Standard operating conditions

Can I fly here?

Set up a flight and see whether it stays inside CASA’s standard operating conditions (SOCs).

Side view, not to scale. A pilot on the left flies a drone. The drone's height is drawn against a dashed 400 foot line, and a 30 metre ring surrounds a bystander on the right. The sky shows a sun by day or a moon at night. The scene updates as you change the controls.

    Also check every flight

    • Prohibited areas: no entry. Restricted areas: only with the controlling authority’s permission.
    • Emergency operations (fires, police, rescues): keep clear unless the person in charge approves.

    Your flight

    0 400 ft 600 ft

    Limit: 400 ft (about 120 m), measured from the ground directly below the drone.

    0 30 m 100 m

    Measured sideways (laterally). People assisting with control or navigation don’t count. Never fly over people.

    Time of day
    Drone in visual line of sight?
    Near a controlled aerodrome? Within 5.5 km (3 NM)
    Drone weighs more than 250 g? Changes the rule near controlled aerodromes
    Over a populous area? E.g. beaches, events, busy streets
    Flying one drone at a time?

    Learning tool only. Before every flight, check a CASA-verified drone safety app.This checker covers the standard operating conditions only. Requirements depend on your operation: see casa.gov.au/drones.