Hi all,
I've just moved back to NSW, after nearly 2 years of living in the wine country around Bordeaux.  It was great flying there, with lots to shoot and beautiful light.  I'd completed everything to get a French commercial permit, with the exception of filing the final paperwork and having left, I'm back to square one here.  
As a welcome home present, I've just picked up a new MPP (sold my other equipment before leaving in France) and will add as I go along (perhaps another P4P?)


So I'm in the process of wading through the process here to allow me to fly sub 2kg, insured and beyond VLOS.  
I found UAVAIR's description of the licensing process in the graphic lower down the page] useful, in case anyone else likes using a "decision tree" approach to figuring out requirements.  See here:
https://uavair.com.au/reoc-uav-operators-certificate/

Also Pauline at RPAS Training and Solutions has been exceptionally helpful.
(I've no commercial interest in either of these companies, but thought I'd pass it along in case anyone else is wading through a similar process.)


A couple questions I have:
1 - As I'm living just within a (military) Restricted Area, I'll have to get clearance to fly around here on an ad hoc basis, for both non-paid and paid activities. I've done this by calling the local RAAF control tower responsible for the area, as well as filing .  I was wondering if any particular licences make getting these clearances easier (e.g. online) for commercial use (typically photographing)?  
I already have an ARN (the process for getting it is incredibly fast and simple).
2 - I've also completed the online notification form that's required to spell out areas that I'll fly. It seemed odd that this form states that upon submitting it, it's valid for 24 months, but that you need to advise "If you get a new drone, change your drone, or want to operate from a different place, you will need to submit a new notification form."  What's strange is that the form didn't ask me anything about the current drone(s) in use, nor did it send a confirmation email back to confirm the areas I'd specified.  Am I missing something?


Thanks for any feedback and looking forward to reaquainting myself with Australia by drone.

Hi. Sadly I can't answer your specific questions, but I'm interested in the licensing process myself and so I appreciate the links.

I hope you can get it all sorted OK. Welcome back.

I've gotten some feedback.  The RePL and the ReOc do offer the benefit that if you wish to fly outside of normal Standard Operating Conditions, you can get an exception granted (after making a written application to the appropriate authorities).  For example, if you need to fly over populated areas, you can make an application.  Also, if you wish to carry civil liability insurance, this is easy to obtain (although not the only means of getting it).
In terms of other things like being able to operate beyond VLOS, you have to get an instrument rating following the same course as a Commercial (manned aircraft) pilot and completing the IREX (instrument rating exam), which, for an a/c that doesn't use the standard IFR suite found on a traditional aircraft seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.  Hopefully they'll tailor the requirements for this in future to reflect the technologies appropriate to quads.

GMG Posted at 2018-1-11 03:10
I've gotten some feedback.  The RePL and the ReOc do offer the benefit that if you wish to fly outside of normal Standard Operating Conditions, you can get an exception granted (after making a written application to the appropriate authorities).  For example, if you need to fly over populated areas, you can make an application.  Also, if you wish to carry civil liability insurance, this is easy to obtain (although not the only means of getting it).
In terms of other things like being able to operate beyond VLOS, you have to get an instrument rating following the same course as a Commercial (manned aircraft) pilot and completing the IREX (instrument rating exam), which, for an a/c that doesn't use the standard IFR suite found on a traditional aircraft seems like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.  Hopefully they'll tailor the requirements for this in future to reflect the technologies appropriate to quads.

Definitely a sledgehammer approach! It's a sadly common strategy - make certification overly onerous or difficult to dissuade people from doing it (flying outside the standard guidelines).