Yes DJB CASA can be VERY challenging to deal with. Not surprised to see you giving it up. We might go the same way later this year for basically same reasons.Well thanks to CASA and their infinite wisdom in introducing the sub 2kg class, we have decided to join the mass exodus and leave the industry. Unfortunately the way the regs are at the moment, certified operators are at a distinct disadvantage. We have gone from 8 to 9 jobs a week to 2 per month and competing with sub 2kg operators who not only fly in No Fly Zones but doing jobs for as little as $50.
CASA will tell you that the advantages of being certified are:
1. you can fly bigger craft (with camera technology improving most lower budget jobs can be shot on a Phantom 4 Pro so no advantage).
2. you can get approvals for no fly zones. (Try and get one that is workable and cost effective for you client. The last one we applied for would have cost the client in the region of $3000 before the actual job by the time everything was in place to satisfy the approval. We hired a jet ranger for $700 which is less than the approval fee alone)
All the areas of the industry that we had good results from are gone. Real Estate (nearly impossible now). Inspections and insurance assessing (building inspectors and insurance assessors can do it themselves). Agriculture 3D mapping and crop data. (farmers can fly over their own property. Buy a Phantom and subscribe to Drone Deploy and jobs done.)
The only good thing to come out of this is that we will no longer have to deal with CASA.
Well thanks to CASA and their infinite wisdom in introducing the sub 2kg class, we have decided to join the mass exodus and leave the industry. Unfortunately the way the regs are at the moment, certified operators are at a distinct disadvantage. We have gone from 8 to 9 jobs a week to 2 per month and competing with sub 2kg operators who not only fly in No Fly Zones but doing jobs for as little as $50.
CASA will tell you that the advantages of being certified are:
1. you can fly bigger craft (with camera technology improving most lower budget jobs can be shot on a Phantom 4 Pro so no advantage).
2. you can get approvals for no fly zones. (Try and get one that is workable and cost effective for you client. The last one we applied for would have cost the client in the region of $3000 before the actual job by the time everything was in place to satisfy the approval. We hired a jet ranger for $700 which is less than the approval fee alone)
All the areas of the industry that we had good results from are gone. Real Estate (nearly impossible now). Inspections and insurance assessing (building inspectors and insurance assessors can do it themselves). Agriculture 3D mapping and crop data. (farmers can fly over their own property. Buy a Phantom and subscribe to Drone Deploy and jobs done.)
The only good thing to come out of this is that we will no longer have to deal with CASA.
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