Warnings issued over Christmas drones

Anyone unwrapping a drone this Christmas is being warned about the $9000 fine for breaching safety laws.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has published new safety advice online for the new wave of first-time drone owners.

"Although recreational drones are small they can cause injuries to people and they can be a real risk to the safety of other aircraft," CASA's director of aviation safety Mark Skidmore said.

Safety rules include keeping a drone in sight and not flying at night, keeping at least 30 metres away from people, buildings and vehicles, and staying below 400 feet.

Drone users are also banned from flying devices near aircraft or over crowds or groups of people.