Drone License

[Pinkerel]

Hi,

I am quite clueless when it comes to drones as well as the admin that goes with it. I have only recently heard that one can do a license regarding drones and I would like to gain some knowledge regarding it. Excuse the vocabulary.

What are the requirements for such a license? What privileges does a drone pilot have? (Like the differences a PPL and CPL have) What are the general rules regarding flying a drone? What are the major differences between commercial flying and private use? etc.

Kind regards,
Pinkerel

[Triaan]

Congratulations for asking... let me spare you your sanity, here's the answer you seek:

viewtopic.php?f=286&t=216596

There will be individuals who will praise and pat you on the back everywhere.

BUT remember, when they have gotten what they need from you (ie $ for the certificate) You will be left chasing one freelance job after another (for which the competition is high) As the Operator licenses are tightly controlled and very limited, with an Iron fist from above, by the minority making the decisions holding the monopoly.

The Rpas licenses are handed out like sweetcakes, institutions making a killing with a smile while coining it out of your pocket.

You will never hear anything negative about it, the standards are good, the training is interesting, but it's like a roller coaster ride, after the ride. You will be told to leave and drive the empty road home with no job and an empty pocket.

Overseas you will have a Bright future as a drone pilot !

Leave it alone in South Africa while you are still Sane, other wise Good Luck.

[buks van niekerk]

you cannot work with a RPL, AND A RPL holder does not have any privileges over someone without a licence PAY attention to what TRIAAN say
here is some of the requirements to earn a salary / commission / call it what you like,
after the RPL Com, you have to work for a company that is a registered ROC, provided you have all the compulsory certificates you received, and this training is after your RPL Com, so,YOU MAY NOT FLY FOR A REMUNERATION WITHOUT A ROC, Then if you decide to "freelance" under a registered ROC, they want the following
1) pay the ROC holding company anything from R30K,and more, once off, "admin / activation" fee
2) a monthly payment anything from R500.00 and up
3) a percentage of your turnover, depending again on the amount the higher the Rand the higher the %,

and you want a WHAT????
I THINK BECOMING A ROC IS THE WAY TO GO

[ffuls]

As a director of a small ROC I confrm. An RPL gives you just as much right to buy and commercially fly your own drone as an ATPL grants you to buy a 737 and start riding taxi with it.

There is a good reason for this control. Big pity that you need absolutely nothing to buy and fly a drone for fun - which would horrify me if I was in manned aviation.

As for ROC monopoly, it is a farce. Majority of ROC holders struggle more than the illegal operators they have to compete with, because of the significant overheads the regulators force onto them. Until clients realise what the regulations are and their consequences this will not change.

[_juju_]

As a director of a small ROC I confrm. An RPL gives you just as much right to buy and commercially fly your own drone as an ATPL grants you to buy a 737 and start riding taxi with it.

There is a good reason for this control. Big pity that you need absolutely nothing to buy and fly a drone for fun - which would horrify me if I was in manned aviation.

As for ROC monopoly, it is a farce. Majority of ROC holders struggle more than the illegal operators they have to compete with, because of the significant overheads the regulators force onto them. Until clients realise what the regulations are and their consequences this will not change.

Why would countries like Australia, Canada, USA, UK, etc. not have this ROC requirement in place? Are their Drone Operators that much better, or are the local Pilots that much worse? Or what other reason would there be for the disparity?

[buks van niekerk]

every time i read all the, complains, excuses, hate speech and i am running out of words here for the "EVIL" drone, i want to laugh and cry at the same time, this is why
1) how is a drone a greater danger for aviation in SA, compared to RC Models,fitted with piston engines, jet engines, as big as.....you have seen the BIG ones on YouTube,
2) for years RC Model aircraft fly right next to real aircraft at varies aerodromes all over SA,that was never a issue, but the "EVIL DRONE"
3) RC Model aircraft can do the same harm to a Boeing / Airbus, cal it what you like than a "evil" drone
4) as a drone operator i need a RPL PLUS 4 / Certificates to able to fly my drone and take pictures
5) yet a RC Model pilot got ZERO LICENCE, why is that except able by the...............

my last 2 cent, i hold several ratings on aircraft and never was a RC Model or "EVIL" drone a problem to me, love them all, that is why i also fly them all,

