2.1 CASR Part 101 and the Manual of Standards

The Regulatory Hierarchy for Australian RPA Operations

Australia regulates remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — the term CASA uses instead of "drones" or "UAVs" — through a layered hierarchy of regulation, technical standards, and guidance. Understanding which instrument does what is foundational for the RePL exam because almost every operating rule traces back to one of three documents: the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR) Part 101, the Part 101 Manual of Standards (MOS), and Advisory Circular AC 101-01.

CASR Part 101 — Unmanned aircraft and rockets is the regulation. It is made under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 and has the force of law. Part 101 sets out the binding legal obligations for operating unmanned aircraft, including pilot licensing (the Remote Pilot Licence — RePL), aircraft registration, operating limits (Standard Operating Conditions, height, VLOS), and the approvals framework for operations that fall outside the standard rules (BVLOS, above 400 ft, night, multi-RPA). When Part 101 says "a person must not...", that is a criminal offence provision with penalties attached.

The Part 101 MOS — formally the Part 101 (Unmanned Aircraft) Manual of Standards Instrument 2019 (as amended) — sits beneath Part 101 and contains the technical standards that give effect to the regulation. The MOS spells out the granular requirements Part 101 refers to: the knowledge and practical syllabus for the RePL, the operating procedures, equipment standards, and the competency requirements for remote pilots. If Part 101 is the what, the MOS is the how. A breach of an applicable MOS standard is taken to be a breach of the underlying Part 101 regulation.

Advisory Circular AC 101-01 — Remotely piloted aircraft systems – licensing and operations (current version v6.1, April 2026) — is guidance, not law. It explains how CASA interprets and applies Part 101 and the MOS, gives worked examples, and consolidates acceptable means of compliance. AC 101-01 is the single most useful study document for the RePL exam because it reorganises the regulatory material into a readable narrative with diagrams. But it cannot override Part 101 or the MOS — where guidance and regulation conflict, the regulation wins.

A useful exam mental model is the priority order: Civil Aviation Act 1988 → CASR Part 101 (regulation) → Part 101 MOS (technical standards) → AC 101-01 (guidance). A lower tier can never contradict a higher tier. Part 101 is itself structured into subparts and subregulations, and exam questions often cite the number, so learn the main ones:

Note that registration lives in CASR Part 47, not Part 101 — a classic exam trap. Part 101 works alongside the broader Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (CAR 1988) and the rest of CASR, but for RPA operating questions Part 101 is almost always the answer.

Where the RePL Sits

The Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) is the minimum qualification to operate an RPA commercially in Australia for aircraft above 2 kg (and for any operation outside the excluded categories). CASR 101.295 governs the RPA categories and types a licence covers, and CASR 101.300 sets the conditions that attach to the licence. The RePL by itself authorises operations within the Standard Operating Conditions (SOC). To fly outside the SOC — for example BVLOS, above 400 ft, at night, within 3 NM of a controlled aerodrome, or over a populous area — you generally need an additional approval, and most of those approvals require the operator to hold a Remote Operator's Certificate (ReOC) issued under Subpart 101.F (see CASR 101.335 for the certificate holder's obligations).

The distinction matters: the RePL is a pilot licence; the ReOC is an operator certificate. A RePL holder can fly on behalf of an ReOC holder, but a RePL alone does not authorise you to conduct a commercial operation that requires an ReOC, nor does it grant any approval to deviate from the SOC.

An ReOC holder must appoint a chief remote pilot (sometimes called the chief UAS controller) who is responsible for the day-to-day conduct of RPA operations, pilot competency, and standard operating procedures. The ReOC also requires a remote pilot in command for each flight — the RePL holder actually manipulating the controls. Examiners sometimes test this chain: the operator holds the certificate and approvals; the chief remote pilot supervises operations; the remote pilot in command flies the aircraft. All three can be the same person for a small operator, but the responsibilities are distinct.

Other Relevant Instruments

AC 101-01 lists the legislative instruments that sit alongside Part 101. The ones that recur in RePL study are:

Note what is not on this list: there is no medical certificate requirement for a RePL. CASA does not require a Class 1 or Class 2 medical for remote pilots. You must still self-assess fitness before every flight and must not operate while impaired by fatigue, illness, medication, alcohol or other drugs — but that obligation comes from the general duty to operate with care and skill (CASR 101.055) and from the operator's procedures, not from a medical standard.

Finding Current Legislation

Australian aviation legislation is published on the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au). CASR Part 101, the MOS instruments, CAOs, and CASA delegations all appear there in compiled form. Always check the compilation date on the cover page — Part 101 is amended frequently, and an older PDF can misstate a rule that has since changed. CASA's website (casa.gov.au) hosts AC 101-01 and supporting guidance, and links to the Federal Register entries. For exam purposes, the current AC 101-01 (v6.1, April 2026) is the best single reference because CASA updates it to track the latest amendments.