Pilots face drone test

AUSTRALIAN drone pilots will be forced to pass a quiz before taking to the skies under a new initiative to be launched by the world’s largest drone maker tomorrow.

The mandatory exam, created by DJI in conjunction with Australia’s Civil Aviation and Safety Authority, will appear in the app used to fly its drones and follows a risky year for Australian drone users, in which 32 were issued fines and “hundreds” received written safety notices for flying the devices in a dangerous manner.

DJI Asia Pacific public policy head Adam Welsh said the company launched the exam to ensure users knew how to legally fly drones in Australia and that they did not give the technology a bad reputation.

“The majority of our users are flying in a safe and responsible manner, but this is just to make sure everyone understands the rules,” he said.

Pilots will need to correctly answer all nine questions in the DJI Go or Go 4 app. Australia will be the third country to receive the quiz, after the firm launched similar tests in the US and UK last year.