[Trevor Duane]

every time i read all the, complains, excuses, hate speech and i am running out of words here for the "EVIL" drone, i want to laugh and cry at the same time, this is why
1) how is a drone a greater danger for aviation in SA, compared to RC Models,fitted with piston engines, jet engines, as big as.....you have seen the BIG ones on YouTube,
2) for years RC Model aircraft fly right next to real aircraft at varies aerodromes all over SA,that was never a issue, but the "EVIL DRONE"
3) RC Model aircraft can do the same harm to a Boeing / Airbus, cal it what you like than a "evil" drone
4) as a drone operator i need a RPL PLUS 4 / Certificates to able to fly my drone and take pictures
5) yet a RC Model pilot got ZERO LICENCE, why is that except able by the...............

my last 2 cent, i hold several ratings on aircraft and never was a RC Model or "EVIL" drone a problem to me, love them all, that is why i also fly them all,

Two points why there is a huge difference between RC model aircraft and RPAS ( drones )
1. There are no RC aircraft in the republic which are registered as civilian aircraft.
2. RPAS which are registered and have received RLA's are registered as South African commercial aircraft and therefore all regulations apply accordingly.

I also don't like how you assume and present that large scale model aircraft pilots have no form of license or competence as that has not been the case for decades and to add to that there have been new developments which have increased the control on larger, heavier and more soffisticated RC model aircraft.

[buks van niekerk]

very interesting comments from you Sir, however i will keep my emotions at bay
and then i like to add a point for some discussion / air your view / you might like or not like,
if "evil" drones are listed as registered commercial aircraft, should there not be a way of stopping every Tom Dick and his tjommie buying drones over the counter
does any one have an idea if there is a person / institution that represent drones operators at CAA,

[ffuls]

[/quote]

Why would countries like Australia, Canada, USA, UK, etc. not have this ROC requirement in place? Are their Drone Operators that much better, or are the local Pilots that much worse? Or what other reason would there be for the disparity?
[/quote]

It has been debated to death. Bottom line, we can comply only with legislation that suits us (like Zuma and Gupta) or we can respect rule of law.

[WarrenGardiner]

Why would countries like Australia, Canada, USA, UK, etc. not have this ROC requirement in place? Are their Drone Operators that much better, or are the local Pilots that much worse? Or what other reason would there be for the disparity?

I think the main reason for this is that the authorities in those countries have controlling bodies in place who can approve and oversee individual flights, keeping things orderly and properly organised. At present in South Africa we do not have a body with the resources or the inclination to put on that amount of work. This means that ROCs are the way that the approval and oversight process has to work.

Hopefully someday we will have an organisation that could take on this task, neither SAMAA or SACAA in my opinion have the resources or inclination to do so.

[Dracos13]

Sorry gents, I am way out of my league here, I am asking this question just to understand what the difference is.

What makes a drone different than a RC chopper modified with cameras etc?

Why does the drone need ROC certification and an RC chopper modified extensively does not?

[PushingTin]

Australia also require an ROC in conjunction with RePL to work commercially.

I hold an Australian RePL and just returned to South Africa - spoke to SACAA to convert the licence but apparently the Australian licence is not recognised and I cant do a conversion, need to do whole licence through flight school again. (I am still hoping this info is incorrect as one would expect some sort of a conversion would be possible).

Other difference with Australian RePL is that it is perpetual - does not expire whereas the South African one is only valid for 2 years.

I do love SA (hence why I am back) but Australia are definitely much more forward thinking with their drone rules (they even allowing you to fly in the national parks now as long as you follow all the CASA requirements) whereas here there is no such luck.

[_juju_]

I do love SA (hence why I am back) but Australia are definitely much more forward thinking with their drone rules (they even allowing you to fly in the national parks now as long as you follow all the CASA requirements) whereas here there is no such luck.

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[Jayson v Schalkwyk]

Being someone who has very very little knowledge about drones and drone tech etc, I do think the drone industry will be leading in many ways in years to come. We have already seen the explosion of uses and growth in recent years.

Now, I have a few questions. I am already a fixed ATP pilot. I have a fair amount of time "off" and happen to living in a predominately agricultural region of SA. I do understand and accept that to do commercial drone work a license is required and that you need to operate under a ROC.

Since I am here to increase what little knowledge I have, how viable is it being a part time commercial drone operator? Is this something that could be pursued as a part time income generating business? Being in the agricultural area (dairy and maize production) that I am, what are the actual services offered to farmers? Mapping of theirs farms? Livestock counts? cultivated field monitoring?

I have seen one aviation training organisation offering online drone training courses. Is there more than one such training school? How many of the 37 ROC companies in SA are doing training? Who are the industry leaders in SA?

Am looking forward to gaining some knowledge and reducing my ignorance to drone tech and drone industry.

[WarrenGardiner]

You can contact CUAASA www.cuaasa.org, they should be able to point you in the right direction