Tag: Australia drone regulation

Aviation Hall of Fame - Jackie Dujmovic

Jackie Dujmovic, Inducted into the Women in Emerging Aviation Hall of Fame

We’re thrilled to share that Jackie Dujmovic, CEO of Hover UAV, will be among the 11 distinguished women joining the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame. This honour will be formally bestowed upon her during the 7th Annual Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Awards, slated to be held at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., come October 25th. Those in attendance can anticipate mingling with these esteemed Hall of Fame entrants.

Women and Drones have continually celebrated women paving the way in the aviation sphere, their innovations and visions promising a future rich in technological and scientific leaps.

Recently, Women and Drones unveiled this year’s list of luminaries to be inducted into the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Hall of Fame. These inductees, an embodiment of experience and expertise, hail from diverse backgrounds within the Uncrewed Aerial Systems and Advanced Air Mobility sectors. Sabrewing Aircraft Company champions this cause by sponsoring the awards. As per Ed De Reyes, Sabrewing’s CEO, they’re keen on celebrating the women driving growth, innovation, and creativity in aviation.

Previous Hall of Fame inductees and this year’s ceremony hosts include Miriam McNabb, the editor of DRONELIFE.com, and Marilyn Pearson, CAE’s Global Regulatory Affairs Lead for AAM/eVTOL/UAS. Pearson highlights the game-changing technologies transforming aviation, akin to the jet engine’s introduction. McNabb eagerly awaits the induction of these trailblazers in Washington DC, lauding their mark on the drone industry.

From the impressive nominations received from around the world, a panel of judges has chosen these eleven outstanding women as 2023 Hall of Fame inductees:

Loretta Alkalay – Aviation attorney and Adjunct Professor at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology. Alkalay holds an FAA remote pilot certificate with a sUAS rating and also serves as a regulatory consultant, specializing in issues related to compliance with federal aviation regulations including drone rules.

Barbara Bollard – Professor Bollard of Australia is a leader in the field of drone remote sensing, renowned for her pioneering research in both Antarctica and extreme desert environments. Her groundbreaking achievements have significantly advanced the capabilities of drone technology, transforming data collection and analysis in these challenging terrains.

Jackie Dujmovic – Founder and CEO of Hover UAV in Australia. As a commercial UAS Pilot and accomplished Chief Remote Pilot, Dujmovic’s expertise is establishing robust communication and procedural frameworks with regulators across local, national, and international spheres. Her ultimate mission is the seamless integration of drone systems into everyday life, commitments to safety, compliance, and navigating intricate operational approvals.

Desiree Ekstein – Founder of On The Go Video and accomplished figure in the UAS industry. Ekstein is dedicated to promoting safety and education as a Lead FAASTeam Representative and AUVSI TOP Level 3 pilot. She is also involved in the “Girls Take Flight” initiative which encourages young women to explore careers in the science and technology fields.

Laurie Grindle – Deputy Center Director, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. Grindle assists in the management of the NASA field centre, focusing on strategy, business processes, and institutional management. She has also served in leadership roles overseeing Unmanned Air Vehicles and the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew vehicle abort test booster.

Sonet Kock – Director of Drone Policy & Regulatory Development. Sonet is the Founder and Managing Director of AviComply (Pty) Ltd, a leading South African consulting firm specializing in Aviation Compliance Solutions. She is known for her expertise and extensive experience in Aviation Regulatory Compliance and has dedicated her efforts to ensuring quality and safety assurance for both crewed and uncrewed flight operations.

Mercy Makau – President and Founder of the Young Aviator Club of Africa as well as Chairperson of Drone Club Kenya. Makau is considered a passionate change maker, deeply committed to empowering youth and promoting gender equity in Africa’s aviation and aerospace industry.

Jenn Player – Senior Director of Global Aviation Regulatory Affairs at Skydio. Jenn collaborates with customers, regulators, and standards development organizations to advance autonomy and unlock safe and effective docked drone operations. Jenn’s early work to integrate drones into the National Airspace System led to the first long-range BVLOS civil flight in the continental United States.

Dr Debbie Saunders – Founder, CEO and Chief Remote Pilot of Wildlife Drones. The Australian company is transforming biodiversity conservation by developing innovative technological solutions, including the world’s most advanced drone-based radio-telemetry sensor that empowers endangered and invasive species managers globally to simultaneously track the movements of many animals from a drone in real time.

Annalisa Russell-Smith – Chief Strategy Officer, Flyby Technology. The company flew the COVID virus between laboratories and chemotherapy to isolated communities and Russell-Smith was the first civilian female in the United Kingdom to become a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) pilot.

