Part 101 Drone Pilot Certificate Course

Get your CAA-approved Part 101 Drone Pilot Certificate with DroneTrust, a CAA Part 141 certificated training organisation. You'll do the theory online at your own pace, then finish with a practical flight assessment with one of our 22 approved examiners across 16 cities in New Zealand.

The Part 101 certificate is the foundation every drone pilot in New Zealand needs. It gives you the legal privilege to fly within 4km of an aerodrome or heliport, and it's the grounding in NZ airspace rules you'll want before flying near people or property, whether you fly for fun or for work.

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

• Read NZ airspace rules and Visual Navigation Charts (VNCs)
• Work out your drone's legal altitude limits using height above ground (AGL) and above sea level (AMSL)
• Identify controlled, uncontrolled and special use airspace, including VFR transit lanes
• Understand runway and aerodrome operating requirements
• Log flights and check local council rules using AirShare
• Find air traffic control contacts before you fly
• Fly confidently in ATTI mode if you lose GPS signal

What's included:

• Full online theory across 9 modules (around 6-10 hours)
• One final exam, 80% pass mark, resits included
• One practical flight assessment with an approved examiner
• Your Part 101 digital certificate

Planning to fly over people, at night or spray crops? Go straight to the Part 102 course. All the Part 101 content is included.

Got questions about the course? Hit Send enquiry and we'll get back to you. Ready to go? Use the Provider's course page link below to buy directly from our website and start today.

No prior qualifications or experience needed.

For the flight assessment you'll need a drone that can switch to manual ATTI/Rate mode. If you don't have one, you can hire one from DroneTrust after passing your exam.

Theory, exam and flight assessment must all be completed within 12 months of purchase.

DroneTrust has been providing certified drone training in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the United States since 2018. It is our mission to grow an industry of safe, knowledgeable and trusted drone pilots by providing quality training.

We provide drone training courses in a cost-effective and scalable way, so all drone pilots can learn the rules and up-skill to maximise their drone experiences and income-earning opportunities. The quality of our courses shows in the results - we have a 95.5% pass rate across more than 1,200 flight assessments in the last three years alone.

DroneTrust is a certified CAA Part 141 aviation training organisation #TR104722. Our courses are delivered online, meaning you can learn at your own pace at your own place. This makes it a convenient, affordable exercise, and throughout that time, you can be confident we are here to support you and help you achieve your desired outcome. Watching you succeed is our business. Note that the final practical assessment must be completed in person with an approved examiner.