Congratulations to five Kowanyama Land & Sea Rangers who are now licensed as Remote Pilots for UAVs, better known as drones! Fitzroy Lawrence, Ronderson Tommy, Anzac Frank, Brayden Collins, and Larry Matthew aced their final exam on Sunday and received a big congratulations from FPVAustralia General Manager, Jason Wuttke.
Jason said the fellas were pretty impressive both in the classroom and out in the field. “Two of these men had never flown before, and the others had never received proper training. The classroom work required a lot of concentration, but they stuck with it. Out in the field, it was pretty nerve-wracking for them to take control of the drones, but after that first day they got their eye in. I’m really inspired to see how well they have done this week.”
Many people have flown or watched a drone and it looks like fun. Flying for work is a different story. It requires much more precision and a lot of procedures to make sure the operation is safe and legal. Drone pilots are required to learn many of the same rules that airplane pilots have to learn. Plus they have to obey all rules about privacy, staying away from people, and always having a flight plan. Council is developing a policy on drone usage for all Council employees to ensure the equipment is used properly and for community benefit.
The drones and training were funded through the Commonwealth’s TopWatch and Ghost Nets (Marine Debris) programs. The Ghost Nets dynamic duo of Dale Morris and Cameron Ferguson attended, along with the TopWatch Biosecurity Engagement heroes Gayai Uiduldam and Chenoa Ryan. Their support was really helpful. Dale ran all the Rangers through a simulation of how the new AI-enhanced marine debris survey process will run once we have the drone fully commissioned.
Flying a drone safely requires a high level of skill and concentration. Fitzroy and Ronderson both had plenty of informal experience which meant they could help the rest of the team get up to speed with flying the drones. The Rangers made three trips out to Kokoberra Swamp to practice their manoeuvres. Ranger Anzac observed: “We really had to keep an eye out for those kites and sea eagles. They were very interested in the drone. I had no idea they would be so interested, but I guess anything in the sky looks like maybe dinner for them. So Jason helped us learn special ways to move the drone and make the birds lose interest.”
Despite the challenges with avoiding hungry birds of prey, Ranger Brayden said: “These drones can be really useful to our Ranger program. We can do beach surveys to look for Ghost Nets, turtle tracks and illegal fishing. I’m stoked about getting a proper licence.”
Jason showed that not only is he an ace pilot, he’s pretty good at locating Magpie Goose eggs too. In just a few short minutes he showed the Rangers how to use the Infrared camera capabilities of the drone to locate heat signatures. The cameras on the drone are amazing. Even a few eggs in a nest in the grass were clearly visible, once you knew what to look for.
Jason was pretty impressed with the traditional knowledge of the Rangers. “I’m happy to show these fellas how to use a drone to survey wildlife and ferals, but these guys already know so much about their land. I want to come back soon and ask them how to read the country with just my eyes and ears!”
After 6 long days, the training was complete. Not all the Rangers were able to complete the course, but we are expecting to run another session next year if funding can be secured. For now, we have some happy new pilots. Ranger Larry said: “This is the first time I ever touched a drone. When I first started trying to fly, I was covered in sweat: too nervous! Now I can fly pretty good. I’m excited to take pictures of all our patrols and survey areas now. You can call me TopGun Larry!”