Abigail Smith – Executive Director (A), of the FAA’s UAS Security Office, which serves as the focal point for all matters related to drone and air mobility (AAM) security in U.S. airspace. Within this role, Smith leads the FAA’s efforts to safely integrate detection and mitigation systems for drones and AAM operations into the National Airspace System.

About the Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Awards: Initiated in 2017, Women and Drones has been shining a spotlight on those reshaping the UAS/AAM industry. Every year, a global hunt singles out women and entities bringing innovation, enhancing the UAS/AAM industry’s reputation, fostering inclusivity in STEM and aviation, and propelling the industry closer to equal gender representation.

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Australian Aviation Support Business of the Year - Hover UAV

Hover UAV Clinches 2023 Aviation Support Business of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards

A Milestone Event in the Aviation Industry

The Australian Aviation Awards, the cornerstone event for the aviation sector in Australia, has just concluded its 2023 ceremony, and what a phenomenal experience it was! Held in August, the black-tie gala was nothing short of spectacular, featuring aviation luminaries, industry thought leaders and professionals who have devoted their careers to the advancement of aviation in Australia. Among the list of prestigious accolades, one award stood out for its testament to dedication, innovation, and service excellence: the Aviation Support Business of the Year. The winner? Hover UAV.

Celebrating Excellence in Support and Innovation

Hover UAV has proven itself to be more than just a company; it is a vanguard in the ever-evolving landscape of Australian aviation. Their work in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has not only set new standards in terms of efficiency and safety but also pushed the boundaries of technological innovation in the sector.

The Aviation Support Business of the Year award celebrates companies that have shown exemplary service, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to elevate the aviation sector. With this award, Hover UAV has achieved a milestone that symbolises industry-wide recognition of its efforts to create safer and more efficient airspace.

A Platform for Connection and Visibility

The Australian Aviation Awards aims to foster greater connectivity within the aviation industry, offering a platform for professionals and businesses to showcase their accomplishments. Open to all, irrespective of location or specialisation, the awards are quickly becoming the universal benchmark for excellence in Australian aviation.

Hover UAV’s victory in this esteemed category, therefore, is a monumental achievement. Not just an endorsement by a panel of industry experts, this win signifies a nod from the entire aviation community, recognising the critical role that support services like Hover UAV play in enriching the aviation ecosystem.

A Bright Future

This national awards program encourages businesses like Hover UAV to continually strive for excellence, propelling the Australian aviation industry into the global spotlight.

Hover UAV’s accolade is an indicator of the company’s promising trajectory and its potential to bring groundbreaking changes to how we perceive and interact with our skies. If the Australian Aviation Awards are a barometer for the future of aviation in the country, then the winds are surely blowing in the direction of unprecedented innovation and global prominence.


For more updates on the Australian Aviation Awards and insights into the aviation industry, https://australianaviation.com.au/australian-aviation-awards/winners/2023-winners-and-finalists.

BVLOS Regulatory Processes

BVLOS Regulatory Processes

In this interview, it is discussed the intricacies and challenges in optimising regulatory processes for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations. Jackie Dujmovic, CEO of Hover UAV calls attention to the necessity for clear and direct regulations, to simplify the approval process. They underscore the need to comprehend the concept of operations and devise suitable technical solutions accordingly. Jackie refers to progressive solutions such as parachutes, redundant systems, and software programming to reduce operational risks. She advocates for cooperation, seeking support, and educating regulators as vital tactics in managing the regulatory landscape. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the future impact of regulatory processes in maximising the potential of BVLOS operations and the importance of implementing standard scenarios to expedite the process.

Discussion:- Jackie Dujmovic, Hover UAV & Jason San Souci of FlytBase
Profly Cinema

Introducing Profly Cinema

We’re absolutely thrilled at Hover UAV to introduce one of our clients, Profly Cinema! The team at Profly Cinema, fuelled by their relentless creativity and passion, have been collaborating closely with our team, leading to an extraordinary achievement – securing close proximity approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority!

Profly Cinema was founded by two world-class drone racing pilots Ben Mortensen and Rudi Browning. Ben and Rudi are highly skilled pilots having won FAI World Championship titles in 2018 and travelled extensively around the world racing drones at the highest competitive levels. When Covid put an end to international travel and racing, they transitioned their dynamic piloting skills to the film industry.

Profly Cinema

For over twelve months we have been consulting with Profly Cinema to develop their manuals and procedures which has led to a number of CASA approvals that allow them to legally fly their drones with First Person View (FPV), conduct extended visual line (EVLOS) of site operations, fly at night, and in close proximity to talent.

