+ How long does the battery last?

Typically each flight varies between 8 and 12 minutes, depending on the carrying load, weather conditions and the terrain that the drone is covering. Our drones fly with two lithium batteries to take off with the maximum load, with the ability to take off with a singular battery at half capacity. At DART, we have 8 batteries for our P-100 drone and a large 20Kva generator to ensure that we can rotate through batteries as the day progresses, maximising efficiency for our clients.

+ What licensing is required to operate the drones?

Our drones pilots, Adam and Tom, both hold the appropriate licenses and accreditation to fly drones up to 125kg. Tom is an experienced commercial pilot, who has over 10 years of aviation experience. Therefore, his journey to gain certification as a remote pilot was a simple process and many of the requirements had already been ticked off.

Adam alternatively, recently completed all the modules and training for certification. Being a timely and costly experience, most do not understand how much of a rigorous process remote pilots must go through to ensure safety and best practice.

Please see a full breakdown of our credentials on our 'Why Us' page.

+ How many hectares can you cover?

The area that we can cover each hour and day is dependent on the specific nature of each task. Factors such as wind conditions, terrain, spray application rates and physical obstacles all come into consideration on how much area we can cover.

On flat terrain and a low application rate, we can cover 100 - 150ha in a day, however in steep terrain, 15 - 20ha is achievable. Please get in touch with us, to discuss the specific nature of your task and we would be happy to answer any questions and provide you with a quote free of charge.

+ What costs are associated with using DART?

The costs incurred at DART are an hourly fee for our contracting service, along with a small hectare rate for each task. We will bring up to 600L of water for the task, each day. Depending on the location of the job, a per kilometre travel cost will be charged from our Adelaide location. We strongly believe that our rates are very competitive compared to conventional methods of liquid or granular application.

+ Why should I use drones on my property?

We believe that every property has a use for drones. For starters, they are extremely precise and use less water and chemicals than traditional farming machinery. Drones naturally keep paddocks quite clean due to their aerial nature, leaving no tracks or compaction on the ground.

Drones reduce carbon footprint as they don't require fuel in the aircraft, making it a 'greener' and more sustainable option. Other benefits include maximal land usage and all-seasoned flying.

+ Why do I need a contractor? Can't I just do it myself?

There are a number of reasons why using a contractor for the job is the logical solution. Not only do drones take a number of hours experience to pilot, but they are also a significant investment. Purchasing one for personal use is of little value as it may only get used a handful of times per year, making it an unfeasible investment.

Instead, using contractor such as DART to come on-property will save the capital investment and ensure that you are provided with the highest quality service. Prior to all jobs, we will work through and agree on optimal application rates and chemicals to use.