Canterbury hosts first-of-kind drone trials
A drone flown from Kaitorete Spit has mixed it up with other civilian aircraft in controlled airspace in New Zealand for the first time, aerospace companies and government agencies say.
The uncrewed aircraft was operated beyond the visual line of sight while other aircraft were flying in the same airspace.
The trial, a first of its kind, was carried out by California-based aerospace manufacturer Wisk, in partnership with the government and other aviation groups.
“What’s different is where we flew the aircraft,“Catherine MacGowan, vice president of Wisk Aero, told RNZ. “This is a great milestone because to deliver the benefits of these technologies, we want to be flying around cities where other aircraft are flying.”
The drone took off from Kaitorete Spit south of Lake Ellesmere and flew over water to remain clear of other aircraft operating in the vicinity and while climbing to altitude. The drone was separated laterally from other traffic by a minimum of eight nautical miles (14.8km), with a 1000foot (300 metre) separation applied above the aircraft and no aircraft allowed to pass below it, said James Evans, acting general manager of air traffic services at Airways NZ, the air traffic management authority.
It operated between 17 and 40 nautical miles (31km and 74km) from Christchurch International Airport.
Wisk is wholly owned by Boeing, one of the largest aerospace and defence contractors in the world, with revenues of US$66.6 billion ($108bn) in 2022.
The company is developing a self-flying, eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) air taxi for use by commuters and “urban travellers”.
The daytime test flights occurred between November 17 and December 1, and involved takeoffs, landings and navigation in controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
Controlled airspace is where an air traffic control service is necessary, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.
The flights took place from the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete, a joint aerospace venture between Kaitorete mana whenua – Te Taumutu Rūnanga and Wairewa Rūnanga – and the Government.
Early next year, Tāwhaki will enable horizontal space launches with a new sealed runway.
Tāwhaki was helping to create an “adaptive, exciting, sustainable future for aerospace transport”, chief executive officer Linda Falwasser said.
The Kaitorete drone flights were operated by another Boeing subsidiary called Insitu Pacific. The Civil Aviation Authority also took part, as did Airways New Zealand, as the air navigation service provider, and a subsidiary.