CAA Approved Drone Training Courses – 101 and 102 Drone Training & Certification
Who Needs RPAS Drone Training in New Zealand
- Anyone who wants to get a good grounding in how to fly safely and responsibly in New Zealand so you fly in accordance with your obligations under Civil Aviation Rules Parts 101 & 102
- Anyone who is already a current UAV flyer who wants to assess your existing knowledge
- Anyone who intends on flying drones in a built up area above 400 feet or at night.
- There are other triggers for requiring 102 certification, which you learn about in our 101 or basic course.
Although we are based at Tauranga Airport, Mount Maunganui, our facilities allow drone operators from all over the country to train with us. We may also run courses on dates that suits attendees and from your premises for groups
What can happen if you don’t know the rules?
It is very easy to break airspace rules which can result in prosecution, hefty fines or confiscation of your drone by CAA.
Here is a video of what happened when an unlicenced and unaware drone pilot flew too close to Gatwick airport airspace. Incidents like this can cost the airport millions and CAA will come after anyone who knowingly or through lack of knowledge, breaks the rules.
What you will learn in our 101 and 102 training:
- Civil Aviation Rules that are applicable to you and how to comply with those rules when flying your UAV
- Interpretation and meaning of CAA Parts (documentation) and specific requirements operators of unmanned aircraft need to follow to meet compliance with regulations
- Airspace knowledge about the “upside down wedding cake” areas of the airspace around your region
- Flight planning – where you are going to fly and mitigating hazards/protecting your drone from damage or loss
- About different airspaces such as controlled and uncontrolled airspace and how restrictions in those airspaces apply to you
- How to read weather and how it impacts your flying
- Airshare website – how to log your flights on Airshare and get Air Traffic Control authorisation
- Who to ask for permission from to fly under Civil Aviation Rule Part 101 and 102
- Guidance and training for reading and understanding Visual Navigation Chart (VNC)
- NOTAMS (notice to airmen), what they are and when you need to file one as a UAV pilot
- What it’s like for pilots to fly around drones, case studies and real life scenarios that help you make good decisions when flying your drone
- Airmanship and rules to help you stay out of trouble with authorities but also keep you and your drone (UAV) safe
- Flight operations – all about how your drone works, flies, battery care and longevity etc
- Privacy considerations around people and property
- Certified operations rules and expectations
- Trip to the Tauranga control tower (where possible) to hear from the ATC controllers you’ll be liaising with
- Knowledge testing to meet CAA requirements for certification
Go to our Drone Training Site to Book
Helicopter airspace flight
We also take students on a helicopter flight to demonstrate what it’s like for us helicopter and fixed wing pilots to fly in the same airspace as you, a drone pilot. During your flight, your pilot will show you a true sight picture of what controlled airspace looks like – and what it’s like for us aeroplane and helicopter pilots flying in the same airspace at a height your drone may be flying at. Weather dependant.
Why Our Helicopter Airspace Orientation Flights Are So Important (& Not Just A Joyride)
102 Expositions
CAA require commercial drone operators to provide an Exposition, operating procedures as well as attending a certified course. Although you can create your own exposition, CAA recommends you have one written for you by an organisation who knows exactly what is required.
CAA charge $248 per hour to look over your submitted exposition and request any changes or additions to your document. This is why it can be far more cost effective to use an exposition that contains all the information they expect to see, and therefore tick all the boxes.
We provide 102 operational expositions for clients in conjunction with our comprehensive certified RPAS course & drone training.
Our course has been developed by commercial pilots, both fixed wing and helicopter, who are also drone operators.
We also draw from the experience of our in-house flight training and testing officers and applied that to the drone operating environment.
What is the definition of a UAV?
“Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” known as RPAS, UAVs, or Drones. Pilotless remote operated aircraft. UAS stands for “Unmanned Aerial System”, which means the system comprised of the craft, any control station, and radio links between the control station device and the aircraft. The common name for them used by the general public however is “drones”‘
New Zealand Civil Aviation (CAA) rules use the term “unmanned aircraft”, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation prefers RPAS, a “Remotely Piloted Aircraft System” – a form of UAS that is piloted by a person on the ground.
Because drones often share airspace with other aircraft, CAA has stipulated that UAV operators flying above 400 feet AGL (above ground level) or at night, require training and 101 or 102 certification.
That’s where we come in…
New Zealand Drone Operations & Safety Training
If you are seeking UAV pilot training, UAV pilot certification, and operational competency assessments for UAV operations, we provide the most comprehensive, fully qualified training available.
Aviation Training 2017 Limited is a CAA-approved Part 141 organisation providing quality UAV training and Part 102 certification for UAV pilots and operators.
UAV operations may be conducted under Part 101 or Part 102 certification. Part 101 certified operations are somewhat limited, restrictions can be lifted for an operator that is certificated under Part 102. If you are operating a UAV within 4km of an aerodrome, CAA now requires a pilot certificate for operation under Part 102. They may also require an annual Operational Competency Assessment (OCA).
We also run refresher courses on RPAS Aviation Law & Re-certification
Part 141 Certified training organisation
Because we have been audited and approved to hold a 141 training certificate by CAA, we adhere to a very high standard of compliance and training.
The Aviation Training UAV courses are not only designed to give you an understanding of how operators need to conduct themselves to ensure safety in flight but also how all considerations from law to environmental factors can affect your flight operations and potential liability.
To learn more about our certified 101 and 102 Drone (UAV) pilot courses:
Download an information sheet (PDF)
Our next course is running here in Tauranga at Aviation Training, Hangar 1, 240 Aerodrome Road, Tauranga.
Call Us on: 027 315 2265 to learn more or take our Intro Online Drone Course to get started
Call Us on: 027 315 2265 to learn more or take our Intro Online Drone Course to get started