BVLOS drone operations in Australia

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of Australia. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• Legally possibleConditional
• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Authorisation typepermitYes
• Pilot requirementConditional
• Aircraft requirementConditional
• Risk assessment requiredConditional
• Standard scenario availableYes
• Predefined pathway availableNot resolved
• Ground risk controlNot resolved
• Repeat or generic authorisationNot resolved
• Populated area pathwayNot resolved
• Digital applicationNot resolved
• Operational limitationsConditional
• ExceptionsNo

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Approval required for autonomous aircraft launch or release

  A person does not launch or release an autonomous aircraft that does not allow pilot intervention during flight unless they hold an approval under regulation 101.029 and comply with all conditions of that approval.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Approval

  An unmanned aircraft may only be operated beyond visual line of sight if the operator holds an approval under regulation 101.029 and complies with all conditions of that approval.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BVLOS Operator Certification Requirement

  Only a certified RPA operator may be granted an approval to operate an unmanned aircraft beyond the operator's or the remote pilot's visual line of sight.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BVLOS Remote Pilot Licence Requirement

  Only a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) holder who is a certified RPA operator or a member of their personnel may be granted an approval to operate an unmanned aircraft beyond visual line of sight.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Documented Practices and Procedures for BVLOS

  For the grant of a BVLOS approval, the certified RPA operator's documented practices and procedures must provide for and comply with the requirements of Chapter 5, and ensure operations are conducted accordingly.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Documented practices and procedures for EVLOS operations

  For an EVLOS operation approval, a certified RPA operator must have CASA-approved documented practices and procedures that comply with Chapter 5 and contain a compliance statement for remote pilots and observers.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  EVLOS Class 1 Observer and Communication Requirements

  In an EVLOS Class 1 operation, the visual observer must be in the same location as the remote pilot and maintain continual, direct, verbal communication without using any communication device.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  EVLOS Class 2 Backup Communication System

  For an EVLOS class 2 operation, the primary communication system used by the remote pilot and observers must be supported by an immediately activatable secondary backup communication system.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• CASR 1998 — Division 101.F.5: Operation of certain RPA for hire or reward — Civil Aviation Safety AuthorityOpen
• Part 101 Manual of Standards 2019 — Chapter 14: Permissible modifications to registered RPA — Civil Aviation Safety AuthorityOpen

Known limitations

• Binding law and official guidance disagree on bvlos.standard_scenario_available; the binding position is published.
• 5 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Other drone rules in Australia

• Do I need to register my drone in Australia?Registration in Australia depends on the aircraft and the operation: it applies once the published conditions below are met, each cited to the rule that sets it.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in Australia?Drone flights in Australia are held to a published general height limit of 121.92 m AGL. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Australia?Drone flights near aerodromes in Australia are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in Australia?Whether an operation in Australia needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in Australia?Remote pilot competency in Australia scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.

All drone laws in Australia