Flying under Part 102 Rules - Agricultural Activity

If you have answered yes to at least one of the following, you intend to fly under Part 102 and may also require an Ag Rating and Chemical Certificate:

• Applying liquid spray or pellets to pasture or spray on buildings
• Operating in the hours of darkness (and not under a shielded operation)
• Flying over people without their permission
• Flying a drone with an unladen weight greater than 25 Kgs
• Operating over property without the landowner’s permission
• Flying above 400 feet (120 Metres) above ground level
• Other conditions that CAA may impose from time to time

Note: Before you operate your drone in public spaces like parks, reserves or Dept of Conservation land, you need to check with the local council or Dept of Conservation as they may impose their own restrictions over and above CAA rules

This means you intend to fly under Part 102 CAA rules (CAR 102) and as such, you are required to personally hold a NZ Professional RPAS Pilot Certificate to Part 102 standard and operate in accordance with a Part 102 UAOC held by an organisation .

You are required to attain your NZ Professional RPAS Pilot Certificate to Part 102 standard. This will ensure you have an appropriate level of aviation knowledge to operate under these more complex situations.

There is also an additional CAA requirement for a qualified pilot operating under any one of the above conditions. This requires the pilot to fly under what is known as a Part 102 UAOC (Unmanned Aerial Operators Certificate). This is issued by CAA to organisations or businesses. This “organisation certificate” (as opposed to the individual pilot certificate) provides the ability for an organisation to allow for named pilots to carry out specific activities that are included in what are called privileges to that organisation’s certification (known as their Exposition).

Chemical spray and pellet drop activities

If you are operating a drone for the purpose of applying aerial spray of chemicals or pellets, (including the spraying of buildings) you will also be required to:

• attain your agricultural chemical certificate and;
• attain an ag rating for the chemicals you intend to use

Night Flying Note:

If you intend to fly your drone unshielded in the hours of darkness (or very low light conditions such as dawn and dusk), you must also hold a Night Rating. To achieve a night rating, pilots must also hold an RPAS Pilot Certificate to Part 102 standard.