licence.” The new rules also introduce a category for landholders which means drones up 25 kilograms can be operated without the need for CASA approvals “This can be done as long as the drone is only operated on the landholders or leaseholder’s own property and there is no remuneration. The notification requirement applies,” CASA added. Find more detail about the new rules, the online notification system and drone safety at www.casa.gov.au/drone Related content brandpost Sponsored by Freshworks When your AI chatbots mess up AI ‘hallucinations’ present significant business risks, but new types of guardrails can keep them from doing serious damage By Paul Gillin Dec 08, 2023 4 mins Generative AI brandpost Sponsored by Dell New research: How IT leaders drive business benefits by accelerating device refresh strategies Security leaders have particular concerns that older devices are more vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. By Laura McEwan Dec 08, 2023 3 mins Infrastructure Management case study Toyota transforms IT service desk with gen AI To help promote insourcing and quality control, Toyota Motor North America is leveraging generative AI for HR and IT service desk requests. By Thor Olavsrud Dec 08, 2023 7 mins Employee Experience Generative AI ICT Partners feature CSM certification: Costs, requirements, and all you need to know The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification sets the standard for establishing Scrum theory, developing practical applications and rules, and leading teams and stakeholders through the development process. By Moira Alexander Dec 08, 2023 8 mins Certifications IT Skills Project Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe