A little over two years ago Australia’s aviation regulator CASA launched an app to allow drone pilots across Australia to work out if it was legal to fly in a particular area. Today, that app is due for retirement, and the first of a bunch of new apps has launched.
Rather than running their own app, it appears CASA has opted to make the information and data about where to fly available to other app developers who meet CASA’s strict guidelines.
Frankly, in an ideal world the data should be incorporated into the apps which control our drones like those from DJI.
However, while we wait for that – you can now download OpenSky on iOS and Android which looks like a slick and easy to use replacement for CASA’s own app.
OpenSky is also showing the data on their website, which provides a rather awesome look at Australia’s airpsace at a glance.
Within OpenSky there’s now a very clear checklist for any area showing a user if the site complies and in which way.
The bottom line – if you own a drone, you should have this app, and it should be opened every single time you fly.
In the future, apps like this will help CASA streamline processes for the proposed drone registration system, it will allow licensed operators to submit flight requests and more.
Own a drone? Get the app.
