In April 2015 the Photographic Section became the first forensic police facility in Australia to utilise a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) to capture aerial photographs and videos at major crime scenes.
Since then, the demand for RPA usage has grown substantially from 29 forensic jobs completed in 2015 to 54 in 2017.
Operations began with one pilot and currently a total of six have been trained.
Pilots must obtain a Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) which is issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
RePL flying courses can be quite in depth, with a number of theory exams covering topics such as basic aeronautical knowledge, navigation and meteorology, air legislation and human factors.
Pilots must also gain aviation radio qualifications in order to make the correct radio transmissions to other aircraft’s operating in the area. Transmissions must be accurate, precise and short.
The Photographic Section operates four multirotor RPAs, chosen specifically for their vertical takeoff and landing
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