General
Robert Irwin’s stunning photo was legal, but regulator warns copycats could end up in jail
Robert Irwin’s stunning drone image of a far-north Queensland bushfire won a prestigious photography award this week, sparking a discussion of whether it was legally taken.
Key points:
- Robert Irwin’s drone photo of a Queensland bushfire won a major award this week
- It is illegal to pilot drones over active emergency areas, which includes bushfires
- The particular fire photographed by Robert was not declared an emergency area
A spokeswoman for Australia Zoo said a discussion with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) confirmed he broke no laws when taking the photo early last year.
But the aviation regulator has warned anyone trying to snap a similar photo could land themselves in prison for up to two years.
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