Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Drone Trust, as a training administrator, and the courses are approved by the CAA.

We offer Part 101, Part 102, Operational Competency Assessment, Night Rating, and Survey courses.

Navigating the world of Drone Pilot Certification can appear to be complex and confusing. This article breaks down the details.

As soon as you have registered. Being an online course is this very easy seamless process.

All of our provided courses have a fee. This is clearly stated prior to your purchase. Secure credit or debit card facilities are provided for online purchases. Once a course is purchased enrolment fees are non-refundable.

A function of the online theory course is that it provides quizzes after each segment (of which there are 8 for the Part 101 section and 7 for the Part 102 section. This ensures you are learning as you go. 

There is also a final online exam at the end of both Part 101 and Part 102 sections 

• NZ Part 101 Pilot Certificate course, you will need to attain a minimum of 80% in the final online exam. This exercise brings together all the elements that you have learned from the course. 
• NZ Part 102 RPAS Professional Pilot Certificate course. For the Part 102 course, there are two online exams and you will need to attain a minimum of 80% in both. As the Part 101 course content is covered in this Part 102 Professional Pilots Certificate course there is no prerequisite to complete the separate NZ Part 101 Pilot certificate course 

Simply browse our courses purchase the course you require online. Alternatively email support@dronetrust.com and one of the friendly team at Drone Trust will be able to guide you through the enrolment process and in choosing the course that best suits your needs. We are happy to arrange invoicing directly to your employer If you are gaining your qualifications for work purposes. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this option. 

• Module 1: Introduction
• Module 2: Civil Aviation Rules
• Module 3: Understanding the Concept of Airspace
• Module 4: Drone Altitude: The Importance of AGL vs AMSL
• Module 5: Airspace Categories
• Module 6: Transit Lanes and Special Use Airspace
• Module 7: Runways, Aerodrome Operations and Authorisations
• Module 8: Using the Airshare Site
• Module 9: Finding ATC Contact Information on the AIP Site
• Part 101 Online Exam 
• Booking your flight test

(Note this course includes all learning content from the NZ Part 101 Pilot Certificate - Modules 1 – 9, with the additional learning material (Modules 10 – 16)

• Module 1: Introduction
• Module 2: Civil Aviation Rules
• Module 3: Understanding the Concept of Airspace
• Module 4: Drone Altitude: The Importance of AGL vs AMSL
• Module 5: Airspace Categories
• Module 6: Transit Lanes and Special Use Airspace
• Module 7: Runways, Aerodrome Operations and Authorisations
• Module 8: Using the Airshare Site
• Module 9: Finding ATC Contact Information on the AIP Site
• Part 101 Online Exam 
• Module 10: Part 102 Certification 
• Module 11: Other UAOC requirements 
• Module 12: NOTAMs and other AIP Supplements 
• Module 13: Basic Meteorology for UAV Operators 
• Module 14: GPS Basics 
• Module 15: Activity – Plan and Document a Part 102 Flight 
• Module 16: Part 102 Currency Period and Flight Assessment 
• Part 102 Final Online Exam 
• Booking your flight test

You will need to be well prepared for this test, and we highly recommend 6-8 batteries worth of practice time. If you don't feel confident in your abilities we have instructors available around the country to help you improve, see the below question for more info. Should you need to repeat your practical assessment there will be an additional charge to cover the examiner fee and admin costs. 

Not a problem - we have qualified instructors throughout the country who can provide additional training. After discussing your specific needs we will be in a position to give you an indication of availability and the cost for this service.

That’s not a problem, we  encourage you to use your own drone so long as your drone has selectable Atti mode capability as a feature. If required, we can assist with a hire drone for you to complete your practical assessment. Click here to learn about Atti Mode.

There is no time limit but we do recommend completing the course in 2-4 weeks. Please note that there is a maximum period that the course content is open to each individual of 12 months. The advantage of our online learning platform is that you can learn at your own place and at your own pace. We encourage participants to take their time and do modules in such a way that ensures you don’t rush the process. You can leave the course and come back at any time. The structure of the course allows you to refer back to material you have previously completed. This is a great feature as it allows you to become confident as you grow in knowledge by revisiting the content to check your understanding. Notwithstanding that we do encourage individuals to build and retain knowledge over a reasonably short timeframe to ensure you retain an overall understanding of the total learning provided in the course. 

The course contains informative videos to assist learning and make the experience an enjoyable process. And if you get stuck or have a question, the friendly team at Drone Trust are here to assist. And remember, we exist by making you successful through your gaining a good level of aviation knowledge that you can apply to your aviation activity.    

You will need to purchase another course after 12 months.

Scenario 1: Where an individual holds a Part 101 RPAS pilot certificate they need to renew every 2 years. A competency test is required for these renewals which involves refresher theory training and a practical assessment with an examiner. In the case of a Part 102 RPAS pilot, where they are not flying under an organisation's UAOC certificate,* pilot’s certificates also need to be renewed every 2 years. A competency test is required for these renewals which involves an online refresher theory training and a practical assessment with an examiner.                                                                                                 *Note: An individual can attain a Part 102 RPAS pilot certificate, but unless they are flying under an organisation’s UAOC certificate, they can only operate under Part 101 rules. If you fly under an organisation’s UAOC as a Part 102 RPAS pilot, it is only at that point that you are permitted to fly outside of the Part 101 rules. When flying outside of the Part 101 rules under an organisation’s UAOC, you are flying under what is termed as, the privileges that CAA have approved for that organisation. These flying privileges are recorded in what is known as the organisation’s Exposition and they will vary between each UAOC organisation. 

Scenario 2: Where an individual is flying as a 102 RPAS Pilot under the umbrella of an organisation that holds a UAOC certificate. The organisation requires the individual to undergo an annual OCA competency test. As long as the Part 102 RPAS pilot is operating under a UAOC umbrella they are not required to separately renew their individual pilot’s certificate. The UAOC OCA (Operational Competency Assessment) requirement is sufficient. 

A shielded operation (or shielded flight) is where your drone remains within 100 metres of, and below the top of, a natural or man-made object. For example, a building, tower, or trees. When flying shielded you can fly at night.