Backyard drone operators to be handed guidelines after one crashed into the Harbour Bridge
LINDA SILMALIS THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
Anyone purchasing a drone from a major retailer will be handed the code in a deal reached with the national Civil Aviation Safety Authority amid a surge in sales.
The move follows two separate investigations into recent crashes. A man was fined $850 after crashing his drone into the Sydney Harbour Bridge last year, while witnesses are being sought after a woman suffered head injuries after being hit by one in Western Australia.
A Westpac rescue helicopter also had a close call after nearly colliding with a drone being flown at night at 300m above Newcastle last month, while about 100 warnings have been issued by CASA for safety breaches.
Real estate agents, farmers, aviation enthusiasts and social media filmmakers are among those driving up sales. But while a licence is required for drones used for commercial operations, amateurs were often ignorant of the rules.
CASA wants users to avoid crowded places such as beaches, parks and sporting events and recommends permission be sought before drones are flown over backyards.
Around 100,000 leaflets spelling out the rules will be distributed in Harvey Norman, Hobbyco and Teds Cameras stores nationally.
Watson’s Bay builder Seth Nafte was hooked the moment he bought his first drone two months ago. However, not all went well on his virgin flight.
“I was so excited I flew it straight after I got it,” he said. “It flew about a kilometre and then I heard glass shattering.
“I thought, ‘Oh no’.”
Mr Nafte’s drone had crashed through the window of a second-storey home into a living room. The parents walked in to find one of their children standing next to what they initially thought was a UFO, he said.
Mr Nafte, who said his flying had improved dramatically since then, is part of a group of drone enthusiasts who met on social media and regularly go on weekend filming outings to different locations across Sydney.
The Holy Grail of drone footage at present was capturing the upcoming whale migration, he said.
A CASA spokesman said the leaflets are designed to educate drone-owners about the rules.
“The regulations covering model aircraft are designed to protect people, property and other aircraft from injury or damage that could result from potential collisions,” the spokesman said.
Ryan Hamlet, a project manager at I-Drone, said sales had risen dramatically since the start-up business was launched last year, rising from two a week to more than 15.
Buyers included photographers and filmmaking enthusiasts — “a lot from Bondi” — wanting aerial shots without paying the cost of hiring a helicopter to high end real estate agents wanting footage to sell properties.
Models range from a few hundred dollars to around $8000 for top-of-the-range, ready-to-fly kits.
“We are struggling to keep up the demand,” Mr Hamlet said. “They’ve become really popular because the costs are more reasonable and also because you can fly them straight out of the box. Before, you used to have to be a bit of tinkerer to set one up.”
As for privacy concerns, Mr Hamlet said most people would be able to hear a drone approaching before seeing one.
