Drone operators reminded of new rules after near-miss with Air NZ flight

Airways New Zealand is reminding drone owners of the rules around flighting un-manned aerial vehicles (UAVs) following a near miss with an Air NZ plane near Christchurch.

The pilot of an Air New Zealand A320 en route from Christchurch to Auckland reported seeing the "sizeable" red-coloured drone pass close to the aircraft at an altitude of 6000 feet (1800 metres) in air space at Kaiapoi, north of the city, about 5.45pm on Friday.

The Civil Aviation Authority is now investigating. 

"Based on the information to hand at this time it raises significant safety concerns," CAA director Graeme Harris says.

CAA introduced rules for drones on August 1 this year following the rapid rise of the technology. Drones now cost only a few hundred dollars.

Under the guidelines, you can't fly a drone:

• Within 4km of any aerodrome without authorisation
• Within any controlled airspace without authroization
• Above a person without that person's consent
• Above a property without the property owner's consent

Unless a drone operator is licensed, they must fly their UAV:

• In uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet (approx 120 metres) above ground level
• During daylight hours
• Within line-of-sight
• Clear of all manned aircraft
• Outside of airspace restricted areas unless you have the permission of the controlling authority (e.g. military operating areas)
• Outside of low flying zones

Transport Minister Simon Bridges says flights were unlawful and would be dealt with accordingly.

The maximum fine for breaking the UAV guidelines is $5000 for an individual and $5000 for a body corporate.  

"While this reporting is concerning, I am satisfied that it's being investigated fully, with urgency, and is being treated very seriously," he says.

Pilots' union lashes out
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association has hit out at the CAA the near-miss.

The NZALPA's Jon Brooks says the union was concerned about the "very loose" regulation of drones in New Zealand.

"Coupled with an almost complete lack of pro-active education by the [CAA], it is alarming that an uninformed person can purchase a drone and operate it near an aerodrome, seemingly with little idea of the seriousness of their actions should the drone hit or come in close proximity to another aircraft," he says.

Management of drone activity was adding additional workload and complexity for air traffic controllers and pilots, he says.

"Incidents such as this put those controllers and pilots in stressful and potentially harmful situations.

"Our members fear that we will continue to see an increasing number of these type of occurrences unless more restrictions are placed around the use of drones and the [CAA] starts to actively educate the New Zealand public on a large scale."