CAA Part 102 certified drone operators
Echo Valley holds a Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand Part 102 unmanned aircraft operator certificate. In practice it means we can fly the shots a Part 101 operator can’t – at night, over people and property, over water and near aerodromes – with the approvals and risk management to back them up.
What our certificate lets us do
Echo Valley is licensed to fly:
- At any time of day, including at night
- In urban areas and above people
- Over private property and over water
- At high altitude
- Near aerodromes and in controlled airspace
Part 101 and Part 102: the difference
New Zealand doesn’t have separate rules for commercial and recreational drones. Everyone flies under Part 101 unless they hold a Part 102 certificate for operations outside it. A simplified comparison:
| Part 101 (everyone) | Part 102 (certified operator) | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Up to 120 m above ground level | Higher, when approved for the operation |
| Over people | Only with their consent | Approved operations can fly above people |
| Over property | Only with the owner’s or occupier’s consent | Approved operations can fly over private property |
| Night | Extra requirements and training | Night operations as approved |
| Controlled airspace | Air traffic control clearance via AirShare | Clearance still required, with operations near aerodromes as approved |
| Drone weight | Up to 25 kg | Can include heavier aircraft |
Simplified for planning purposes. The full rules and conditions are on the CAA website.
How Part 102 certification works
To be certified, an operator shows CAA how it will manage the risks of what it wants to do. That means an operating manual (the exposition) setting out the hazards and how each is controlled, a nominated person responsible for the drone operations, and an assessment by CAA, which considers each application on its merits. Once certified, every flight has to stay inside the exposition and the conditions on the certificate. More on Part 102 from CAA.
What it means for your production
- Fewer compromises on location. Night scenes, shots over cast and crew, water work and city locations near aerodromes are possible without rewriting the scene around the rules.
- The approvals are handled. We look after the aviation side, including air traffic control clearances through AirShare.
- A safety process you can show your producer. See how we plan and run a safe shoot.
What we need from you
- Locations, dates and call times (and a weather backup day if you have one)
- The scene or shot list, including anything over cast, crew, vehicles or boats
- Whether the public will be nearby
- A contact for your location manager, so landowner, council and DOC permissions line up with ours