With record numbers of Australians flying drones, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) tested the knowledge of recreational drone operators and is urging everyone to “Know Your Drone” before taking to the skies during the Christmas break.
CASA regulates Australian aviation safety, including monitoring and regulating safe and legal drone operations in Australian airspace.
In recognition of Australia’s burgeoning love of drones, CASA is reinforcing the need for owners – and those seeking to purchase ahead of Christmas – to get familiar with drone safety rules in place to protect people, property and other aircraft.
CASA spokesperson Sharon Marshall-Keeffe says testing the knowledge of recreational drone operators revealed 78 per cent of recreational drone owners could correctly identify the rules and almost 30 per cent (29 per cent) believed that breaking the rules was unlikely to endanger others.
“It’s incredibly important that recreational drone operators understand the safety risks and fly their drones responsibly to avoid harming themselves and others,” Sharon Marshall-Keeffe said.
“As part of our drone safety education campaign, we’re imploring drone users – especially those looking to fly for fun and recreation over the holiday period – to test their drone safety knowledge. This can be done by visiting the Know Your Drone website, taking a quiz, and checking out the CASA-verified drone safety apps before flying.
“While most drone operators are doing the right thing, we want to ensure that newcomers to the market understand the safety rules and the requirements for becoming a responsible drone flyer.”
The national aviation safety regulator has joined forces with retailers and manufactures to enhance awareness and understanding of the rules and advocate a safe flying culture.
Retailer Harvey Norman is part of a national network of CASA-recognised drone safety advocates across the country, playing its part in providing customers with access to information about the drone safety rules that apply upon purchase.
“With every purchase of a drone through Harvey Norman, whether it’s online or in-store, we provide important safety information on when, where and how people can use their drone safely and within the law,” Harvey Norman Spokesperson, Gus Romero said.
“We proudly display the yellow and black drone safety advocate symbol on our website and refer our customers to the drone safety rules, either online or included in the product packaging.”
With new laws on the way requiring all recreational drone users to be accredited and their drones registered from mid-2022, CASA is urging current and future drone operators to be prepared by understanding the safety risks.
Almost two million Australians are already flying drones for sport and recreation and more than 1.5 million intend to buy a drone in the near future.
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