2024 Drone Summit - What I Learned. And It Was Fascinating

Earlier this week I completed a tutorial video on drones; what to look for when buying one, the different types available, rules and regulations and so on.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the 2024 Annual Drone Summit as a guest of Global Drone Solutions who sponsored my video. There were plenty of guest speakers, most explaining how they use drones in their businesses and industries, but a couple especially caught my attention.

The first was a representative of the legal profession specialising in drones and privacy, and the second, a senior representative from CASA. I had the opportunity to ask both of them some questions especially pertinent to a) the recreational flier and b) the media.

My first question was to the legal eagle. I wanted to know where the Law sits in reference to drones and imaging in particular. I cited a case when I lived in QLD of a woman who berated me while flying, accusing me of everything from invading her privacy to being a pervert and even a paedophile!

My understanding of the Law, that I ratified at the time with QLD Police, was that, whether I was a journalist or not, I could photograph and video whatever I wanted and whenever I wanted.

In summation, the lawyer at the Summit told em that yes, this was essentially true as long as the Privacy Act was not breached. In other words, you can fly and photograph / video any time, but you cannot use any of that imagery if it can be used to identify individuals in it. Secondly, the act of photographing or videoing is not an offence in itself, but what you DO with that imagery is important and can be cause for prosecution if used nefariously.

Basic common sense really. However, I stress I am NOT a lawyer, so if you are unsure at any time, or my understanding could be a misinterpretation, please double check!

My second question was to the CASA representative. Many recreational flyers have been confronted with the “No drones” sign, and the common consensus is that while say, a National Park has the right to forbid flying there, as they don’t own the airspace above it, if you launch outside the park perimeter, then you are OK to fly over the park.

Firstly, I was corrected on the term “own the airspace”. CASA doesn’t “own it” it simply administers its use and safety. Second, while the idea of launching outside and then flying over a space like a National Park is generally sound, he reminded me there might be other laws the Park Authority or whoever could bring into play, and this has to be taken into consideration.

When I asked about private users putting up “No Fly” signs, the answer was that anyone can put one up. Whether it is defensible under law is another matter entirely, and again, a major arbiter is the Privacy Act.

It was urged that all drone flyers – recreational or licenced – should acquaint themselves of the basics of the Act, bearing in mind there might be variations from State to State.

My final question was also to the CASA representative. I wanted to know if mandatory licencing and registration for all drones and flyers as well as drone ID technology was in the immediate pipeline.

I was informed there were no immediate plans, but his opinion was that in the future at some point, it would have to happen. The sheer explosion of drone usage will cause this necessity and a graph showing the volume of individual flights pointed to huge exponential growth over the next decade or so.

In conclusion, I know that Tasmania also has one of these Drone Summits on a regular basis (I am WA based), but I am not sure of other states. Whether you are only a recreational flier or use drones in a professional capacity (or even thinking about it), I’d suggest you go along to one if you can.

It was an eye opener discovering what uses drones are being put to even today, and some of the existing and emerging technologies in this space are, I found, absolutely fascinating, and there was stuff I didn’t even know about.

In addition to the Lawyer and CASA rep, the guest speakers at the one I attended yesterday were from a wide and varied background. I recommend you look them up and have a gander at what they are doing.

The ones I have asterisked I found particularly interesting

– Michael Nas: Principal, Bennett – Litigation and Commercial Law

– Ed Morris: Team Leader – RPAS Operations, CASA

– Chris Clark: COO, AVCRM *

– Aaron Dempsey: Chief Remote Pilot, Western Power

– Peter Evans: Director, MineLiDAR

– Ashley Fairfield: Principal, RPA Operations (Chief Remote Pilot) Water Corp *

– Mahmood Hussein: Founder, CEO & Chief Remote Pilot, Global Drone Solutions

– Trent Borchard: Enterprise Consultant, D1 Store

– Andrew Davies: Founder, Taz Drone Solutions *

– Ed Boxall: Managing Director, Sensorem

– Sarah Hussein: Co-Founder, Industrial Metaverse