Drone pilot fined $1000

Auckland: A drone pilot has been convicted and fined $1000 in a landmark case after his recreational drone collided in midair with a paraglider.

Judge Mina Wharepouri found the man guilty in October on two charges under the Civil Aviation Act 1990 after his drone was used in a manner causing unnecessary endangerment, and failing to keep clear of a manned aircraft.

The incident happened in 2018, between a drone and a trainee paraglider at Karioitahi Beach, near Waiuku.

In his recent judgement, delivered in the Manukau District Court, Judge Wharepouri found the drone operator had been overly reliant on the view from his drone’s camera and failed to maintain visual line of sight of the drone when he hit the paraglider about 100m above the ground.