Australia

Australia’s drama-charged National Rugby League (NRL) cannot seem to catch a break. With Sydney’s latest COVID-19 outbreak spiraling, hundreds of NRL players and their families have been forced to relocate to Queensland mid-season. But since then, there have been multiple reports of COVID-19 bubble breaches, which have put the game’s future at risk. The latest scandalous development comes in the form of drones being deployed as creepy, electronic Peeping Toms to keep the players and their families in check.

It’s quite rare to spot a critically endangered southern right whale in southeastern Australia. Rarer still is to find the mammal swimming next to you in a lake. But that’s exactly what happed to visitors at Lake Wallis in New South Wales (NSW) on Tuesday morning.

The Australian state of Queensland has said it’s again turning to drones to ensure the safety of its beaches. But in addition to its use of craft to identify and rescue swimmers in danger of drowning, Queensland is also deploying them to protect sharks that may happen to be passing through.

There are almost countless options for aspiring and expert drone pilots to get maximum enjoyment and video footage from of their excursions in the skies. The choice is far more limited for people who prefer getting away from it all beneath the waves. Automated marine drone iBubble is one of those – assuring optimal film documentation for all kinds of undersea divers.

Personal flight is a fascinating concept. It has dominated comic books and pop culture for decades. And to replicate that flying feeling, people across the world have resorted to everything from skydiving and paragliding to, more recently, wingsuiting. Now, the spotlight is on jetpacks and manned drones, like CopterPack.

Drones have captured rare footage of migrating humpback whales off Australia, including unprecedented shots of them “bubble-net feeding” so far north.

If you’re unfamiliar with hoons, burnouts, or gender reveal parties, then watch this video to see all of them at once, capped by a fiery blast at the end. A drone captures a strange Australian ritual gone explosively wrong.

Google’s drone delivery cousin, Wing Aviation, says it will soon begin flying quieter drones on some of its routes in Australia. The step was presumably inspired by continuing grumbling among residents around Canberra about the high-pitched whirring of passing craft.

Australia believes it’s in a unique position to grasp the benefits of drones with both hands, bolster the country’s economy with digital aviation technologies, and leverage advanced air mobility (AAM) to support service delivery. And so its government has decided to invest $28 million to establish the Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships program.

Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has partnered with Northern Territory Airports to install drone safety signage. The signs come as no surprise as the Alice Springs airport, located in the Northern Territory, saw an increase in drone activity during the pandemic.

The Australian Navy could soon be using helicopter drones to keep an eye on things, as it furthered Project Sea 129 earlier this week. The Australian Navy has shortlisted companies into the next round, with Northrop Grumman and Leonardo Australia being chosen.

A man’s quick thinking was captured by a drone earlier this week after a shipping container floating down the river was headed toward some houseboats. The unknown man managed to get out ahead of the houseboats with his much smaller one and ram it, taking it off its collision course.

Drone footage has captured Australia’s east coast floods‘ full extent, with houses submerged and parts of cities no longer accessible. The flooding has already resulted in over 18,000 people evacuating from their homes, with 30 locations regarded as natural disaster areas in New South Wales.

Australian-listed Comet Resources has turned to drones to find high-grade copper at its Barraba Copper Project in northern New South Wales, Australia. Comet Resources has tasked drone service Airborne Geo Exploration (AirGeoX) with the job.

Boeing’s Loyal Wingman drone has taken to the sky for the first time after years of work, making it the first Aussie aircraft built in half a century. The test flight was done above the Woomera Range Complex in South Australia.

A trial funded by iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre will look into the feasibility of flying COVID-19 vaccines to living in remote Australia. The test is expected to occur in the Northern Territory and see the drones fly up to 250 km (155 m).

Surf Life Saving New South Wales (NSW) has sent its drones back up across Sydney’s popular beaches and parks to ensure COVID-19 rules are followed. The drones were first used back in November to prepare for the increase in activity around the festive season.

A surfer at Australia’s famous Bondi Beach dipped into the water with a shark swimming right under him earlier this week. Drone photographer Toby Nicol was there to watch it all unfold through the view of his drone.

Surfing WA is expected to receive $119,000 to make events safer and improve surfer rescue skills. This also includes new drones used to monitor the surfers during their heats and keep an eye out for any sharks near the event.

In Victoria, Australia, firefighters have welcomed a new aviation drone unit that will support fire fighting efforts on the ground. The newly announced unit will use DJI drones to improve situational awareness and search and rescue efforts.

A DJI Inspire 2 drone being used on a commercial photography job has crashed into a high-rise in Sydney, injuring an occupant. The drone pilot reportedly lost control of the drone after sending it up approximately 10 meters (32 feet).