Gippsland, luckily, has beautiful clear skies, plenty of satellites, and amazing locations from the beach through to mountains. Your chances of capturing that epic footage or flamboyant aerial image are very real here in Gippsland. If you plan on flying a drone in Gippsland there are some things you will need to know and luckily I have the experience in the area of Gippsland to give you all the best tips.
Whether you are a pro-flyer or someone who needs some open space for a test fly then Gippsland has all the best drone flying locations for you.
“Your home point has been updated, please check it on the map” If you’ve flown a DJI drone you would instantly recall hearing this phrase. It suggests your drone’s GPS has located enough satellites to know where it is in the world, and automatically where to return if the transmission is interrupted during flight, now all that’s required is a big sky and a charged battery.
The best time to fly a drone in Gippsland
The best time to fly a drone in Gippsland is the first hour around sunrise, and the last hour around sunset. For a photographer, this is a magical time when the abundance of colours are exaggerated by the low angle of the sun. It’s also generally when you’ll encounter lower numbers of the general public.
Where are some epic places to capture drone pictures in Gippsland?
Bright colours and fewer distractions sound like a win-win! Gippsland covers a huge area, from just east of Melbourne through to the sea at Mallacoota. With such a large region, you’d be absolutely correct in expecting a diverse and extensive range of subjects, including:
The picturesque Macalister Valley on the Heyfield-Licola Rd
Lakes Entrance, a major fishing port
Farmlands around Newry and Tinamba
Undulating hills surrounding Thorpdale
Vegetable farms in Lindenow
Miles and miles of beachfront
Mountains to the north with secluded valleys which seem to be endless
A myriad of remote areas covered with beautiful trees, these make lovely vertical images and include Mountain Ash and Silver tops, Eucalyptus varieties seem never-ending.
With such a large choice of locations, it may be overwhelming to choose just one. One of my favourite things to do is jump on google earth, choose a spot which looks interesting, and head in that direction. Sometimes you may not get to that exact location as areas of interest pop up along the way, that’s fine because remember, it’s not always about the destination.
It is the actual journey which is important, and most of the time the journey is the part we reflect on most.
Some frequently asked questions about flying a drone in Gippsland
There are so many people getting into flying a drone and I find myself asked the same questipons about drone flying in general. These are soe fo the more frequently asked questions and I ghope the help you enjoy your time flying a drone in Gippsland.
Which is the right drone for me?
Technology changes so rapidly, in the last 4 years I’ve owned over 10 drones.
You should really consider how often you will use your drone and what exactly you want to achieve by owning a drone.
What are the best drone settings to use?
As technical as these drones can be, remember it is just a flying camera and treat it as such. Answering the two above questions requires a personal conversation as it involves your budget and your desired output.
From the Phantom 3 Pro in 2014, through to the M600Pro in 2018 and M210 in 2019, there isn’t one drone which covers everything and the same can be said for camera settings.
Some top tips for drone flying in Gippsland
While I can’t answer all the questions on what drone to buy or what is the best for you, what I can do is give a couple of tips for those new to the game.
Tip one for drone flying in Gippsland
Focus on the actual drone, forget about taking pictures for the moment and become competent at flying.
In an open field, practice flying the drone, be familiar with taking off and landing and placing the drone in a variety of positions. The only way to become comfortable with this is to use those batteries and do it often. Setting goals for yourself such as “today I’m going to fly around that big old tree and back” is a great way of becoming comfortable with flying your drone.
“It is just a flying camera”
Tip two for flying a drone in Gippsland
The camera, like all cameras you can place it on auto and get pretty good results. If you’d like outstanding images you may like to become comfortable with the aperture, shutter speed, ISO & frames per second.
When you’re at ease knowing where the settings are and how to change them quickly, the advantage will be with you. This can be accomplished sitting at the kitchen table, day or night, without being governed by outside weather conditions or Aviation laws.
Are there drone laws?
Did you say Drone Laws? Although drones can be considered a toy, they are aircraft and we have a few CASA rules to conform to when flying your drone in Gippsland.
You must keep under 400 ft above the ground
You must not fly your drone over or near emergency operations
You must not fly your drone within 30 metres of people
Fly only one drone at a time.
You must keep your drone at least 5.5km away from controlled aerodromes.
You may fly within 5.5km of a non-controlled aerodrome or helicopter landing site (HLS) only if manned aircraft are not operating to or from the aerodrome. If you become aware of manned aircraft operating to or from the aerodrome/HLS, you must maneuver away from the aircraft and land as soon as safely possible.
You must only fly during the day and keep your drone within visual line-of-sight.
You must not fly over or above people.
You must not operate your drone in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, person, or property
You must not operate your drone in prohibited or restricted areas.
For more info contact CASA on 131 757
To assist with this you can download the CASA “Can I Fly There App” (CIFT), Free from the App Store and CASA website.
If you’d like outstanding drone images of Gippsland
Need inspiration or more info? Join an online drone group. There are many drone groups in Gippsland who will support your ideas and give much inspiration, drone photography and videography has a huge following.
Here you can chat with like-minded people, find out about great local places to visit and as important places to avoid.
Recommended FB groups are:
*DJI also has individual groups for each model they make.
Congratulations for choosing Gippsland as a location for aerial photography, if the green hills and slow-moving rivers don’t expel all your battery life, the vast paddocks dotted with round hay bales and vibrant seashores surely will. You’ll find Gippslanders as a group-friendly and approachable if there is a group of people near your chosen location.
I’ve found it very favourable walking over and introducing myself prior to launching the drone, it not only ensures the group I respect their privacy and serenity but at times has let me in on impressive, otherwise “secret” locations nearby. Happy Flying!
A huge thank you to our friend Shannon Shumski who wrote this article for us here at Travels in Gippsland from his extensive knowledge on flying a drone in Gippsland.
Shannon Shumski started his journey in aerial photography around 20 years ago, photographing from fixed wing aircraft and the occasional helicopter. Today Shannon operates www.SkyPhoto.Guru an image specialist company and is Co-owner of www.DroneSalesAustralia.com.au Shannon is excited to be one of the thousands who are pioneering our drone industry. Passion and Aviation, an exciting combination. All images within this article copyright Shannon Shumski.
We hope this article from us here at Travels in Gippsland has you inspired to visit Gippsland to fly your drone. For more amazing ideas on where to holiday in Gippsland click through to our Best of Gippsland for more drone inspiration.
Some more travel inspiration for your trip to Gippsland
About the Author
Mark has grown up and lived in the Gippsland area all his life. Being born and raised in Gippsland he knows a thing or 2 about this amazing region. When Mark is not working he is out exploring the best of Gippsland with his wife and kids
