Drone permits

A drone or Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) is considered an aircraft and must comply with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules.

Under CAA rules, a drone or RPAS cannot fly within 4km of Whanganui Airport’s boundary without permission from the airport authority.

The same rule applies to Whanganui Hospital – no drone or RPAS can fly within 4km of the hospital (because of its helicopter landing pad) without obtaining permission from the airport authority.

These restrictions effectively cover most of Whanganui city, including the North Mole and South Beach, as well as the sea area next to Whanganui Airport.

Permission is also needed to fly a drone or RPAS over any Whanganui District Council-owned park or reserve.

To apply for permission to fly a drone within the restricted area or over any Council parks or reserves please email the Whanganui Airport Manager at airside@whanganui.govt.nz

Flying a drone outside restricted areas

There are also rules for flying a drone more than 4km from the Whanganui Airport boundary or Whanganui Hospital.

These rules include maintaining a line of sight with the drone or RPAS, flying no higher than 120m, and not flying at night. The permission of the landowner must be obtained before flying a drone over any private property. For a full explanation of the rules please visit www.airshare.co.nz or www.caa.govt.nz/drones