Safe, Secure and Compliant
Our certifications and insurances allow us to coordinate with agencies such as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to fly scenarios and locations otherwise legally off limits.
Australian Certified and Fully Insured
Aivia Group has achieved the highest level of certification possible to operate RPAS (drones) commercially in Australia. Ensure the safety of your team members and reduce business risks by working with a partner you can trust:
- Remote Operator Certificate (CASA.ReOC.0252)
- All pilots are licensed (RePL & AROC)
- Fully insured including third party liability insurance up to $20M
- A full risk management strategy for every site we fly
Cover your liabilities under aviation regulation
Understanding and remaining compliant to Australia aviation regulation can be crippling to a business trying to conduct remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations without a dedicated team and specialized knowledge. Aivia Group guides our clients and covers their liabilities associated with integrating drone technology into their business. For more information on your obligations under aviation regulation in Australia, you can find more from:
Flights at Night
In order to fly at night, an RPA pilot must operate under a Remote Operator Certificate (ReOC). All ReOC holders have been granted an exemption to fly at night under certain provisions which include conducting a Job Safety Assessment (JSA) at the desired location during the day and ensuring that the aircraft has features such as lights suitable for night operations.
Within 5.5km of controlled Aerodromes
Flying a drone within 5.5km of a controlled (towered) airport has caused massive complications in the past few years and has caused delays and cancelations to flights. RPA operations within 5.5km must be done under a company with a Remote Operator Certificate (ReOC) with an area approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and coordination with each specific airport.
Within 30m of people
Under normal conditions, drones must not be flown within 30m of people within Australia. Licensed pilots with an RePL that operate under a certified company with a ReOC can fly up to 15m from people with their written permission. Additional approvals can be granted to operate at closer distances.
Crowds and Populous Areas
Flying over populous areas is strictly prohibited and is defined by CASA as “An area is a populous area in relation to the operation of an unmanned aircraft or rocket if the area has a sufficient density of population for some aspect of the operation, or some event that might happen during the operation (in particular, a fault in, or failure of, the aircraft or rocket) to pose an unreasonable risk to the life, safety or property of somebody who is in the area but is not connected with the operation”
Restricted Areas Such as Sydney Harbour
Restricted areas are designated airspace under the control of an authority that other parties must not fly through. Restricted airspace can be found all across Australia. Approval can be requested from a licensed pilot operating under a ReOC to the controlling authority or a relevant Air Traffic Control (ATC). Approvals are often granted temporarily and will be subject to the conditions specified by the issuer.
Fires and Natural Disaster Responses
Drones should not be flown near natural disaster and fire responses as they can be highly disruptive to emergency operations and often leads to the grounding of critical support aircraft in the area. Even licensed pilots and certified businesses cannot operate near emergency responses unless the correct actions have been taken to liaise and coordinate with the necessary agencies and teams.
Test Flights and Custom Airframes
Even if a remote pilot is licensed to fly all broader categories of aircraft, certain types of aircraft require specific licenses to operate which involved demonstrating competency to CASA at one of their testing facilities. Aivia Group can navigate this process for our clients to get their airframes up in the air and their operations running smoothly.
- Aircraft between 25kg - 150kg Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW)
- Aircraft with significant modifications or customizations
- Custom airframes that have not yet been certified by CASA
Aerial Chemical Application
The spraying of chemicals by hand is easy to achieve commercially in a compliant way. This changes however when spraying is done by aircraft, either manned or unmanned. A wide range of regulatory requirements govern how chemicals can be applied from aircraft. Strong coordination with the Environmental Protection Authority and an extensive certification process for both businesses and their pilots are required to operate in a safe and compliant manner. Ensure that any subcontractors used for aerial chemical application are fully certified and compliant as the liabilities and subsequent penalties even for non-compliant subcontracted work can be significant.
At a Glance
Infraspection Institute Certified Infrared Thermographers