Its Part 101 consultation rules and Part 102 unmanned aircraft certification has resulted in 108 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) receiving certification in the past few years.

More than 400 commercial UAV users are registered on the website of their national body, UAVNZ.

UAVNZ chair Andy Grant said if a commercial operator is able to demonstrate a safe way of bringing a drone business to market then the CAA is very open to discussing and accommodating new developments.

As the market for commercial applications opens up in a wide number of fields, be it agriculture, mining, search and rescue, urban planning or anywhere where an unmanned vehicle can go where it is risky for manned vehicles and where it makes economic sense, New Zealand’s commercial operators are jumping in.

a wide number of fields, be it agriculture, mining, search and rescue, urban planning or anywhere where an unmanned vehicle can go where it is risky for manned vehicles and where it makes economic sense, New Zealand’s commercial operators are jumping in.

Now the focus is on technology and applications for flying beyond the line‑of‑sight (BLOS).

A report commissioned by Callaghan Innovation, a government organisation tasked with making New Zealand business more innovative, estimated last year that flying drones out of the operator’s line of sight could provide economic gains of up to NZ$190 million annually to the country’s farming, forestry and energy sectors.

Last year Taranaki drone company Drone Technologies controlled remotely an unmanned aircraft in New Zealand’s first “beyond line‑of‑sight” CAA‑approved flight to inspect a 30km section of power transmission lines in the Rimutaka Ranges near Wellington for electricity utility, Transpower.

Managing director Ben Plummer said the flight demonstrated the importance of beyond line‑of‑sight in industry and agriculture, in risky conditions, delivering parcels and medical supplies to remote locations or communities in crisis. . . . . .