Do you need a license to fly a drone and use ground control points for drone mapping for commercial purposes?
Professionals in the construction, mining, aggregates, and waste management industry who want to use drones on their job sites must be familiar with all relevant local regulations regarding licensing and safe operation.
While navigating ever-changing regulations can be challenging, adopting a drone survey program and using an all-in-one data processing solution like Propeller Aero can bring new efficiencies to your everyday workflows.
From improving safety and environmental sustainability to tracking progress, drone data enables better project decision making and. Read on to learn about some of the licensing requirements and operating regulations you need to know.
Anyone intending to use a drone for commercial purposes needs to abide by government rules and regulations specific to their area.
Around the world, countries have established certifications a pilot must acquire before flying a drone commercially, as well as laws that govern proper use when taking to the skies. Take a look at some of the guidelines for flying in Australia, the European Union, and the United States:
Australia:
To fly a drone in Australia under two kilograms for business, pilots require either an RPA operator accreditation or a Remote Pilot License (RePL). Pilots with a valid RePL do not need to obtain the RPA operator accreditation.
The RePL can be obtained by taking the official course and assessment. Also, all drones for your business projects must be registered with CASA under an “organization” Aviation Reference Number (ARN), not an “individual” one, and registration is valid for 12 months.
EU:
Recent changes in commercial drone regulations in all 28 member states, as well as Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, have replaced confusion with cohesion. Now, drone operation is classified in three distinct categories—Open, Specific, and Certified.
These categories correspond to degrees of risk, with Open carrying the least risk and Certified carrying the most. Most drone surveying operations fall under the “Open A2” category, which is generally seen as low risk.
Before flying a site, individual pilots need to pass an aeronautical knowledge test and register themselves. Remember that these are broader regulations, and that individual countries may have specific rules that operators must follow.
United States:
In the United States, commercial drone pilots must hold a current Remote Pilot Certificate, or Part 107, awarded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Getting Part 107 certification is simple—pilots only need to pass the Part 107 exam that tests a pilot’s knowledge of sectional charts, METARs (Meteorological Terminal Air Report), and radio communication protocol.
FAA regulations also dictate how commercial pilots can operate, and there are strict requirements for flying within the line-of-sight. Survey teams can bypass these requirements by applying for a Part 107 waiver, giving them greater flexibility as they take to the skies.
Ready to increase the efficiency in your day-to-day operations with drone survey data? In addition to following the requirements discussed above and selecting the right drone, you also need to choose the right drone data processing platform to streamline your workflow.
With an all-in-one solution like the Propeller Platform, all you have to do is fly your site and upload your data to the cloud. Then you’ll be able to better manage your worksites with the accurate drone survey data you’ll obtain.
