The CASA Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) Theory Explained
Study guideLast reviewed: 2026-09-13
The Remote Pilot Licence, or RePL, is the CASA licence for flying remotely piloted aircraft (drones) outside the excluded category — for example as part of a business operating under a Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (ReOC). It is issued under Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, and its aeronautical knowledge syllabus sits in Schedule 4 of the Part 101 Manual of Standards. CASA guidance and the legislation are authoritative; this page is a plain-English overview.
Do you need a RePL?
Not always. Someone flying an excluded RPA does not need a remote pilot licence; holding operator accreditation is enough. Flying outside the excluded category requires the licence. Check the CASA drone rules for which category your operation falls into before you train.
The knowledge units in the Part 101 MOS
Schedule 4 of the Part 101 Manual of Standards sets out the aeronautical knowledge units for the RePL:
RBAK — Basic aviation knowledge for RPAS
RACP — Airspace, charts and aeronautical publications for RPAS
RBMO — Basic meteorology for RPA operations
REES — Electrical and electronic systems for RPAS
RHPF — Human performance for RPAS
RKOP — RPAS knowledge: operations and procedures
RORA — Operational rules and air law for RPAS
RAFM — Automated flight management systems knowledge
Category units: RBKA (aeroplanes), RBKM (multirotor) and RBKH (single rotor)
Conditions attached to every RePL
Part 101 attaches standing conditions to the licence. In summary, a licence holder:
Must not fly above 400 ft AGL in controlled airspace, or within 3 NM of the movement area of a controlled aerodrome, unless they also hold an aeronautical radio operator certificate, a flight crew licence, an air traffic control licence, a flight service licence or an equivalent military qualification.
Must fly within visual line of sight, unless they have passed the instrument rating exam (or another approved exam) and the operation holds a beyond-visual-line-of-sight approval under regulation 101.029 through a ReOC.
Must not fly more than one RPA at a time without an approval under regulation 101.029.
CASA may add further conditions, such as limiting the kinds of RPA, the areas of operation, or restricting operations to visual meteorological conditions.
How Aero Academic helps
Aero Academic’s RePL practice questions are grouped by the Schedule 4 units above, and every exam produces a deficiency report that maps each wrong answer back to its unit, so you can drill exactly the parts of the syllabus you missed.
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