Surf Life Saving Australia's plans to trial the use of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft to monitor beaches and undertake environmental surveys has raised eyebrows at CASA.
In a world-first, Surf Life Saving Australia has signed an agreement with Brisbane’s V-TOL Aerospace to collaboratively test the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft above the beaches of southeast Queensland.
The project will use a small 1kg unmanned aircraft to assist surf lifesavers monitor beaches and undertake environmental surveys and, if proven to be efficient and effective, will be adopted by Surf Life Saving Australia.
Australia has 11,000 beaches with 310 surf life saving clubs around the coastline, as well as lifeguard services, operation support units and emergency response teams. However, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) says the number of coastal drowning deaths is still too high, with most occuring at remote beaches or after patrolling hours.
“Australian beaches receive an estimated 100 million visits annually with 80 per cent of all Australians visiting the beach at some point every year,” CEO Brett Williamson OAM said. “This joint venture project is all about saving lives.
“The project will enable SLSA to determine both the operational effectiveness of unmanned aircraft in beach safety and environmental monitoring as well as ensuring operating the system in commercial airspace can be accomplished safely and effectively.”
However, shortly after SLSA announced the project, CASA issued a statement saying that that the ‘eye in the sky beach patrol needs approval. The Regulator said:
The trial of an operation using Remotely Controlled Aircraft to monitor beach safety in southeast Queensland will require approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Surf Life Saving Queensland has announced it wishes to conduct the trial using a remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicle operated by V-TOL Aerospace. To date, no application has been lodged with CASA for trial flights.
CASA requires a detailed application setting out how the remote controlled beach monitoring flights can be conducted safely and according to the aviation safety rules.
The application will have to include details such as where flights will be conducted, the type of unmanned aerial vehicles that will be used, the training for operators, how risks to people on the ground will be managed and how the unmanned aircraft will interact with piloted aircraft.
(Surf Life Saving Australia)
