New Drones / Toy Helicopter law coming in 1st August

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › New Drones / Toy Helicopter law coming in 1st August

mattwnz

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# 177383 31-Jul-2015 15:43

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There hasn't been much abut this, but apparently it comes in tomorrow. Apparently if you fly one in a public park, you now have to ask permission from the council, or they have to put up signs saying you can fly them in the park. If you fly one across someone elses property you have to ask their permission. ALso you can't fly it too high. I have contacted my council about flying mine in my park,, and they seem to be pretty clueless, and at the moment haven't granted me permission. They say they are looking into it. Even though I have been flying my small helicopter in it over several years, and I only fly it when the park is empty, which is most of the time. Mine is also very lightweight and low powered, and a flying cricket ball would be more dangerous. Anyone else fly a drone or copter and are affected? It does seem that councils at least aren't that aware of this law, or have been caught out.

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# 1356138 31-Jul-2015 15:47

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Yay got to love the Fun Police :-(

mattwnz

15029 posts

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# 1356141 31-Jul-2015 15:50

Mark: Yay got to love the Fun Police :-(

It is really PC madness. I can see their point for large heavy drones, but there should be exceptions for toy ones under a certain power and weight. I mean they allow fireworks without too many restrictions, which can cause all sorts of problems.

wellygary

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# 1356143 31-Jul-2015 15:57

mattwnz: It does seem that councils at least aren't that aware of this law, or have been caught out.

Yip, and you wait until they go and "consult" with residents and interested parties,

recreation drones are about to get majorly grounded in NZ, until eventually, after being bugged by drone owners, the Councils will demand that the goverment goes away and sets a national standard,

Something it should have worked out in the annoucnement the comes into effect tomorrow, .....

But hey, It always easier as a goverment department to say, nope its someone elses problem.....

BTR

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# 1356145 31-Jul-2015 15:58

I am looking into quadcopter for photography but this just makes it difficult. Seems stupid that if I was in the middle of nowhere with no one around that I have to ask for permission....

I can understand the publics safety be considered but the current rules are good enough. Next they will be saying you have to have a council official with you while you fly...

Nuts if you ask me

knoydart

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# 1356153 31-Jul-2015 16:13

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The new rules (CAA part 101 for low risk and 102 for high risk operations) in my opinion are actually quite sensible. Other country's are heading down either a weight limit or commercial / recreational split where as NZ have taken a risk based approach. Yes there are some updates regarding air rights and the right to privacy above public and private property, but they seem for the most part not so crazy to have you pulling your hair out.

tdgeek

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# 1357034 2-Aug-2015 11:21

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Under 25kg pretty much means all cool drones that a person may buy for some fun? I don't see flying one at 400 feet over my property to be much fun.
So why wasn't this brought in decades ago when remote controlled planes existed? That are harder to fly as you actually have to fly them.

sir1963

930 posts

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# 1357089 2-Aug-2015 12:46

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Mark: Yay got to love the Fun Police :-(

Yeah the problem is people can be A$$holes towards other people and when they get stopped they claim the victims are just ruining their fun.

This is why we have noise control

How about boy racers, they to are "just having fun"

I have seen trail bikers screaming up and down a park in the middle of town "just having fun"

The "just having fun" type believes their rights supersede everyone else's rights, the right to peace and quiet, the right to privacy, etc, and when things go wrong they are the first group to runaway and hide, get their mates to lie to police etc for them.

Geektastic

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# 1357122 2-Aug-2015 13:48

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I'm just waiting for the first instance of a drone that fails in mid-air, plummets to earth and kills someone walking along...

Or comes down and smacks into the windscreen of a passing car, causing the driver to swerve violently and hit the oncoming truck head on...

I see far too many potential issues for drones not to require training and a licence.

Geektastic

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# 1357123 2-Aug-2015 13:49

knoydart: The new rules (CAA part 101 for low risk and 102 for high risk operations) in my opinion are actually quite sensible. Other country's are heading down either a weight limit or commercial / recreational split where as NZ have taken a risk based approach. Yes there are some updates regarding air rights and the right to privacy above public and private property, but they seem for the most part not so crazy to have you pulling your hair out.

Fly one over our house and I will accidentally mistake it for a magpie...

Geektastic

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# 1357386 2-Aug-2015 23:42

Why does the headline version of this topic show more posts than the actual number of posts?

mattwnz

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# 1357388 2-Aug-2015 23:55

Geektastic: I'm just waiting for the first instance of a drone that fails in mid-air, plummets to earth and kills someone walking along...

Or comes down and smacks into the windscreen of a passing car, causing the driver to swerve violently and hit the oncoming truck head on...

I see far too many potential issues for drones not to require training and a licence.

Many will be too light weight to cause any damage, and for many the range isn't that great. Really it is the commercial heavy ones that need some form of regulation, perhaps a license and training. It seems the mainly the laws with the blanket coverage over all flying objects, are about privacy, rather than safety, and people taking photos into people back yards. But you have to wonder if these bureaucrats haven't heard of google maps, apple maps, bing maps, which have 3D models of people houses, and relatively high detailed photos of peoples backyards.
My local council did eventually see sense and granted me permission to fly my helicopter in my public park. Didn't actually ask any questions about it, just took them a while to get back to me.

Geektastic

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# 1357390 3-Aug-2015 00:23

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mattwnz:
Geektastic: I'm just waiting for the first instance of a drone that fails in mid-air, plummets to earth and kills someone walking along...

Or comes down and smacks into the windscreen of a passing car, causing the driver to swerve violently and hit the oncoming truck head on...

I see far too many potential issues for drones not to require training and a licence.

Many will be too light weight to cause any damage, and for many the range isn't that great. Really it is the commercial heavy ones that need some form of regulation, perhaps a license and training. It seems the mainly the laws with the blanket coverage over all flying objects, are about privacy, rather than safety, and people taking photos into people back yards. But you have to wonder if these bureaucrats haven't heard of google maps, apple maps, bing maps, which have 3D models of people houses, and relatively high detailed photos of peoples backyards.
My local council did eventually see sense and granted me permission to fly my helicopter in my public park. Didn't actually ask any questions about it, just took them a while to get back to me.

Even something relatively modest like a Phantom would cause serious injury if it were to fall from the sky, never mind potential property damage for which few users will be insured and so on. (Third party? Public liability? Nah mate - she'll be right! Got a premo drone from Dick Smiths!)

Google maps may indeed have what you say (although the resolution gets quite poor if you zoom in too close) but they also pixelate people.

Mark

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# 1357551 3-Aug-2015 09:42

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Geektastic:

Fly one over our house and I will accidentally mistake it for a magpie...

No you wouldn't, you're just being a keyboard warrior at the moment, I'm sure in reality you are like 99.999% of people and will just look at it and wonder why it's there.

1eStar

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# 1357568 3-Aug-2015 10:05

If you read the rules they make sense.

If you are a commercial user you get a licence which enables you to use it within a framework of conditions suitable for commercial use.

If you are a non commercial user, you can fly it at home or at someone's property with their permission. If you wish to fly in a public place you should get permission. If you don't and you don't cause any trouble you may be fine. If you are a menace you may be fined. Laws are good when they have teeth for menaces.

Geektastic

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# 1357673 3-Aug-2015 11:48

Mark:
Geektastic:

Fly one over our house and I will accidentally mistake it for a magpie...

No you wouldn't, you're just being a keyboard warrior at the moment, I'm sure in reality you are like 99.999% of people and will just look at it and wonder why it's there.

Oh no - my Beretta would be out of the cupboard very quickly if someone was flying one over my house.

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