Drones near airports

[FlyBoy1960]

So, I get the usual real estate blurb about a new property becoming available and if you look at the right-hand side of the photograph you can see one of the runways at Caboolture in the very same photograph.  Go to the website and there are a heap of drone shots including some that must've been taken over the runway looking south towards the property for sale.

 

These real estate cowboys are going to kill somebody very soon !   Probably didn't even know the airfield was there.

 

CASA should beyond of these things and start tracking down whoever flew the drone within 5 nautical miles of an active aerodrome and make them an example

 

 

[onetrack]

How can you be so sure it's drone footage? It could be a screenshot from Google Maps. If I go to Google Maps Street View, and then click on the zoom out ( - ) button, I can get pretty good "drone-type" views of the terrain.

 

I would inquire to the real estate company as to how they acquired that image or images, before making a report to CASA. If they have used a drone, then someone certainly needs reaming out.

[Reynard]

Professional drone operators can liaise with an ARO to have a notam issued for an airfield for the duration of their activity.  Reasonably common around mining activity near regional airports where drones are used for mapping.

 

Clearly though, a lot of drone operators may not be ‘professional’

[FlyBoy1960]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

It could be a screenshot from Google Maps.

There are many other photos in the listing link so it really cant be google, the viewing angle is way to low.  There are some shots at the front of the business at say 25 m height, Google wont do that   see  https://www.mcgrath.com.au/property/252P0092

[T510]

What they are doing is completely within the regulations, regardless of whether it is sensible or not.

 

If it is under 250gm they can fly pretty much anywhere

 

You can find it on the CASA website here

https://www.casa.gov.au/drones/drone-rules/flying-near-airports#Controlledairports

 

"A non-controlled airport does not have an air traffic control tower. Many airports in Australia are non-controlled.

You can fly your drone within 5.5 km (3 NM) of a non-controlled airport and in the approach and departure paths. However, when you become aware of an aircraft, you must:

• not launch your drone
• safely manoeuvre your drone away from the path of the aircraft and land as soon as possible.

We measure this distance from the centreline of the runway."

[skippydiesel]

SCARY!😈

[Blueadventures]

Look up Bowen airport ERSA  YBWN; additional information 2. Model aircraft operate within the airdrome locality.   They operate safely on the east side of the northern end of 22.  All safely and land when inbound or departure calls are heard or aircraft seen.  I've landed there when they operate, no issues.

[FlyBoy1960]

Sorry T510, you are wrong.  Sub 250g you can only go to the airport/field boundry.  There are photos taken WITHIN the boundry and using google earth to reference viewing angles above 400 ft.

 

Stupid BUT model aircraft have different rules to drones, hard to believe but true.

 

 

 

I know.   CASA ARN XXXXX | CASA ReOC XXXX | CASA RePL | CASA BVLOS and EVLOS | NOTAM originator authorised person etc.  under my belt

[T510]

I know, I was being flippant about the sub 250gm drone rules as most sub 250gm drone users are. I shouldn't spread misinformation.

 

If the real estate photographer has a RePL and ReOC they could legally be flying within the airfield boundaries, unlikely but possible.

 

I started flying drones nearly 26 years ago now, Back then there was no licence and most of our flying in Australia was done from uncontrolled airfields. 

My first ever drone flight I watched it take-off then it was BVLOS for 6 hours before it returned and we landed it.

 

I have a similar skill set to you it would appear, but in addition have CRP, CRI and IREX amongst the other endorsements in my C.V.

 

I had to do my IREX to get permission to fly BVLOS before CASA created the BVLOS OCTA standard.

Edited November 27, 2025 by T510

[FlyBoy1960]

Drones are like eBikes...   The horse has bolted and there is no way of catching it now.

 

 

[T510]

100% agree with that.

 

How can CASA regulate an industry that makes multiple significant advances in the time it takes CASA to write and implement new regulations.

 

Hopefully there will be some significant improvements in the way drones are regulated in the not too distant future

[skippydiesel]

If you are going to talk in Drone lingo, I suggest you do so on a drone only site😈

[Thruster88]

29 minutes ago, skippydiesel said:

If you are going to talk in Drone lingo, I suggest you do so on a drone only site😈

Disagree, we might learn something. Not a drone pilot but I could work out most of the acronyms. 

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, Thruster88 said:

Disagree, we might learn something. Not a drone pilot but I could work out most of the acronyms. 

You shouldn't have to. In polite/inclusive society every acronym/abbreviation is flagged at the start of the conversation. If you want to exclude people - talk in the jargon that your tribe is familiar with.😈

[planedriver]

I have a couple of DJI drones which rarely get any air time these days, and I live in Earlwood only about 6 kms (as the crow or drone flys) from the very perimiter of Sydneys Kingsford Smith Airport.

