Pilots want tighter rules around drones

Airline pilots are increasingly worried about drones.

Airline pilots are increasingly worried about drones and want tighter regulations around their use.

A review of Civil Aviation Authority rules is about to start and the New Zealand Airline Pilots' Association says it needs to be extensive.

Association president Tim Robinson said the number of incidents around New Zealand airports had increased during the last 12 months. Passenger aircraft had experienced near-misses at Christchurch and Queenstown.

''We know the Civil Aviation Authority is about to undertake that review. It needs to be extensive and it needs to include all stakeholders in the industry,'' he said.

Drone users flying in controlled airspace - such as around airports - need to receive clearance from Air Traffic Control. The association supports registration of drones.

''We're not anti-drones - we want to see their development safety into the New Zealand aviation system,'' said Robinson.

''We see them as having huge economic benefit for our country. We recognise that we're a bit of a test bed and the regulations have been fairly flexible - but now they've been operating for a couple of years we're starting to see the complaints and incidents increase and we need to see a tightening of regulations.''

Pilots are not the only group worried. OceanaGold, which owns the Martha Mine in Waihi, has warned that drone operators are endangering helicopters associated with its operation.

One recent posting on social media showing video of Waihi town was clearly well above 400 feet and staff estimated would have been at a height of least 1500 feet.

"That's a real worry for us as we regularly have helicopters flying in the Waihi area. That puts a recreational drone and an aircraft in the same airspace,'' the company said in a community newsletter.