The Civil Aviation Authority is preparing for another season of increased complaints about new drone owners being unaware of the rules and causing problems for other people and aircraft.

National data shows that reports about drone behaviour surge by 30 per cent at the start of each new year.

“It takes only one drone being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, to cause major disruptions – or worse, an accident,” said CAA Deputy Chief Executive of Aviation Safety, David Harrison.

“They may seem like a clever toy, but they need to be flown responsibly.”

If you’re getting a drone this summer, there are rules about how you fly your aircraft and, to fly safely and to stay out of trouble, you need to know those rules before your first flight. Read the full set of rules on the CAA’s website and check out the pre-flight checklist in CAA’s new brochure:

Flying your drone safely

Some of the key rules (along with many others) are:

• don’t fly over property without permission

• always fly below 120m (400ft) above the ground

• get permission before flying directly over people

• don’t fly within 4km of an aerodrome

• don’t fly outdoors at night

• know what a shielded flight is and when you can use it.

It’s also important for drone owners to check the Airshare map before taking off.

Airshare website

Even if you’re more than 4km away from an airport, you still might be in controlled airspace.

David Harrison said drones are also a fantastic tool for professionals such as photographers and surveyors, but they can also be a hazard to people, property, and aircraft.

“There have been situations where helicopters fighting fires have had to be grounded because of irresponsible drone owners flying in an area they should not be flying their drones and too close to other aircraft.

“We know that most drone owners aren’t deliberately ignoring the rules, and we understand incidents can happen. However, with more people out and about at the start of the year, we really ask owners to take the time to understand the rules before taking flight.

“We want you to enjoy using your drone while staying safe.”

Here’s where you can read all the rules – aviation.govt.nz/drones