If I try to fire it up indoors, the GPS knows i'm in close vicinity of the airport, and it would'nt even allow me to take off indoors from my living room coffee table.

Some of the cheaper drones may not have this avoidability built in.

It's actually not easy to find somewhere to fly them these days because of the legal restrictions.

Edited November 27, 2025 by planedriver

[T510]

Drones are aircraft (Well some aren't but that's a whole other topic)

 

As such drone pilots are aircraft pilots - seems like Aircraftpilots.com is a suitable place to discuss drones

 

Drones are going to have a huge impact on all aviation moving forward, the fact that Airservices are currently developing an Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management system shows that.

Their report indicated they expect commercial drone flights will increase by an average of 20% per annum over the next 20 years, the main area being logistics and goods delivery.

16 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

If you are going to talk in Drone lingo, I suggest you do so on a drone only site😈

It's aviation lingo using CASA abbreviations, CASA has an online glossary if you are having trouble keeping up 😉 😈

https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/glossary

Edited November 27, 2025 by T510

[skippydiesel]

1 hour ago, T510 said:

Drones are aircraft (Well some aren't but that's a whole other topic)

 

As such drone pilots are aircraft pilots - seems like Aircraftpilots.com is a suitable place to discuss drones

 

Drones are going to have a huge impact on all aviation moving forward, the fact that Airservices are currently developing an Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management system shows that.

Their report indicated they expect commercial drone flights will increase by an average of 20% per annum over the next 20 years, the main area being logistics and goods delivery.

It's aviation lingo using CASA abbreviations, CASA has an online glossary if you are having trouble keeping up 😉 😈

https://www.casa.gov.au/resources-and-education/glossary

Maaate: If it makes a drone operator feel like a pilot, by all means use all the bureaucratic mumbo jumbo you like. As far as I am concerned a Pilot manipulates his aircraft (or ship) from within😈

[facthunter]

Stick to conventional wisdom in these matters. It's probably harder (Without Gyro stabilisation) to fly remotely, than in the actual Plane.   Nev

[FlyBoy1960]

I must say that the training for a CASA approved, commercial  drone pilot with RePL and REOC is to a much higher KNOWLEDGE level than it is for a recreational pilot by a really large margin.   Not meaning to offend anybody but those with the qualifications in both commercial ops and RA-Aus aircraft will know exactly what I mean. The knowledge required for commercial drone exceeds what I did for IFR and instrument ratings in  general aviation.

 

T510 would agree with this statement, I am sure

[skippydiesel]

You may have a doctorate in drone driving, that doesn't excuse the use of "in language" on an open Forum - just bad manners. Defending this with claims of superior training, as if this in some way justifies your position, is just adding insult to the first injury.

 

😈

[FlyBoy1960]

I am lost Skippy, i also have IFR, Multi engine, turbine etc ratings on 'real' planes and others as well.

 

But my experience is that going through the commercial drone system in 2025 was significantly more intensive than any of the general aviation ratings that I have.

 

That is my opinion based on my experience and nothing else.

[planedriver]

Yes but skippy, there'd be hundreds around the country that would'nt know where the location of YSwhatever abreviation airport is, unless they take the trouble to separately look it up.

Not everyone on these forums are that well informed.

Similar situation. Often only familiar with the author, but still gets used a lot.

 

[planedriver]

11 minutes ago, FlyBoy1960 said:

I am lost Skippy, i also have IFR, Multi engine, turbine etc ratings on 'real' planes and others as well.

 

But my experience is that going through the commercial drone system in 2025 was significantly more intensive than any of the general aviation ratings that I have.

 

That is my opinion based on my experience and nothing else.

I WAS considering going for commercial drone licence training, but at my age considered it too intensive, plus the cost is not simply loose change pocket money. Just too much for an old fellah like me.

[T510]

15 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

You may have a doctorate in drone driving, that doesn't excuse the use of "in language" on an open Forum - just bad manners. Defending this with claims of superior training, as if this in some way justifies your position, is just adding insult to the first injury.

 

😈

It's not "in language", it's CASA abbreviations. They seem to add a few more each year, just another thing to keep on top of with aviation.

 

 

[facthunter]

You CAN be a bit too sensitive Skip, yet handout a bit yourself. One recent example, Drone DRIVING. A demeaning and not the normal term used, as well as "Doctorate". . YOUR entire statement is Insulting and  demeaning of PLANEY He's been forced to state his qualifications. Where are yours to be so critical? How much SKIN do you have in the game?  Nev