Drones & RPA's Off-Campus

Curtin University confirms CASA views any University related work (educational, research, promotional) as “commercial”.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) defines the commercial use of a drone and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) as anything you’re doing for hire or reward. For example, if you’re a production company strapping a camera to a drone or RPA for the purposes of gathering footage, or if you’re flying something into the air to test it via a drone, that’s commercial use.

Ultimately if you are intending to use the footage taken by a drone or a RPA outside of Curtin (posting to the internet, in a Film Festival, on Television, etc) CASA views it as commercial and you are required to comply with the instructions and standard operating conditions listed on the CASA website.

Accordingly, any use of a drone or RPA for University related work (including educational) will require:

  • For very small Drones & Remotely Piloted Aircrafts under 2Kg used within the standard RPA operating conditions - notifications to CASA.


  • For Drones & Remotely Piloted Aircrafts over 2kg or any use not compliant with the standard RPA operating conditions - a remote pilot’s licence held by the person piloting the drone and Curtin’s RPA Systems Operator Certificate.

Drones

Click here go to CASA's web page on Drones

Click here go to CASA's web page on Drone Rules

Click here go to CASA's web page on Drone Safety Apps