One year of OpenSky - empowering Australian drone flyers to safely access the sky

It’s been one year since Wing launched its OpenSky app in Australia, our contribution to an unmanned traffic management ecosystem that will enable everyone to safely access the sky.

The OpenSky app was the first drone safety app verified by the Australian aviation safety regulator CASA, through CASA’s new digital drone platform. It helps drone operators to easily identify where they can and cannot fly across Australia -- whether they are recreational drone flyers operating a single drone, or commercial operators managing an entire fleet.

In the past year, OpenSky has supported recreational and commercial drone flyers across Australia; enabling them to take flight with greater confidence. We love hearing their stories.

Recreational drone enthusiasts have used OpenSky to capture panoramic sunsets and landscapes, commercial operators have used the app to enhance their film and television work, and CASA-certified commercial drone pilots have used the app to survey and inspect agricultural and infrastructure projects.

Recreational drone flyer and youth educator Breanna Landwehr uses OpenSky to deliver educational workshops to students. Aimed at inspiring career pathways in the technology sector, Breanna runs drone flight demonstrations as part of the program. While out in the field with students, Breanna provides them with a hands-on opportunity to experience how a drone pilot would run through their pre-flight safety checklist.

“OpenSky is one of the first steps we use in teaching how to fly a drone. The school is next to a regional airport and an airforce base so we have a set of tablets and each student goes through the OpenSky checklist before we get started and they practice like they are the PIC (pilot in command).”- Breanna Landwehr

Award-winning geospatial mapping pilot and commercially-licenced drone operator Amy Steiger uses OpenSky to support work with her clients’ complex infrastructure and agricultural land projects. Amy and her team use OpenSky while scoping the requirements of a new project, to determine if they can conduct flight missions using a fleet of advanced-mapping aircraft.

“The first thing we do before accepting a job is to check OpenSky to see if using drones is an option or if we need extra approvals from CASA. The main things I look for on the checklist are restricted airspace, controlled airports, helipads with instrument approach and danger areas.”- Amy Steiger

We’re thankful for the community of drone flyers who use OpenSky, contribute their feedback, and share their stories with us, and we’d love to hear more. We’re encouraging drone flyers using the OpenSky app to plan their flights, to use #MyOpenSky and share their story.

Australian users can download the OpenSky app on Google Play or the App Store, or access the web version on desktop. For more information visit wing.com/opensky.