The Rules of Flying a Drone In Queenstown
The following contains information both taken from the CAA website and our own personal interpretation of the laws surrounding flying a drone in New Zealand. It is important to remember that when operating a drone in New Zealand you are classified as "pilot in command" and your drone is classified as an aircraft. The responsibility is always that of the pilot in command and the advice offered here does not constitute a full understanding of the applicable laws. If in doubt - contact CAA. The following information pertains to both commercial and non commercial flights.
Airspace:
Queenstown and its surrounds are in controlled airspace, as outlined in red in the adjacent map. This airspace is extremely busy with all manner of aircraft. There are two options for flying in this airspace, Shielded and Un-Shielded.
The yellow area shown is a "Low Flying Zone", no drone operations can take place in this area unless the LFZ has been deactivated by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA).
Light Blue areas are 4km radius boundaries of aerodromes. To operate within these zones you need the aerodrome operators agreement and also a CAA recognised Part 61 Pilots License or Part 149 License or Certificate. You do not need Air Traffic Control (Airshare) approval if operating outside the red, but inside the blue.
Shielded:
A shielded operation is a flight where your aircraft is within 100m of an object that’s capable of stopping it, like a building, or a forest of trees. In a shielded operation, the aircraft must fly no higher than the top of that object. A shielded operation allows you to fly within 4 km of an aerodrome, controlled and uncontrolled, and at night.
If you plan to use this provision, make sure you familiarise yourself with the rules in Part 101, and the advice in the Advisory Circular.
Un-Shielded:
Any flight that does not fit the above criteria of the above explanation.
To fly an Un-Shielded operation, inside controlled airspace (the red area) you need:
Within 4kms of an aerodrome (the blue areas):
Property Owner Consent:
Since August 2015 you are now required to gain consent for your flight from either the property owner, occupant or "person in control of the site" for any property that you fly above.
For instance, if you wish to fly from a residential property - let's say a friends house, over to the lake to take photos of a boat passing by you would need:
That is on top of meeting the Airspace Requirements, listed above.
Currently, Queenstown Lakes District Council do not give consent to anyone flying under CAA Part 101. You will need a 102 operators certificate.
Liability Insurance may be required by some land owners.
Key Rules:
This list should not substitute for a full reading of Part 101. You should conduct a thorough assessment of your operation and understand the rules that apply to your operation before deciding whether to operate under Part 101 and 102.
The information above is intended as a guide only for flying drones in the Queenstown area under Part 101 and is subject to change without notification. Persons wanting to operate a Drone / UAV / RPA in any instance should familiarise themselves with all applicable laws concerning such activities.
Useful Links:
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rpas/
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/Rule_Consolidations/Part_101_Consolidation.pdf
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/ACs.htm - AC101-1
https://www.airshare.co.nz/
http://www.qldc.govt.nz/leisure-and-culture/parks-and-walkways/drones/
http://www.rpaskills.com/
http://www.modelflyingnz.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/multirotorsnewzealand/
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via email and we will respond as soon as possible.
Airspace:
Queenstown and its surrounds are in controlled airspace, as outlined in red in the adjacent map. This airspace is extremely busy with all manner of aircraft. There are two options for flying in this airspace, Shielded and Un-Shielded.
The yellow area shown is a "Low Flying Zone", no drone operations can take place in this area unless the LFZ has been deactivated by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA).
Light Blue areas are 4km radius boundaries of aerodromes. To operate within these zones you need the aerodrome operators agreement and also a CAA recognised Part 61 Pilots License or Part 149 License or Certificate. You do not need Air Traffic Control (Airshare) approval if operating outside the red, but inside the blue.
Shielded:
A shielded operation is a flight where your aircraft is within 100m of an object that’s capable of stopping it, like a building, or a forest of trees. In a shielded operation, the aircraft must fly no higher than the top of that object. A shielded operation allows you to fly within 4 km of an aerodrome, controlled and uncontrolled, and at night.
If you plan to use this provision, make sure you familiarise yourself with the rules in Part 101, and the advice in the Advisory Circular.
