What is Pt 102 Certification for UAVs

For companies like Recon, with various projects spanning many square kilometres and often over populated or sensitive areas, the NZ Civil Aviation Authority (NZ CAA) CAR Pt 101 rules for the operation of drones can be too restrictive.  

In 2015 a rule change required all UAV operators to gain permission from landowners or occupiers to operate UAVs over their property.  Companies can apply to operate under CAR Pt 102 which provides exhemptions from some Pt 101 rules which instead allows the operator to notify landowners/occupier of the upcoming flight rather than request their permission.  

Some projects necessitate flying UAVs over neighbouring properties, for example, this might be required to allow the capture of topographic information for the surrounding area and used for flood modelling and design purposes.

In addition, for New Zealand's roading authorities a Pt 102 certificate is a pre-requisite to operating a UAV over the road corridor. This applies for inspection work as well, such as bridges or building facades that abutt the road boundary.

In order to qualify for Pt 102 certification Recon had to provide the CAA with a rigorous set of procedures and manuals proving the systems in place are robust and the equipment that the company uses ensures minimal risk to the public.

UAVs are now being utilised regularly in a number of industries, proving their worth as aerial tools for many tasks, from construction monitoring and the surveying of quarries, to agricultural and environmental management surveys for flood or erosion monitoring, forest plantation surveys and even emergency planning and search and rescue operations.