Chief remote pilot Ben Mortensen said “Our piloting skills and film experience have rapidly earned us a reputation in the industry as the ‘go-to pilots’ for specialised drone operations. With our CASA approvals, we can legally conduct drone operations in a safe and controlled environment for our clients and capture unique, creative, and engaging shots. We’ve invested heavily in our systems, procedures, and the latest drone technology.” Profly Cinema offers a comprehensive range of drone services, featuring state-of-the-art platforms such as the Inspire 3 with RTK, Cinema FPV, Gimbal FPV, GoPro FPV, and Close Proximity Drones.

Showreel Shot by Profly Cinema Pilots

Ben said “Given the complex legislative requirements regarding RPAS operations in Australia, it’s been great to have the support of the team at Hover UAV. Their legislative knowledge of the industry is second to none. As we are rapidly expanding they have also helped us with some workload by handling CASA applications and negotiations on our behalf.”

Rudi Browning explained “We identified a gap in the Australian market” and “It was a natural progression for us to go from drone racing to film. Racing allowed us to develop the skills to fly and perform under pressure. We can now transform that skill and deliver creative content for the film industry.” When asking Rudi what it’s like working in the film and TV industry, Rudi said “It’s so much fun. We get to travel to amazing locations and work with amazing people.” Rudi also says “It comes with incredibly long hours and can be stressful. Sometimes you only have one chance to get the shot, so you need to be on your game. Plus, flying a drone through the air with a $50K camera on board is not for everyone, so you need to be confident with what you do and have the equipment and skills to match.” 

Rudi and Ben also spend their time educating school students about drone safety, highlighting and promoting CASA’s Know Your Drone Campaign. “We love to share our story about what it’s like being a professional drone pilot and how we’ve turned our passion into a career,” Ben and Rudi said. “Kids see some of the stuff we do and the cool shots we get with a drone, but it’s important for the general public to understand we have special approvals and procedures in place to do what we do and it’s done in a controlled environment. It’s important that drone pilots understand they need to remain 30 meters from people, and that’s why we like to help educate future upcoming drone pilots.”

Profly Cinema

Hover UAV are proud to work with the team at Profly Cinema and help them achieve their goals and we look forward to seeing some more of their work on the big screen. They are in a unique position within the film industry by having truly world-class pilots headlining the company’s operations.

You can check out their work at www.proflycinema.com

BVLOS Operations

BVLOS Operations in the Next Decade

This podcast held during the 2023 NestGen Flytbase event “BVLOS Operations in the Next Decade: What to Expect in 2033” features a thought leadership discussion with top CXOs in the drone industry. Hover UAVs Jackie Dujmovic was fortunate to be on this esteemed panel giving her leadership thoughts. The topic of discussion was the outlook on drone autonomy in the future. The panel discussed the challenges and opportunities that drone autonomy will bring and the potential impact on various industries. They also discussed the importance of safety and regulation in enabling the widespread use of autonomous drones, as well as the need for continued innovation in drone technology. Overall, the panelists predict a significant increase in the use of autonomous drones in the next decade, particularly in industries such as agriculture, transportation, and logistics.

For more information on BVLOS operations, approvals, or training please do not hesitate to gain contact Hover UAV for more information.

BVLOS Operations in the Next Decade. What to expect in 2033
BVLOS Training

BVLOS Training

BVLOS training – The drone industry views operating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) as the next frontier but obtaining the necessary BVLOS rating has been a challenge due to the complexity of the current licensing requirements. However, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) in Australia has introduced an alternative way of obtaining the BVLOS rating through a CASA-approved OCTA BVLOS examination, which has eliminated the barriers and complexity of the previous Instrument Rating Examination (IREX) requirement.

To help operators and organisations prepare for this new requirement, Hover UAV, a well-known drone consultancy, has launched a nationwide training program for the BVLOS Rating exam. The course covers a wide range of topics, including general BVLOS knowledge, aeronautical knowledge, meteorology, airspace classification, human factors, navigation systems, communications, and examination practice, which has been tailored to provide operators with the knowledge and skills needed to pass CASA’s OCTA BVLOS examination and as such operate safely and efficiently during BVLOS operations.

Hover UAV’s new training program is an excellent opportunity for operators and organisations looking to transition to BVLOS operations. With Hover UAV’s expertise in conducting BVLOS operations in applications such as drone delivery, operating from a remote operations center (ROC), and conducting long-range surveillance, the company is well-positioned to offer high-quality training and ensure a smooth and safe transition to BVLOS operations. The program is open to all operators across Australia, and Hover UAV is committed to providing nationwide training.

