Amateur drone pilots put races and aircraft at risk, Australian authorities warn
Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- An unauthorised drone flew alongside camels and at crowd level during the Winton Camel Races in Queensland, prompting organisers to ask the pilot three times to land it.
- A helicopter pilot later saw a drone only a few metres above her aircraft’s spinning blades during a camel-racing event.
- Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority reiterated that drones cannot fly near crewed aircraft or within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled airport, while organisers said recreational bans can be difficult to enforce.
The unmistakable buzz of a drone appeared alongside the galloping camels at Queensland’s Winton Camel Races. Photographer Ann Britton spotted the small quadcopter in images she had taken and realised it had been filming close to the action without permission.
“It actually followed the camels down the track,” Britton said. “The drone was basically there at the same level as the crowd. And I'm like, ‘Oh, that is so cheeky.’” Organisers did not know who was controlling it, but asked over the public-address system three times for the pilot to land.
It actually followed the camels down the track.
Britton had planned to fly her own drone from a safer distance with permission. Instead, she kept it grounded while staff searched the grandstand for the unauthorised pilot. She said formal training and a commercial licence had taught her to treat flying as a privilege, not a pastime. “It's not a toy,” she said.
The drone was basically there at the same level as the crowd. And I'm like, ‘Oh, that is so cheeky.’
The incident formed part of a pattern of rogue drone sightings that has raised fears of a serious accident. Winton helicopter tour pilot Kate de Koning said she was willing to coordinate with drone operators, but unidentified flights made her uneasy. At this year’s Boulia Camel Races, a drone flew close to her face. At the previous year’s event, she saw one just a few metres above her helicopter’s spinning blades as she returned from a tour.
“I saw red instantly,” de Koning said. She was shutting down the helicopter, but the drone operators did not know that. Her aircraft takes off and lands several times each day near the racecourse.
I've done the hard yards and I've got my commercial licence. I find it a privilege that I can fly that drone, capture these moments.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has reiterated the risks and penalties for breaking drone rules. Drones must not fly when a crewed aircraft is nearby or within 5.5 kilometres of a controlled airport. Race organiser Beck Britton said the event had a zero-drone rule for patrons, but large grounds made it difficult to enforce. Organisers are considering clearer ways to communicate the ban.
I saw red instantly.
About this summary
Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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