๐ฃ Piyo: I want to film a wedding in a park with my drone. There will be guests below. Is that allowed in New Zealand, or do I need special permission?
๐ฆ Poppo: Excellent question. Flying over people is one of the most restricted operations in NZ drone law. Let me walk you through what's allowed, what requires approval, and the safety rules you must follow.
What Counts as "Flying Over People"?
Flying over people means operating your drone in airspace directly above a person (or persons), such that if the aircraft lost power, it could fall on them.Distinctions
| Scenario | Status |
|---|---|
| Flying 50+ metres away from any person | โ Legal (always) |
| Flying 50 metres from people but at 100m altitude | โ Usually legal (depends on rules) |
| Flying directly above a crowd (5-50m above ground) | โ Prohibited unless approved |
| Flying low over a wedding party | โ Prohibited unless Part 102 approval |
| Flying over a single person with approval | โ Legal if certified |
๐ฆ Poppo: The fundamental question CAA NZ asks: "If your drone falls, will it hit someone?" If the answer is yes or maybe, you need approval. If it's definitely no, you're usually fine.
Part 101: Severe Restrictions
What Part 101 Allows (Regarding Over People)
Part 101 recreational flying has almost no over-people operations allowed:- โ Cannot fly over a crowd (e.g., audience, festival attendees)
- โ Cannot fly over a gathering (e.g., sports event, concert, wedding)
- โ Cannot fly over a queue (e.g., people waiting in line)
- โ Cannot fly over traffic (cars, pedestrians on road)
- โ ๏ธ Limited cases: Flying over isolated people at sufficient altitude (50+ metres distance, 100+ metres altitude) may be acceptable, but this is grey area
Part 102: Approved Over-People Operations
Legal Basis
Part 102 UAOC holders can be approved for "Unrestricted Category" or "Specific Category" operations, including flying over people. But this requires special certification and a rigorous safety case.
Requirements for Part 102 Over-People Approval
To be approved for flying over people, you must have:
- โ Part 102 UAOC (Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certificate)
- โ Specific "Over People" Endorsement in your certificate
- โ Remote Pilot License with over-people training
- โ Approved Aircraft with extra redundancy systems
- โ Comprehensive Safety Management System (SMS) for people operations
- โ High-limit Liability Insurance (typically NZ$10,000,000 minimum)
- โ Detailed Risk Assessment for each specific over-people operation
The Approval Process for Over-People Operations
Phase 1: Obtain Base Part 102 UAOC (4 months)
You must first have a standard Part 102 certificate for basic operations.
Phase 2: Prepare Over-People SMS (Weeks 5-12)
Your Safety Management System must address the highest safety standards:
Aircraft Specifications:- Redundancy: Dual GPS, dual communication, dual battery (or failsafe landing system)
- Impact Mitigation: Soft drone design, frangible propellers, or parachute system
- Weight Limit: Aircraft under 5-10 kg (lighter = less injury potential upon impact)
- Failsafe Systems: Automatic descent or parachute deployment if power lost
- Testing: All redundancy systems tested and logged
- Pilot: Remote Pilot License + specialized over-people training (usually 20+ hours dedicated training)
- Safety Officer: Additional crew member dedicated to monitoring people and airspace safety
- Observers: Additional ground observers to monitor crowd movement and hazards
- Training: Annual over-people operations refresher required
- Briefing: Detailed crew briefing before each flight covering weather, crowd behavior, abort procedures
- Barriers: Physical crowd control measures (cordons, barriers, security staff)
- Distance: Minimum maintained distance from people on ground (typically 5-10 metres horizontally, unless approved for closer)
- Altitude: Minimum altitude above crowd (typically 10-30 metres depending on risk assessment)
- Duration: Maximum flight time over people (usually limited to 10-15 minutes per cycle)
- Abort Procedures: Clear procedures for aborting flight if crowd moves, weather changes, or any anomaly detected
- Hazard register specific to over-people operations (population density, urban hazards, emergency response capability)
- Contingency procedures if aircraft must descend into crowd area
- Emergency medical response plan (in case of an incident)
- Insurance certificates and liability coverage proof
- Local council notification (often required for events)
- Police liaison (if large public events)
- Fire/emergency services notification (in case of incident)
Phase 3: Submit Over-People Endorsement Application (Week 13)
CAA NZ submission includes:
- Complete over-people SMS (50-100+ pages)
- Evidence of pilot's over-people training and hours
- Aircraft specifications and redundancy documentation
- Risk assessments for proposed operation types
- Insurance certificate (minimum NZ$5,000,000 liability for over-people work)
- References from industry or previous operations
Phase 4: CAA NZ Audit & Site Inspection (Weeks 14-20)
This is the most rigorous audit process:
- Document Review โ Very detailed scrutiny of SMS, safety procedures, crew training
- Site Visit โ CAA inspectors visit your operation location(s) and observe test flights
- Crowd Safety Observation โ Inspectors watch how you manage barriers, observers, and crowd control
- Emergency Response Check โ Verify emergency procedures and medical response capability
- Crew Interviews โ Detailed questioning of pilot, safety officer, and observers
Phase 5: Over-People Endorsement Approval
Once approved, your UAOC will include:
- "Approved for Operations Over People" designation
- Operational Limits (e.g., over people only in defined areas, only daylight, max 20 people, etc.)