BVLOS Training
Hover UAV – BVLOS Operations

If you’re interested in Hover UAV’s BVLOS Rating exam training program, you can visit their website to learn more and sign up for the next available training session. With the drone industry evolving rapidly, this training program is an excellent way to stay ahead of the curve and become a successful and safe BVLOS operator.

For more information please do not hesitate to reach out to Hover UAV for more information.

Streamlining Regulatory Approvals for BVLOS Operations

Streamlining Regulatory Approval For BVLOS

Streamlining Regulatory Approvals

The podcast featuring Jackie Dujmovic is about streamlining regulatory approval processes for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically in relation to controlling drones Beyond the Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS).

Jackie Dujmovic is the CEO and Founder of Hover UAV, an Australian-based company specialising in drone services and consulting. In the podcast, she discusses the challenges of working with regulators to establish processes and regulations that enable BVLOS operations, as well as the checklist for safe BVLOS operations. Additionally, Jackie talks about unmanned systems at Australia’s Avalon Airshow and her experience working with regulators from other jurisdictions.

The podcast is sponsored by Drone Source, an Elsight production. Elsight’s Halo is an AI-powered connectivity platform for unmanned vehicles, providing a reliable and constant connection between drones and ground control stations, even in areas with little reception.

Jackie Dujmovic – Streamlining Regulatory Approval For BVLOS
Grounded - Jackie Dujmovic

‘Grounded’ Special Edition 3 | Jackie Dujmovic

(15 mins)Grounded with Angela Stevenson

In this Special Edition of Grounded, Angela Stevenson chats with Jackie Dujmovic of Hover UAV – a drone industry consultancy service – about the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry. Jackie gives her thoughts on what the industry looked like before the pandemic, what it’s looking like now, the use of AI in drones used for social-distancing measures, and how drone usage might change as a result.

This is a podcast for all Drone Industry or General Aviation participants Australia-wide, from Charter Operators, Flight Schools, Flight Instructors, Airshow Organisers, Maintenance Facility Operators, Airport Managers, and Associations to recreational flight enthusiasts and light aircraft enthusiasts.

It is intended to be informative, inquisitive and to create a dialogue between the many and varied entities that make up the entire GA industry.

Grounded - Jackie Dujmovic
Grounded – Jackie Dujmovic
Australian Drone Regulations -Dawn of Drones - Jackie Dujmovic

Australian Drone Regulations | Drones at Dawn | | Jackie Dujmovic Hover UAV

Take a deep dive in this webinar into the Australian Drone Regulations and what is required to operate RPAS systems in Australia with a comprehensive look at the regulatory framework including classes of operation and ultimately what is required to operate BVLOS along with the standard scenarios that have recently been developed to make the process easier to be achieved. Australian Drone Regulations are in many ways progressive and as such are enticing companies to Australia for testing or implementing world-first RPAS operations with the mindset that if they can have their operations approved in Australia they can have them approved anywhere in the world. This coupled with features such as vast unpopulated geographic areas allows for testing that may not be able to be achieved in other more densely populated nations.

Another exciting recent release is the Civil Aviation Safety Authorities (CASAs) strategic regulatory roadmap. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategic Regulatory Roadmap outlines the CASA’s approach to RPAS and AAM regulations over the next 10 to 15 years. It sets out the long-term plan for safely integrating these technologies into Australia’s airspace and future regulatory system, alongside traditional aviation. The evolution of the roadmap will continue to keep pace with new technologies and innovations to support the future of this rapidly growing industry. The release of this strategic regulatory roadmap shows that governments in Australia across all levels firmly have their eyes fixed on new and evolving aviation technologies now and more importantly long-term.

Drones at Dawn – Jackie Dujmovic

Jackie Dujmovic is the founder and CEO of Hover UAV an internationally recognised drone consultancy and system management company. Jackie and her team have been involved in many groundbreaking drone programs including conducting flight operations for the Google Wing Drone Delivery program, Implementing many first BVLOS flight approvals, Conducting the first NSW shark surveillance flights, implementing and overseeing the largest volunteer rollout of drone operations in Australia and invented life-saving UAV shark alarm technology. Jackie knows flight regulations and procedures like nobody’s business and is an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to create a world-leading drone operation. When her head isn’t in the clouds, it’s on the ground getting things moving (and making sure her kids get to school on time). A WeRobotics, AAUS and Safeskies Australia board member, NSW Govt Business Woman of the Year Finalist, Optus Business Woman of the Year Finalist and Unmanned Aerial System Industry Honouree.

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