Yes, Both Drone Works Consultancy, as a training administrator, and the courses are approved, accredited and recommended by the CAAF.
We offer Part 101 (Basic Recreational), Part 102 (Professional Commercial), Operational Competency
Assessment, Night Rating, and Survey courses.
Navigating the world of Drone Pilot Certification can appear to be complex and confusing. You can contact us on email or phone and our friendly team will be able to help you understand the right course to select from.
Simply browse our courses, email support@droneworksconsultancy.com and one of the friendly team at Drone Works 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.
As soon as you have registered. Being an online course is this very easy seamless process. For Face to Face course, please contact us if you would like to discuss this option
All of our provided courses have a fee. This is clearly stated prior to your purchase. Once a course is purchased enrolment fees are non-refundable.
We have tailored made the course and delivery of the course to the participants. There are other vendors
from Overseas who is charging FJ$4200 almost twice the amount in fees from what our fees are.
(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)
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
The practical flight involves a demonstration of your ability to operate your drone safely, while following all the regulations you have learnt in the theory section. You will be required to answer questions from the examiner about what you are doing, as well as completing a series of drone pilot tasks in and out of ATTI mode.
‘Atti Mode’ is DJI term for Attitude Mode – where your drone’s GPS system is disable so it will not remain in a stable hover situation, allowing it to be subject to the effects of wind drift. It’s a CAA requirement that we assess each RPAS Pilot’s ability to safely operate their drone when GPS signal is lost, and an Atti Mode situation arises. The goal is for you to develop skills to operate your drone safely if it reverts to Atti Mode. You will need to perform a range of tasks within Atti Mode.
Not all drones will have the functionality to manually select Atti Mode, including the DJI Mavic models.
Operating under trees, near buildings and structures, or near high tension power lines can cause signal loss, as well as a failure with the drone’s GPS system, and it can happen at any time so it is important to practice. We recommend at least 6-8 batteries worth of practice to become proficient. We can provide instructors if you require tuition.
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.
Not a problem – we have qualified instructors 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.
Should you need to repeat your practical assessment. There is no extra cost for fees for repeat on practical
assessment (within Suva). However, there will be an additional charge to cover the examiner fee and admin costs if this is to be done outside of the working area of the examiner.
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.
We recommend completing the course in 2-4 weeks (30 Days). 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.
Not necessarily. This certificate enables you to fly for an organisation that holds a Part 102 certificate (UAOC / CAAF RPAS Authorisation), and being inducted onto this certificate is what will allow you exemptions from the 101 rules. The UAOC may cover multiple pilots in a larger business, or just one sole contractor. To obtain a UAOC you must submit an application to CAA that details how you will operate safely. Drone Works Consultancy is here to help with this process.
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.
Under Part 101 rules, you can only do this if you have direct consent from everyone you fly over. A disclaimer in the conditions of a ticket or sign-posted is not enough in this case.
Flying over a large group of people at a public event is likely to be regarded as a hazardous operation, which is outside the bounds of Part 101.
This means certification is required under Part 102. The CAA would assess the need to get consent based on the operation, airworthiness of your aircraft, and the experience of the person behind the controls. The CAA may satisfy the requirement for consent by requiring you to erect signs at the entrance to the event. In some cases, the CAA may waive the requirement to gain consent if it determines you are capable of managing the risks effectively.
You will also have to consider the application of the Health and Safety at Work Act (2015).
Before you can use this drone for the activities allowed on your UAOC, it must be listed on the Operations
Specifications issued by CAA. You will have to make an amendment application to CAA and wait for it to be
approved before using the drone
Similar to the MFNZ Wings, this qualification is accepted by the Civil Aviation Authority as the qualification needed to operate within 4km of an aerodrome per the 101 rules.
A PPL holder would also be suitable for fulfilling te observation requirements if a non qualified experienced drone pilot is flying in this situation. That being said, the pilot license would not fully cover drone related requirements so it’s highly recommended to brush up on these rules prior.
To operate outside of 101 rules, you are subject to the same requirements of everyone else (102 certs, UAOC etc), however your existing aviation knowledge will make the theory portions of the qualification much easier.
Fiji Roads Authority, the road controlling authority for Fiji state highways, is responsible for permitting any flying in the airspace above these roads. Their rules state that that unless you have Part 102 certification, you may not fly or film directly above or along highways, along the road corridor, or cross over a section of the state highway, or on land potentially zoned for roading project, regardless of whether the highway is open or closed at the time of operation, even if there is no traffic using the road at the time to fly directly above or
They consider drones to be a distraction to road users that may result in or be the cause of an accident, or be a direct hazard to people and vehicles due to misadventure or a malfunction.
Operators who hold, or are planning to apply for, a Part 102 certificate issued by the CAA who intend to fly above or adjacent to a state highway, should contact FRA for permission
Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account an agreed safety plan that will describe how you propose to manage the risks to road users, the state highway network and any contractor or supplier staff and equipment.
Very little, and these terms are used interchangeably. RPAS means a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System and is a relatively new term that encompasses an uncrewed aircraft (UA) and everything involved in their operation including software, aircraft, and operational procedures. UAS/UAV means an Unmanned Aerial System/Vehicle and includes software and the aircraft vehicle. Drone is the common name for these.
(NOTE: Answer provided by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner)
The Privacy Act applies to drones whenever they are collecting information for commercial purposes. This includes any situation when the camera is active – whether it’s recording or not.
Notification is the most relevant component of the Privacy Act. Drone operators need to take reasonably practicable steps to notify people that camera equipped drones are active in the area, who is responsible for them and what the footage will be used for. This could be as simple as posting a sign, but will be dictated by the situation’s specific circumstances. In some cases it will not be practical.
Drone operators also need to make sure they aren’t collecting information in an unfair way, or in a way that intrudes unreasonably on someone’s personal affairs. Notification does not excuse operators from this aspect of the Privacy Act. For example, it would probably be unfair to hover outside someone’s bedroom window while they change – regardless of whether the resident was notified.
While notification is the most relevant, the other privacy principles (such as those concerning storage, use and disclosure of information) are also relevant to drone use.
Finally, at least one person in every organisation should undertake the Privacy 101 e-learning module, which gives more detail about the rights and obligations organisations and people have under the Privacy Act.