Brisbane, Australia has become a hotbed for drone activities just like most parts of the world. The recent leap in technological advancements in unmanned aircrafts or drones as seen it included in most operations carried out within the Queensland capital.

Drone photography in Brisbane is one of such new ventures hobbyists and businesses in the region offer. Several UAVs have been deployed to capture captivating aerial photographs of both landscape and properties in the city of Brisbane. One of such reasons is due to the affordability of this service.

Using drones for photography in Brisbane has changed the way people interact with the environment which is why many news and online platforms have written extensive articles on how drones are improving the world and activities taking place in Brisbane seem to confirm this fact.

Operation of drones in Brisbane, Australia is entirely legal however would-be pilots, and experienced pilots have laid down rules and conditions of operation. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) the body responsible for regulating civil aviation in Brisbane and Australia as a whole in 2016 amended the terms of operation to include private individuals who wish to operate as drone pilots commercially must adhere to.

CASA have standard drone operation rules and conditions which affect both private hobbyists and professional pilots interested in tapping into the drone photography business in Brisbane, Australia. If you are an aspiring drone pilot whether as a hobbyist or a drone photographer, the below rules and operation conditions apply to you.

Standard Drone Operation Conditions

Agreement to the laid down guidelines given in the advisory circular 101-10 manual is a must for every drone operator.

• One drone operation per individual is the limit at any given time.
• It is mandatory that drones are within the visual line of sight of the operator or pilot. This means that at every given time during the flight, at least one of the operators or pilot must see the drone with their eyes and not via the first-person view.
• Drones should not be flown over populated areas like in stadiums, beaches or parks.
• Drones should be at least 30m away from other individuals, not their operators.
• Drones should NOT fly over areas where emergency operations are in progress without proper authorization and approval from CASA. Operations such as police operations, search and rescue, accidents and fire are typical examples.
• Drones should not fly more than 120m above ground level
• Remotely piloted drones should only fly during the daytime.
• Every operator should have their drone registered with CASA and have an ARN (Aviation Reference Number)
• CASA must be prior notified at least five days before undertaking a job involving drone usage
• Drones are prohibited from operating within 5.6km of an aerodrome or a controlled helipad.
• The drone should not weigh more than 2 kg. This rule doesn’t involve much larger and professional drones as the DJI inspire and others with better steel build and quality video cameras.

According to CASA, drone pilots who would wish to operate outside of these rules would require an RPA operator’s certificate to get their unmanned aircraft in the air.

If you, however, do not have the remote pilot license or an RPA operator’s certificate but would like to fly your UAV commercially, you can do the following;

• Notify the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) of your commercial operation at least five (5) days before taking to the air.
• Apply for an Aviation Reference Number (ARN) if you don’t have one.
• Complete an online form with as many details as possible. You can include up to 50 locations where you plan to operate your drone photography in Brisbane commercially and include up to five (5) UAVs.