Fly Safety
Flying RC helicopters, drones, and scale model aircraft in Australia is a brilliant experience — but every pilot shares the sky with other aircraft and the ground with other people. These rules, set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), keep everyone safe and ensure you can keep doing what you love.
No licence or registration is required for recreational flying, including Flywing RC helicopters and other model aircraft. Just know the rules, respect others, and enjoy the flight.
These rules apply to all recreational drone and RC aircraft operators across Australia. They simplify the regulations from Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. For the full legal text, visit the CASA drone rules page.
The Rules You Need to Know
Maximum height: 120 metres
You must not fly your drone or RC aircraft higher than 120 m (400 ft) above ground level.
30 metres from people
Keep at least 30 m away from other people at all times and never fly over another person.
One aircraft at a time
You must only fly one drone or RC aircraft at a time.
Daylight hours only
Only fly during daylight hours. Do not fly at night, dawn, or dusk.
Avoid populous areas
Do not fly in a populous area — beaches, parks, sporting events, or crowded spaces.
Safety and privacy
Do not create a hazard to another aircraft, person, or property. Respect other people's privacy.
Visual line of sight
Keep your aircraft within visual line of sight at all times — see it with your own eyes, not through a screen, device, or goggles. Do not fly through cloud, fog, or smoke.
Emergency operations
Do not fly over or near areas where emergency operations are underway — ambulance, police, search and rescue, or firefighting.
Controlled airports: 5.5 km exclusion
If your aircraft weighs more than 250 g, do not fly within 5.5 km of a controlled airport (airports with control towers). If 250 g or less, you may fly up to 45 m high within 5.5 km but must stay outside the airport boundary. Use a drone safety app to check.
Smaller airports and helipads
Near smaller airports (no control tower), you may fly within 5.5 km, but if you see a crewed aircraft, move away and land safely. Within 1.4 km of a helicopter landing site, land if a helicopter is nearby.
Helpful Resources
Drone Safety Apps
Download a CASA-verified app to check where you can and cannot fly before take-off.
Learn moreTake the CASA Quiz
Test your knowledge of the drone safety rules with CASA's official 11-question quiz.
Start quizReport Unsafe Flying
Seen someone breaking the rules? Report it to CASA to help keep Australian skies safe.
Report nowPenalties for Breaking the Rules
CASA can issue on-the-spot fines of up to $1,650 per offence. If the matter goes to court, fines of up to $16,500 can be imposed. Fly responsibly — it protects you, others, and the hobby we all enjoy.
Information sourced from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) — Australia's national aviation safety regulator. Rules current as of March 2026. Always check the official CASA website for the latest information.