Frequently Asked Questions

About Oakdale

The Central west NSW, But will travel further if the incentive is great!

Drone Spraying/Seeding, Crop health mapping and Drone mapping

Not anymore unfortunately, we are focusing on Aerial Application and Mapping

Not anymore unfortunately, we are focusing on Aerial Application and Mapping.

Yes and it starts 20km’s outside of Orange NSW, but its calculated on a case by case basis

Joel Gilbert owns and operates Oakdale UAV Solutions.

General Industry Questions

GPS guided drones are very easy to fly and require little training.

Civil liability and hull insurance, Plus Chemical liability if drone spraying

It varies from state to state but in NSW, a standard Chemcert certificate and an RPA Aerial Applicator license from EPA NSW.

“Recreational Pilots License” and it is a CASA License to legally fly Drones of certain sizes for reward.

“Recreational Operators Certificate” and is a CASA Certification to operate as a commercial Drone/UAV Business.

“Un-manned Aerial Vehicle” a technical name for a Drone.

It is a special CASA Qualification that is required when flying a drone with a MTOW over 25kg’s 

“Maximum Take Off Weight” meaning the total weight of the drone and how much it is designed to safely lift

101 kg’s and yes it requires a Weight type Endorsement to legally fly.

If the drone/UAV is registered with CASA it carrys the same legal weight as shooting down a Manned aircraft, and will likely land you in jail! (So don’t do that) 

“Real Time Kinematic” and is a GPS Technology 

Although Flupropanate is now available in Australia, it is still in short supply. Scarcity of the product has inflated the price which currently is around $100 per litre for “Tussock” and $500 for 15 kg’s of granlues.

“Above Ground Level” is an aviation term meaning the UAV’s flying height above the original takeoff or landing point

Drone Spraying

Absolutely!, if you have the appropriate licenses and certification in your state.

No, Some chemical labels specify “Do Not apply by aircraft” but most can be sprayed by drone and there are aerial application instructions.

Yes, for instance in QLD & VIC the governing body is the Dept of Fisheries & Game, NSW is EPA.

The area a spray drone can cover varies greatly depending on what is being treated, However  at an appliction rate of 40 litres per hectare in a open paddock my DJI T40 can spray up to 6 hectares per hour! 

My DJI T40  Spraying UAV has a 40 litre liquid payload capacity

Yes, Glyphosate is a important chemical in treating weeds due to its non selective mode of action, and it is safe to use with drone spraying

Yes, it is often the Chemical of choice for Woody Weeds and is very effective when used with a spraying drone.

Yes, there are many liquid fertilizers available and legal to spray by drone.

Yes, the practice of whitewashing greenhouses with paint is being performed with spraying drones.

Yes, the most efficient crops to spray with a drone is Horticultural crops.

Absolutely! Spraying drones are fast becoming the go to machine for effective spray treatments.

Yes! Trees and Bushes are effectively being sprayed with drones.

Yes, you can and we do with automated precision.

Woody weeds, bushes, Grasses, Trees and even Aquatic pests.

Delta T is used to determine ideal spraying conditions, A Delta T between 4 & 8 is considered optimal.

“Controlled Dosage Applicator” is a type of spray nozzle used on XAG Spraying Drones.

18 minutes unloaded, 9minutes fully loaded and 7 Minutes application time.

Between 7 and 11 metres depending on AGL and Spray droplet size.

It is the distance between each spray run.

Most labels specify from Medium to Ultra coarse, which is between 250 and 500 micron.

Between 2 and 4 metres above the canopy, depending on how dense or high the plant is. 

Most chemicals state the amount of toxicity to Bees. If this is the case Drone spraying can be done at night time when the bees are asleep.

Unlikely, Because Drones currently don’t have the capacity to cover as much area as a Helicopter or Airplane. Although Drones are often used to compliment the two.

Spray Drift is often caused by strong wind which results in off target chemical application.

Is caused by spraying chemical in extreme heat. It results in evaporation causing vapour which drifts to off target areas.

Drone Seeding

Absolutely!, Granule or Grain Products from 0.5 to 5 millimetres in size.

Up to 50 kilograms of solid product per load

9 minutes loaded, 7 minutes application time.

Yes, they are normally Inoculated (Treated) to deter insects or rodents and to improve germination.

Between  7 metres depending on the product and AGL.

Between 3 and 10 metres AGL Depending on the density required and the weight of the product.

Yes, thats an excellent use for the  T40’s Spreader attachment.

Yes, and we do for Slugs/Snails, Crickets and Mice.

Crop Mapping

“Normalized Difference Vegitation Index” and is used to help determine crop health at early stage.

“Normalized Difference Red Edge” is used to determine Crop health at later stages.

“Near Infra Red” is used to determine reflectance of individual plants.

Between 40 & 90 AGL , Depending on the crop type.

DJI’s “Terra “agriculture

The Mavic 3 Multispectral  Drone

Land Mapping

Up to 160 Hectares, depending on AGL

Very! I often use the Mavic 3 Multispectral drone with RTK for flight planning  with my T40 Spray drone which requires centermetre accuracy.

DJI’s “Terra”

Between 50 & 120 metres AGL, depending on the detail required.

Anything Else ? Contact us to find out more!