The working group raised a noticeable change in:
- the availability of open land
- landowner’s attitudes and willingness for operators to fly over or land on their property.
Reduced options for suitable landing areas increases workload for pilots when they are then having to consider where the next best option to land is. Increased residential areas is putting more pressure on ensuring operators maintain relationships with landowners who have properties that are suitable landing areas. Reasons for landowners not wanting balloons to fly over or landing on their land include young livestock and biosecurity.
What operators can do?
Balloon operators generally need permission from the property owner to land on their property. Often, commercial balloon operators will have agreements with landowners for launch and landing sites.
Operators highlighted the need to invest time in landowner relationships. Maintaining relationships ensures that the operators can work through any concerns or issues by the landowners and a mutual understanding reached. Operators raised this is critical to ensure business viability into the future. Being proactive rather than waiting to receive complaints usually ensures a more positive outcome.
Be aware of sensitive areas (SA) or sensitive zones (SZ). Operators should maintain registers in their local flying areas, so they are available for flight and ground crew.
Some operators have proactively set up ways to monitor compliance to requirements such as leaving properties secure by taking a record (photograph) of locking or returning gates as found.
What are we doing and already delivered?
We do receive reports and complaints from our online reporting platform from landowners. Our focus is on safety. This includes complaints about whether the balloon was:
- operated in an unsafe way
- flying too low against the rules.
We follow up safety complaints in line with our compliant processes.
AC 131-02 Manned free balloons – Operations provides some extra guidance on sensitive areas. While CASA does not legislate private arrangements made between landlords and operators, but other federal and state laws may apply.