Here in Australia, we have some rules specified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (I guess like the FAA in the US), which technically restricts a lot of what you can and can't do with a UAV.
Not within 5.5kms of an airport, not over 123 metres, not within 30m of people, not over a sportsfield while a game is in progress, not in populated areas, etc etc etc.
The big one is NO COMMERCIAL USE, so you can't sell a photo, or do video for someone, or do anything that might be deemed commercial.
UNLESS...
You have a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Certificate, which allows you to fly one for someone who is doing it commercially, and THEY have to have UAV Operator's Certification for their business.
I enrolled today to do a combined course, the RPC to fly it legally, and the UOC to run a business flying it for myself.
It looks like I'm going legit!!!
No idea how I'll afford the liability insurance cover required before they'll issue the final UOC, but you sure won't get insurance without the RPC and UOC either, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and also start earning some kind of money from it as well.
Big expenses ahead for me. But it's a pretty newly emerging field, so there's possibly an advantage to being legit early on.
Of course, it's not just the commercial use that changes with these qualifications, it means you can fly in far more places.
Not within 5.5kms of an airport, not over 123 metres, not within 30m of people, not over a sportsfield while a game is in progress, not in populated areas, etc etc etc.
The big one is NO COMMERCIAL USE, so you can't sell a photo, or do video for someone, or do anything that might be deemed commercial.
UNLESS...
You have a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Certificate, which allows you to fly one for someone who is doing it commercially, and THEY have to have UAV Operator's Certification for their business.
I enrolled today to do a combined course, the RPC to fly it legally, and the UOC to run a business flying it for myself.
It looks like I'm going legit!!!
No idea how I'll afford the liability insurance cover required before they'll issue the final UOC, but you sure won't get insurance without the RPC and UOC either, so I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and also start earning some kind of money from it as well.
Big expenses ahead for me. But it's a pretty newly emerging field, so there's possibly an advantage to being legit early on.
Of course, it's not just the commercial use that changes with these qualifications, it means you can fly in far more places.