We're Now CAA Part 102 UAV Certified
We’re proud to announce we’ve been awarded our Part 102 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) certification by the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This achievement marks a significant advancement in our operational capabilities, granting us greater autonomy to conduct complex UAV missions across Aotearoa.
This certification is a game-changer for our ecological monitoring services, moving us beyond the limitations of standard Part 101 operations as it provides specific privileges that directly enhance our field capabilities, including the following:
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) & Higher Altitude Flight: We can now operate beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight and above 400 feet. This allows for the efficient surveying of large, remote ecosystems and capturing comprehensive data from a broader perspective.
Operations in Sensitive Airspace: We gain the ability to work within 4 km of an uncontrolled aerodrome (with notification) and in designated Low Flying Zones, providing the access needed to monitor environmentally significant areas that were previously off-limits or logistically challenging.
Flight Over People and Property: Under strict safety cases, we can now conduct flights over people and property in controlled worksites and remote areas without needing individual permissions. This is vital for monitoring projects like forest canopies, coastal erosion, or river systems that cross private or public land.
Together, these privileges form the foundation for a more rigorous, efficient, and expansive data capture service, directly contributing to more detailed and impactful environmental analysis.
To assist with the increased CAA compliance requirements we’ve also developed a comprehensive digital workflow using ArcGIS Survey123. This system ensures full CAA compliance, automates auditing, and quality-assures our entire process, from flight planning to data delivery.
Achieving the Part 102 certification solidifies our capacity to provide the robust, data-driven insights our clients need for effective environmental management and restoration.
