Flying in New Zealand - Queenstown

[Mavić_Legenda]

New Zealand seems to have strict rules and guidelines for flying drones (Rpas Faqs | Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand). Do people really need to ask private property owners and City Councils for permission to fly over land and parks each time? Any experiences with this, especially in Queenstown outside of the 4km airport exclusion zone? Thanks

 

[Mikewilltakeyouto]

New Zealand seems to have strict rules and guidelines for flying drones (Rpas Faqs | Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand). Do people really need to ask private property owners and City Councils for permission to fly over land and parks each time? Any experiences with this, especially in Queenstown outside of the 4km airport exclusion zone? Thanks

Hiii I just finished Traveling New Zealand for 6 months( im a kiwi) there's a website for New Zealand air restrictions, in certain places I went against the rules and posted video/picture and got great response from the city councils, but beware, there was a guy recently who accidentally landed on the harbor bridge in Auckland and got fined and court planned jail time for them... so be sensible in this beautiful country! You should ask Private property owners for their permission yes...just privacy man, pretty simple

 

[jpno1]

I log a plan everytime before I fly at airshare.co.nz. should be ok if you get "GO" for them . And you should be able to fly within the 4km zone if you do a shield operation.

 

[adiru]

New Zealand seems to have strict rules and guidelines for flying drones (Rpas Faqs | Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand). Do people really need to ask private property owners and City Councils for permission to fly over land and parks each time? Any experiences with this, especially in Queenstown outside of the 4km airport exclusion zone? Thanks

I believe in don't ask, don't tell

here is me a while back in Auckland

 

[Mikewilltakeyouto]

I believe in don't ask, don't tell

here is me a while back in Auckland

Ridiculous man, don't ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Sencorp]

I believe in don't ask, don't tell

here is me a while back in Auckland

Ooooo Ouch this is just not a wise idea. Allow me to give you a rundown. On top of that tower are extremely high power RF Transmission units. Much more powerful on a RF Watt scale then your controller. My best friend is one of the designers of that tower, and, to this day still looks after every bit of radio transmission space there. He is also a Mavic owner. We have discussed in every way possible the best and most important "SAFE" way of flying around that building and not putting other people or property at risk. And here after all the sqak about regulations, public acceptance , understanding and safe and responsible flights, we see this. Sorry man, not good.

 

[adiru]

Ooooo Ouch this is just not a wise idea. Allow me to give you a rundown. On top of that tower are extremely high power RF Transmission units. Much more powerful on a RF Watt scale then your controller. My best friend is one of the designers of that tower, and, to this day still looks after every bit of radio transmission space there. He is also a Mavic owner. We have discussed in every way possible the best and most important "SAFE" way of flying around that building and not putting other people or property at risk. And here after all the sqak about regulations, public acceptance , understanding and safe and responsible flights, we see this. Sorry man, not good.

I was on vacation from the US. I thought worst case, I lose the Mavic by it getting blown away from the wind (windy that day at high alts, so much so that they canceled the skyjump/skywalk a while later that day) . I doubt anyone would have found/fined me, but I was okay with paying the fine. It doesn't show in this clip, but later I actually flew a close in to get some good shoots of the people in orange jumpsuits on the skywalk thing. A poster on here said someone in Auckland was threatened with jail time? I would have high tailed it to the nearest US embassy if that was the case and I thought it might have happened to me. This isn't something I'd do in the US back at home btw, but seeing as how I was on vacation to Auckland, I decided to chance it. Not like they will extradite me or anything lol.

 

[Mikewilltakeyouto]

I was on vacation from the US. I thought worst case, I lose the Mavic by it getting blown away from the wind (windy that day at high alts, so much so that they canceled the skyjump/skywalk a while later that day) . I doubt anyone would have found/fined me, but I was okay with paying the fine. A poster on here said someone in Auckland was threatened with jail time? I would have high tailed it to the nearest US embassy if that was the case and I thought it might have happened to me. This isn't something I'd do in the US back at home btw, but seeing as how I was on vacation to Auckland, I decided to chance it. Not like they will extradite me or anything lol.