Un-Shielded:
Any flight that does not fit the above criteria of the above explanation.
To fly an Un-Shielded operation, inside controlled airspace (the red area) you need:
- Approval from Air Traffic Control. This is done by planning your flight in advance at www.airshare.co.nz . You will receive a confirmation email once your flight has been approved and then you will need to call the Queenstown Air Traffic Control Tower before and after your flight. If inside the red area and also the blue area, see below.
Within 4kms of an aerodrome (the blue areas):
- A CAA recognised training qualification. This can be; Part 61 Pilot License, Model Flying NZ Wings Badge (or equivalent) - or be accompanied by someone who holds one of the applicable qualifications*.
- A Spotter. Someone with you to keep an eye on the surrounding airspace for traffic while you are concentrating on the drone. They can also be of use to keep your landing area free of curious bystanders*.
- Approval from Air Traffic Control. This is done by planning your flight in advance at www.airshare.co.nz . You will receive a confirmation email once your flight has been approved and then you will need to call the Queenstown Air Traffic Control Tower before and after your flight.
Property Owner Consent:
Since August 2015 you are now required to gain consent for your flight from either the property owner, occupant or "person in control of the site" for any property that you fly above.
For instance, if you wish to fly from a residential property - let's say a friends house, over to the lake to take photos of a boat passing by you would need:
- Consent from the property owner of occupant of your friends house.
- Consent from the owner or occupier of every house / property under your intended flight path.
- Consent from QLDC if your intended flight path crosses over any road way, footpath, park, reserve or any other property administered by QLDC such as Queenstown Gardens.
- Consent from Land Information New Zealand to cross the foreshore or Queen's Chain (in most cases).
- Consent from the Harbour Master, as he is deemed the "person in control of the site" (the site being the surface of the lake)
- Consent from anyone aboard the boat, or the boats owner if you intended to fly directly above it.
That is on top of meeting the Airspace Requirements, listed above.
Currently, Queenstown Lakes District Council do not give consent to anyone flying under CAA Part 101. You will need a 102 operators certificate.
Liability Insurance may be required by some land owners.
Key Rules:
- Not operate an aircraft that is 25 kg or larger and always ensure that it is safe to operate
- At all times take all practicable steps to minimize hazards to persons, property and other aircraft (ie, don’t do anything hazardous)
- Fly only in daylight.
- Give way to all manned aircraft.
- Always operate within Visual Line Of Sight ( VLOS ), ie be able to see the aircraft with your own eyes ( and not through binoculars, a monitor, or smartphone ) to ensure separation from other aircraft ( or use a dedicated and trained spotter to do this in certain cases ).
- Not fly your aircraft higher than 120 metres (400 feet) above ground level (unless certain conditions are met)
- Have knowledge of airspace restrictions that apply in the area you want to operate
- Not fly closer than four kilometres from any aerodrome (unless certain conditions are met)
- When flying in controlled airspace, obtain an air traffic control clearance issued by Airways
- Not fly in special use airspace without the permission of the administering authority of the area (eg, military operating areas or restricted areas)
- Have consent from anyone you want to fly above
- Have the consent of the property owner or person in charge of the area you are wanting to fly above.
This list should not substitute for a full reading of Part 101. You should conduct a thorough assessment of your operation and understand the rules that apply to your operation before deciding whether to operate under Part 101 and 102.
The information above is intended as a guide only for flying drones in the Queenstown area under Part 101 and is subject to change without notification. Persons wanting to operate a Drone / UAV / RPA in any instance should familiarise themselves with all applicable laws concerning such activities.
Useful Links:
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rpas/
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/Rule_Consolidations/Part_101_Consolidation.pdf
https://www.caa.govt.nz/rules/ACs.htm - AC101-1
https://www.airshare.co.nz/
http://www.qldc.govt.nz/leisure-and-culture/parks-and-walkways/drones/
http://www.rpaskills.com/
http://www.modelflyingnz.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/multirotorsnewzealand/
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us via email and we will respond as soon as possible.