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In its Australian Aviation Network Overview 2023, the air traffic control body said there has been a 16.3 per cent increase in average daily drone flights in FY2023 vs FY2022. December 2022 was the highest month for detections, with 5,258 drone activities spotted near airports.
As many as 440 drones dropped out of the sky during a pre-game light display to celebrate the Matildas’ soccer match against France at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium on Friday evening, according to the ATSB, with efforts ongoing to retrieve them before their batteries pollute the river.
The fixed-wing ‘Volanti’ device is being deployed under a landmark agricultural program to use sensors in the air to predict crop yields on the ground.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) told Australian Aviation the new exam will be in place within the next few months, with drone operators no longer required to take the current IREX exam designed for planes and helicopters.
The agency has suspended the use of its DJI drones, which have been blacklisted by the US military and have also been suspended by Australia’s Department of Defence, Home Affairs chief operating officer Justine Saunders confirmed in Senate estimates this week.
Australian drone manufacturer Carbonix has announced its expansion into the US market under an operating partnership with New Hampshire aviation consultant ArgenTech Solutions.