Hopefully tourists like you don't come and ruin it for the rest of us peace

 

[Sencorp]

I have been meaning to do this for a while now. I have the grounds a

I was on vacation from the US. I thought worst case, I lose the Mavic by it getting blown away from the wind (windy that day at high alts, so much so that they canceled the skyjump/skywalk a while later that day) . I doubt anyone would have found/fined me, but I was okay with paying the fine. It doesn't show in this clip, but later I actually flew a close in to get some good shoots of the people in orange jumpsuits on the skywalk thing. A poster on here said someone in Auckland was threatened with jail time? I would have high tailed it to the nearest US embassy if that was the case and I thought it might have happened to me. This isn't something I'd do in the US back at home btw, but seeing as how I was on vacation to Auckland, I decided to chance it. Not like they will extradite me or anything lol.

Do you hear your self right now? This is why a responsible pilot legistation should be imposed. Oh and FYI, ,me, I am an American living in New Zealand. Grow up mate.

 

[adiru]

I have been meaning to do this for a while now. I have the grounds a

Do you hear your self right now? This is why a responsible pilot legistation should be imposed. Oh and FYI, ,me, I am an American living in New Zealand. Grow up mate.

Look, I see the bigger picture, the trends. Soon none of us will even /ever be able to do something like that anymore. I saw an chance, I took it. No one was harmed. Pilot legislation will get imposed one way or another, DJI is already doing it self imposed. Everything had its "wild west" days from computers to the Internet and now the drone industry IS growing up, so to speak. I saw a very narrow window of opportunity, I took reasonable precautions, and its not something my future children or grand children will ever get to do, so can you really blame me for trying it while the going was still good?

 

[Sencorp]

Look, I see the bigger picture, the trends. Soon none of us will even /ever be able to do something like that anymore. I saw an chance, I took it. No one was harmed. Pilot legislation will get imposed one way or another, DJI is already doing it self imposed. Everything had its "wild west" days from computers to the Internet and now the drone industry IS growing up, so to speak. I saw a very narrow window of opportunity, I took reasonable precautions, and its not something my future children or grand children will ever get to do, so can you really blame me for trying it while the going was still good?

Lets be mature and honest. No public shaming going on here but more so an educated approach. Here is the rundown.

The chance to fly around the Iconic POI of Auckland New Zealand and capture footage that not many have.

The choices:
Do it, go for it.. All the conditions are right. Lets do it. Launch in the air and get the shots set up.
(Pros: You can post the video up and get the thumbs up, the likes ,, hell maybe even over 6 mil in view on You tube and get some extra cha ching in your pocket.)
(Cons: ((Thinking at the time)) Wind takes the drone and makes it mash into a building and gets crushed. Looses control and it ends up on a roof you can not get to, or falls to the ground and you have to say "Oh sorry I didnt know you couldnt do that here I am a tourist and if the fit really hits the shan I will run to the nearest US embassy and say, "Hey man I am just a guy on vacation this is just my playground save me from the people that are mad at me."

Sorry this is how it really works:

(In the headlines today:
Another drone and Airline near miss happened today coming nearly 10 feet within an aircraft. // Or// A drone was spotted flying around a high rise landmark of New Zealand today, promoting authorities to rethink their security and aviation guidelines at due to the risk of terrorism and other safety concerns. ))

Meanwhile others that are out here busting our *** to keep to guidelines and rules and making the powers that be feel comfortable and safe from headlines like this are SHAT on by guys that think of no one but them self and have no honor in what it is they have access to. Or who they ruin it for. But filled with justification.

Fine line right now between owning a wrong and making up excuses. No need for comment on either, thats for you to ponder and come to terms with. Your choice.

FYI- If your done would have come down and smashed into my sons head while we were downtown enjoying some weekend ice cream, it would be have a good idea to run to that embassy. (Just adding some perspective from a former US military Captain.)

 

[adiru]

Lets be mature and honest. No public shaming going on here but more so an educated approach. Here is the rundown.

The chance to fly around the Iconic POI of Auckland New Zealand and capture footage that not many have.