- Approved Aircraft List (specific drone models with redundancy systems)
- Approved Crew List (Remote Pilots and Safety Officers trained for over-people)
- Operations Manual (your approved SMS)
Specific Requirements for Different Over-People Scenarios
Small Group Operations (1-10 people, e.g., wedding)
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Aircraft redundancy | Dual GPS, dual comms (minimum) |
| Pilot qualifications | Remote Pilot License + over-people training |
| Safety officer | 1 dedicated safety officer on site |
| Ground observers | 2-3 trained observers |
| Barriers/cordons | Physical barriers keeping non-essential people outside flight zone |
| Altitude above crowd | Minimum 10-20 metres |
| Flight duration | Limited to 10-15 minutes per cycle |
| Insurance | NZ$5,000,000+ liability coverage |
| Weather minimums | Clear conditions, no rain, wind under 6 m/s |
Large Event Operations (100+ people, e.g., festival, concert)
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Aircraft redundancy | Dual GPS, dual comms, dual battery OR parachute system |
| Pilot qualifications | Remote Pilot License + advanced over-people training |
| Safety officers | 2-3 dedicated safety officers |
| Ground observers | 4-6 trained observers (full airspace coverage) |
| Barriers/cordons | Full perimeter barriers and access control |
| Communication | Radio/headset communication between all crew |
| Medical response | On-site paramedic or emergency medical team |
| Altitude above crowd | Minimum 20-30 metres (higher for larger crowds) |
| Flight duration | Limited to 5-10 minutes per cycle, longer breaks between |
| Insurance | NZ$10,000,000+ liability coverage |
| Weather minimums | Clear conditions, minimal wind (under 5 m/s) |
| Coordination | Local council approval, police liaison, fire/emergency services notification |
Sports/Racing Event Operations (Competitors + spectators)
| Requirement | Standard |
|---|---|
| Aircraft redundancy | Maximum redundancy (dual everything) + parachute system (for safety-critical events) |
| Pilot qualifications | Remote Pilot License + specialized racing/event filming training |
| Safety officers | 3+ dedicated personnel |
| Ground observers | 6-10 observers (full 360ยฐ coverage) |
| Barriers | Professional crowd control barriers and security staff |
| Medical response | Full medical team on site (paramedics, ambulance) |
| Altitude | 30-50 metres above crowd (depends on event size) |
| Insurance | NZ$10,000,000-$20,000,000+ liability (events carry extreme liability risk) |
| Coordination | Extensive: council, police, emergency services, event organizer |
๐ฎ Moo: Large event filming is the most expensive, most regulated type of drone operation in NZ. The costs are high because the liability is enormous. If something goes wrong, injuries to spectators can be catastrophic.
Practical Example: Wedding Filming
Scenario: Couple wants aerial shots of their wedding ceremony in a park (50 guests, no other public access). Requirements:- Aircraft: DJI Matrice 300 RTK (redundant systems, under 10 kg)
- Pilot: Remote Pilot License + Part 102 over-people endorsement
- Safety Officer: 1 trained safety officer on site
- Observers: 2 ground observers (one for airspace, one for crowd)
- Barriers: Small cordons around launch/recovery area; guests kept 50+ metres from airspace
- Altitude: 20-30 metres above guests
- Flight time: 10-minute segments with 5-minute breaks
- Weather: Day operations only, clear conditions
- Insurance: NZ$5,000,000 minimum liability coverage
- Coordination: Notify local council (usually simple for private events)
๐ฃ Piyo: So if I'm not certified for over-people operations, can I hire someone else to film my wedding?
๐ฆ Poppo: Yes! That's the solution. A Part 102-certified operator with over-people endorsement can film your wedding. Many professional drone cinematography companies in NZ have this certification. You pay them (typically NZ$1,500-$3,000 for a wedding shoot), and they handle all the compliance and safety. Much simpler than getting certified yourself if it's a one-time job.
Common Misconceptions
Myth 1: "If I fly high enough (100+ metres) over people, it's OK without approval." Reality: Altitude doesn't exempt you from Part 102 requirements. CAA NZ still considers it a risk. You need approval regardless of altitude. Myth 2: "If I fly 50 metres away horizontally, I'm not 'over' people." Reality: Correct, but "away" is different from "over." The rule is about descent risk. If you're flying 50m away, that's fineโyou're not over people. Myth 3: "I can film events under Part 101 if I stay at safe distance." Reality: Part 101 allows NO over-people operations (with rare exception for isolated individuals at height). Any event filming requires Part 102. Myth 4: "Private property events don't need CAA approval." Reality: Wrong. The rules apply equally to private and public events. CAA NZ cares about safety, not whether it's private or public.FAQ
Q: I want to film a graduation ceremony. Does the entire ceremony area need barriers?A: Not the entire ceremony, but the airspace where your drone will operate must be controlled. People outside the flight zone don't need barriers, but direct flight path above graduates requires barriers or at least crowd control.
Q: Can I fly over a beach with swimmers?A: Swimmers count as people. If your drone passes over them, you need Part 102 over-people approval. Most operators avoid this and fly parallel to the beach instead (50+ metres away).
Q: What if I'm flying for emergency services (fire, police, rescue)?A: Emergency operations have different rules. Check with CAA NZ directlyโthere may be carve-outs for legitimate emergency use, but they're rare.
Q: Do I need medical team on site for a small wedding ceremony?A: Not required by law, but NZ$5,000,000 liability insurance is mandatory. A paramedic on-site isn't CAA requirement, but your insurance company might recommend it for high-risk events.
Q: Can I post-process video to remove people who were in frame?A: That's a legal/ethical question, not CAA compliance. From CAA perspective, you still flew over people and needed approval. Don't use post-production as an excuse to skip compliance.
Q: What if someone walks into my flight zone unexpectedly?A: You must abort the flight immediately. Your SMS should have procedures for this (staff briefing, barriers, clear abort signals). If someone unexpectedly enters, land safely and resume after area is clear.
Q: How much more expensive is over-people certification vs. standard Part 102?A: Approximately NZ$5,000-$8,000 additional cost (SMS development, extra training, higher CAA processing fees). Timeline adds 2-4 months to base Part 102 approval.
Q: Can my over-people approval be used at any location?