The South African Civil Aviation Authority has issued the first pilot's licence for remotely piloted aircraft systems, commonly known as drones.
The licence was issued to Nicole Swart from Port Elizabeth, making her the first person to receive such a licence in South Africa, the continent, and most parts of the world, as many countries are still striving to come up with regulations to administer drones.
The Director of Civil Aviation, Poppy Khoza, handed the licence to Swart two weeks after remotely piloted aircraft systems were integrated into the South African civil aviation airspace, following the introduction of relevant regulations on 1 July.
Twenty Three year old Swart is also a holder of the highest pilot's licence, which is the Airline Transport Pilot's Licence, and currently works as a Testing Standards Officer at the Civil Aviation Authority in Gauteng.