The choices:
Do it, go for it.. All the conditions are right. Lets do it. Launch in the air and get the shots set up.
(Pros: You can post the video up and get the thumbs up, the likes ,, **** maybe even over 6 mil in view on You tube and get some extra cha ching in your pocket.)
(Cons: ((Thinking at the time)) Wind takes the drone and makes it mash into a building and gets crushed. Looses control and it ends up on a roof you can not get to, or falls to the ground and you have to say "Oh sorry I didnt know you couldnt do that here I am a tourist and if the fit really hits the shan I will run to the nearest US embassy and say, "Hey man I am just a guy on vacation this is just my playground save me from the people that are mad at me."

Sorry this is how it really works:

(In the headlines today:
Another drone and Airline near miss happened today coming nearly 10 feet within an aircraft. // Or// A drone was spotted flying around a high rise landmark of New Zealand today, promoting authorities to rethink their security and aviation guidelines at due to the risk of terrorism and other safety concerns. ))

Meanwhile others that are out here busting our *** to keep to guidelines and rules and making the powers that be feel comfortable and safe from headlines like this are SHAT on by guys that think of no one but them self and have no honor in what it is they have access to. Or who they ruin it for. But filled with justification.

Fine line right now between owning a wrong and making up excuses. No need for comment on either, thats for you to ponder and come to terms with. Your choice.

FYI- If your done would have come down and smashed into my sons head while we were downtown enjoying some weekend ice cream, it would be have a good idea to run to that embassy. (Just adding some perspective from a former US military Captain.)

" FYI- If your done would have come down and smashed into my sons head while we were downtown enjoying some weekend ice cream, it would be have a good idea to run to that embassy. (Just adding some perspective from a former US military Captain."

Hey anything can happen I suppose. I "could" get hit by an asteroid just talking a stroll outside. I don't doubt that any father would do whatever necessary for his son/daughter, but the odds of my Mavic falling on your sons head (your supposition/hypothetical not mine) is about as remote as me getting hit by said asteroid. Risk mitigation? Lets not ride motorcycles then. Statistically I'm more likely to die in a car accident, even if I drive perfectly safe, which I do, most of the time anyway. US Military Captain or not, makes no difference in my calculus of things. A real Captain, when educating someone, doesn't have the impetus to bring up the fact that he is a military captain, as if that somehow imbued or bestowed upon him some special status outside of the scope and context of flying a DJI toy drone as opposed to say in the context of discussion military operation.

 

[BlakPhoenix]

New Zealand seems to have strict rules and guidelines for flying drones (Rpas Faqs | Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand). Do people really need to ask private property owners and City Councils for permission to fly over land and parks each time? Any experiences with this, especially in Queenstown outside of the 4km airport exclusion zone? Thanks

If you want to fly legally, then you really do need to ask for permission from the land owners. More importantly though, Queenstown is completely restricted for flying: New Zealand Maps for Planning Drone Flights | airshare NZ hub for drones and UAVs

As you can see there is a large restricted fly zone over Queenstown due to the airport that is there and a lot of seaplanes and helis that fly low for scenic routes in the area.

 

[Sencorp]

" FYI- If your done would have come down and smashed into my sons head while we were downtown enjoying some weekend ice cream, it would be have a good idea to run to that embassy. (Just adding some perspective from a former US military Captain."

Hey anything can happen I suppose. I "could" get hit by an asteroid just talking a stroll outside. I don't doubt that any father would do whatever necessary for his son/daughter, but the odds of my Mavic falling on your sons head (your supposition/hypothetical not mine) is about as remote as me getting hit by said asteroid. Risk mitigation? Lets not ride motorcycles then. Statistically I'm more likely to die in a car accident, even if I drive perfectly safe, which I do, most of the time anyway. US Military Captain or not, makes no difference in my calculus of things. A real Captain, when educating someone, doesn't have the impetus to bring up the fact that he is a military captain, as if that somehow imbued or bestowed upon him some special status outside of the scope and context of flying a DJI toy drone as opposed to say in the context of discussion military operation.

Like I said. Lots of excuses and Justifications. Rookie. And I think that given the fact that is your video and you were flying in a NFZ to start with maybe self policing should be paramount.

 

[adiru]

If you want to fly legally, then you really do need to ask for permission from the land owners. More importantly though, Queenstown is completely restricted for flying: New Zealand Maps for Planning Drone Flights | airshare NZ hub for drones and UAVs

As you can see there is a large restricted fly zone over Queenstown due to the airport that is there and a lot of seaplanes and helis that fly low for scenic routes in the area.

