CASA and Airservices Australia are trialling digital airspace authorisations for remotely piloted aircraft operator’s certificate (ReOC) holders to fly within 5.5 KM (3 NM) of a controlled airport.
Chief remote pilots can apply using a CASA-verified drone safety app to fly near 1 of 3 selected trial sites:
- Adelaide Airport (YPAD)
- Canberra Airport (YSCB)
- Perth Airport (YPPH).
It’s free to take part in the trial and any authorisations issued will be free of charge, with no limit on the number issued. We will automatically approve requests that meet the criteria, saving operators time and money.
The requirements
Only organisations that hold an active ReOC can take part in the trial.
The chief remote pilot must submit the request for flights:
- within 5.5 KM (3 NM) of Adelaide (YPAD), Canberra (YSCB) and Perth (YPPH) airports
- for a registered drone with a maximum take-off weight of less than 25 kg
- only during daylight hours
- no longer than one calendar day in duration
- a maximum of 30 days in advance.
Remote pilots operating under the authorised ReOC can carry out the approved flights, provided the remote pilot holds a valid:
- remote pilot licence (RePL)
- aviation radio qualification (such as an aeronautical radio operator certificate).
Flight authorisations in the trial are subject to the conditions listed in section 6 of the area approval instrument below.
If your flight is not authorised in the trial, or is not at a trial site, you must:
- apply for a flight authorisation
- pay the related fee
- wait a minimum 21 days for it to be processed.
How it works
We will check requests against CASA and Airservices data to decide whether the operation can be automatically authorised.
If approved, you will be notified in near real-time in the CASA-verified drone safety app.
If a new area approval instrument is issued during the trial, we will notify you:
- your existing airspace authorisation is no longer valid
- must submit a new request.
For approved flights in the trial, you do not need to:
- tell the air traffic control tower before your flight
- submit a notice to airmen (NOTAM).
How to take part
To take part in the trial, you must sign-up using a participating CASA-verified drone safety app:
- AVCRM RPA Manager by AVCRM
- FlyFreely Drone Management Platform by FlyFreely
- ok2fly by AvSoft
- OpenSky by Wing Aviation
CASA-verified drone safety app providers may impose additional conditions to participate in the trial. For example, completing a non-disclosure agreement.
Instruments
Airspace authorisations issued during the trial are in line with CASA instrument ‘Area approval and direction for operation of RPA within 3NM of controlled aerodromes using CASA-verified drone safety app’.
Instruments will be updated throughout the trial. You must make sure you use the latest version for your flight:
Expired instruments:
- CASA 31/21 Area approval and Direction for operation of RPA with 3 NM of controlled aerodromes using CASA-verified drone safety app - Canberra (YCSB) Adelaide (YPAD) and Perth (YPPH) (PDF, 3.37 MB)
- CASA 29/22 Area approval and Direction for operation of RPA within 3 NM of controlled aerodromes using CASA-verified drone safety app – Canberra (YSCB), Adeliade (YPAD) and Perth (YPPH)
Contact us
Have a question? Need help?
You can contact us through our online enquiry form.
To keep up to date with the latest drone information and updates subscribe to our mailing list.
-
Aircraft
-
Aircraft registration
- Change, transfer or cancel aircraft registration
- Data files for registered aircraft
- Ferry flight registrations
- Find a registered aircraft
- Guidance for deceased estates
- Irrevocable deregistration and export request authorisation (IDERA)
- Register your aircraft
- Registered aircraft operators
- Registration marks
- Request a copy of your registration certificate
- Airworthiness
- Certification
- Design and manufacturing
- Sport aviation
-
Aircraft registration
- Drones
-
Licences and certificates
- Pilots
- Radio operators
- Air traffic controllers
-
Air operators
- Aerial application air operator's certificate
- Aerial work certificate (Part 138)
- Air transport air operator's certificate
- Balloon air operator's certificate
- Find a flight training operator
- Flight training operators
- Foreign operators
- Guidance for Part 91 approvals
- Replace air operator's certificate
- Alternative pathway for specialised endorsements
- Operators specialised endorsements alternative pathway
- Training pilots specialised endorsements alternative pathway
- Delegates
-
Maintenance engineers
- About aircraft maintenance engineers
- Aircraft engineer exams
- Aircraft engineer licence (Part 66)
- Apply for a Part 66 licence
- Become a licensed aircraft engineer
- Part 66 and working for a Part 145 organisation
- Recognition of prior learning
- Removing exclusions
- Maintenance of composite structures
- Part 66 self-study training and examination pathway
- Flight examiners
- Flight instructors
-
Aviation medicals
- Additional medical tests
- Clinical case conference panel
- Complaints and objection to medical decision
- Find a medical or eye examiner
- Medical certification for age over 60
- Report a change of a medical condition
- Classes of medical certificate
- Renew a medical certificate
- Medical certificate fees, payments and processing
- Endorsements on a medical certificate
- The medical certification process
- Audit of medical certificates
-
Medical practitioners and examiners
- Austroads standard medical for pilots
- Become a DAME or DAO
- DAME's clinical practice guidelines
- DAME conditions of appointment
- DAO conditions of appointment
- Eligibility and training for DAMEs an DAOs
- Maintaining your designation
- Medical reports and case reviews
- Protocol for pilots with type 1 diabetes
- Responsibilities of DAMEs and DAOs
- ECG guidance for DAMEs
- Aviation reference numbers
- English language standards
- Fee payment options
-
Operations, safety & travel
- Aerodromes
- Airspace
- Aviation safety for pilots
- Safety Management Systems
-
Safety advice
- Cabin safety
- Carriage or discharge of firearms on aircraft
- Community service flights
- COVID-19 advice for industry
- Dangerous goods and air freight
- Displays and events
- Drug and alcohol management
- Electronic flight bag
- Fatigue management
- Hazard identification and management
- Human factors and safety behaviours
- Travel and passengers
- Aeronautical information management
- Training and checking systems
-
Rules
- Regulatory framework
- Rules by category
- Rules by status
- Rules by type
- Changing the rules
-
Compliance and enforcement
- Enforcement action
- How to comply with the rules
- Recent enforcement decisions
- Safety information policy statement
- Sharing safety information
- Strict liability
- Surveillance
- Delegated authority in support of aviation safety investigations
- Submitting significant and non-significant changes
- Voluntary suspensions
- Resources & education
-
About us
- Who we are
- Who we work with
- News and media
-
Reporting and accountability
- Administrative review of guidance resources
- Environmental management and performance
- Freedom of information
- Gifts and benefits register
- List of CASA files
- Portfolio budget statements
- Register of privacy impact assessments
- Regulator Performance Framework
- Senate order on agency contracts
- Service standards
- Statement of commitment to child safety
- Work health and safety policy statement
- Careers
- Sponsorship and scholarship
- About this website
- Contact us
- Events
- Subscribe