Drone journalism and aviation laws, systems, training, and tech trends
The professional use of civilian drones involves training in air safety and law set by aviation authorities, like CASA, which modified its laws, licences, and procedures in 2016. By 2019 media producers in countries like the UK, Australia, and the US, had used drones for almost a decade. Amidst the rules and deterrents, there are mixed benefits in using drones for news media. Prior to 2015 drone training in Australia began with PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence) theory, followed by an alternative pathway of a RePL (Remote Pilot’s Licence). The firsthand experiences of PPL training and subsequent training covers many aviation topics, from flight controllers to OzRunway apps. Beyond training, recent tech trends include networks for drones and swarm systems already used in the US and Korea. However, tracking and registration systems are only just emerging in Australia and drones, regarded as disruptive technologies in the UK, are complicated by Brexit.