Back in the good old days, before age of airplanes (much less drones) it was generally accepted the legal doctrine that everything above one's land (airspace) was the property of said land owner. After the advent of airplanes and when commercial aviation grew in earnest the (US centric) Federal Aviation Administration and federal government took over and regulated it. So nowadays, obviously, a mile above your home isn't your airspace anymore.

So one cannot have it both ways. I don't know about Aus/NZ but generally in the US it is accepted that 200ft above a land owner's property is no longer their 'airspace'. Thus anyone can legally and lawfully, without concern to privacy and other trespass laws, fly overhead any home at or above 200ft and at or below 400 ft within VLOS and presumably in daynight.. (of course there are narrow exceptions like for example military bases, prisons, DC etc)

You just can't have it both ways. The government can't carve out airspace above head and regulate it and deprive it from individual land owners and called it regulated government/public airspace on one hand, and then on other hand still claim that some guy flying his toy drone in said airspace is violating said homeowners airspace/privacy. It just doesn't fly, excuse the pun.

One cannot treat what is essentially a toy model aircraft as BOTH a real plane when it is convenient to do so (the extensive registration and getting of pilot license and etc) and as a toy (allowing helicopters to fly low and seaplanes and whatnot but then treating these class of so-called 'real planes' as second class sub-par citizens almost) when it is also convenient to do so. Bottom line, if it is a toy then classify and treat it as a toy, if it is a plane then classify and treat it with the respect of any other plane, but to strattle the fence and classify it as a plane for the purposes of inconveniencing the class of flyers yet turning around aboutface and classifying it as a toy when not allowing it to have the same airspace or command the same respect as any other GA or aircraft, is extremely hypocritical and double standard.

 

[Sencorp]

I believe in don't ask, don't tell

here is me a while back in Auckland

To Expand on this just a bit more,

There is a tourist Helicopter flight that goes right along this flight path where you have flown your Mavic. Again, you never checked your airspace, nor did you even look into the real dangers of doing such a flight in an urban space. The more I look into this, the more red flags just fly.

 

[adiru]

To Expand on this just a bit more,

There is a tourist Helicopter flight that goes right along this flight path where you have flown your Mavic. Again, you never checked your airspace, nor did you even look into the real dangers of doing such a flight in an urban space. The more I look into this, the more red flags just fly.

I never said I was "in the right", I said I took my chances. The fact is nothing bad happened. I don't plan on doing it ever again, and besides with the new DJI update, this won't even be possible in a few days anyway.

 

[Sencorp]

I never said I was "in the right", I said I took my chances. The fact is nothing bad happened. I don't plan on doing it ever again, and besides with the new DJI update, this won't even be possible in a few days anyway.

Only chances taken was the safety of others. And again, more justification and excuses.
Done with this . Lessons to be learned. Hope others with the same justification and immaturity absorb and learn.
For preservative. Was on this company's flight two months ago, and the fly by of skytower was right over where you took off from. You can see it in the video here.

Humility is lacking.

 

[adiru]

Only chances taken was the safety of others. And again, more justification and excuses.
Done with this . Lessons to be learned. Hope others with the same justification and immaturity absorb and learn.
For preservative. Was on this company's flight two months ago, and the fly by of skytower was right over where you took off from. You can see it in the video here.

Humility is lacking.

Cool vid. I never flow anything before. But look, I have perfect hearing and good eyesight. I had CSC on, there was nothing that day as you can plainly and clearly see for yourself in the vid. Had I heard or seen something I would have CSC'd my Mavic, simply because I would gladly and very humbly sacrifice my Mavic for any potential issues like what you have alluded to. I am very cognizant that anyone causing a helicopter incursion with a Mavic would not be a very good legal result for him/her.

 

[finlayson]

Consider yourself lucky. The NZ CAA (equivalent to the FAA in the US) has fined tourists two have posted YouTube videos of illegal drone flights in NZ. (Last year, a British YouTuber got fined after making a flight (similar to yours) in downtown Auckland.) Once you've left NZ, you're probably OK. But it's still not a good idea.