All,I waiting on a press release that is getting approval now... nothing more i can say till that is done sorry

Mick

I think the requirements for UAS pilot licencing might be changing over there perhaps that is the hold up. I am hearing all the ground exams for PPL plus 1.5 hours flight time in a light aircraft so you know whats what and then of course the medicals.

But that could all just be rumour and conjecture. If you have a PPL already you will add UAS as a type.

So that would be very tricky for overseas competitors I think to fly. Unless I guess they held a PPL/CPL from their country.

Gary, are you for real, where do you get this stuff from.....?

Well, I'd rather not say on that one, but somebody there must have also heard something similar, whispers are very quiet when the are being heard 10,000 miles away.

I have started trying to confirm this as it would be a top story for sUAS News

Just found this

http://www.casa.gov.au/wcmswr/_asset...100071/uas.pdf

Published 17th of Feb of this year and probably the best piece I have seen about the differences between model flying and UAS and important thing to define. Stops people trying to claim they are just flying their models whilst doing AP for commercial gain. Has interesting implications for manufacturers as well.

Have written to CASA to find out.

Anyhow I'm going off topic. I will try to find a CASA doc with those proposed regs, unless someone else can.

An interesting pamphlett which seems vague in parts...

CASA Advisory Circular AC 101-1(0) has the following:

13. OPERATOR CERTIFICATION
13.1 General
13.1.1 An operator intending to conduct commercial operations utilising UAVs must be the holder of an operating certificate (OC) issued under CASR Part 101. Guidelines for the issue of OCs are shown at Appendix 3.

So, this says that if you intend to do some money making with the thing, then you need an OC. The advisory circular is dated 2002 but I haven't seen a newer one.

New format for international UAV Outback Challenge to boost competition

The international $50,000 prize UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Challenge – Outback Rescue competition held in approved airspace at Kingaroy, Queensland, will become a bi-annual event from 2011.

Challenge co-founder and ARCAA director, QUT’s Professor Rod Walker said the changes were being made to the Challenge to give search and rescue teams more time to gain autonomous flight experience and more high school teams the chance to enter.

Read more here

You beat me Gary thanks for picking up the press release

http://www.bee.qut.edu.au/about/news...event-id=35251

Its a pity, but should be good in 2012

It is a pity, as I can think of at least 5 teams that I believe could pass the new requirements easily by September.
(I.e. providing proof in the form of Autonomous flight log hours and comms range distances tests etc etc...)

But then again if you factor in the Kingaroy triangle the 5 could be more like 3!

Hey, has anyone told Joe yet?
He is not going to be happy.

Well he told everyone else via Twitter (and Andrew kindly told me) Oh I see he was on Facebook as well telling everyone.

Funny kind of lost ;-)

It's a digital world

So if i have a high school team from SA ready to go to kingaroy this year, they can still enter?
Do you need people to organise the high school state champs in each state?

thanks
richard

A pity for us, but IMHO a wise choice of the organising committee. This then also confirms that the challenge for 2012 is on.. GREAT!

Bi-annual actually means twice a year...I think you mean biennial.

Anyway, the student UAV competition here in Canada has been running every two years.
I think it's a good thing. It gives teams plenty of time to get things built and tested, and also gives the organizing committee a lot more time to get everything organized.

I think the extra time for testing will make a big difference of the number of successful flights during the competition.

A disappointing result.

My fear would be that the hiatus will kill the momentum for the competition and will see teams drop out.

What is essential (if we are allowing more time to prepare) is that the rules are released in an expediant manner so that teams can make full use of the additional development time.

Given results to date, I would suggest that the committee lock in the current rules ASAP.

Gary, are you planning to compete?

Dr S