"Even a monkey could fly one of these."
Of all the comments picked up while dipping in and out of an intensive two-day drone-flying course in Wanaka this week, that’s the one that sticks.
But what next?
That’s where Aviation Safety Management Systems Ltd kicks in with its intensive, two-day, $1000-plus flying course.
It had 15 people on this week’s course, with another 10 lining up for the next. And that is just Wanaka.
Those on the course have a drone already and a commercial use for it in mind — mostly aerial photography and videography.
What they want is the paperwork to show they know what they are doing.
The holy grail is the Civil Aviation Authority’s part 102 certificate for unmanned aircraft operators, which requires drone operators to pass theory and flying exams.
A 102 certificate offers credibility and helps open doors with authorities that control airspace.
Queenstown surveyor Ben Robie says a great deal of airspace around Queenstown is off-limits to unqualified drone operators.
"Trying to fly in Queenstown is already enough of a pain.
"There are so many no-fly zones.
"There’s too much happening."
A 102 certificate allows a drone operator to get permission to fly within 4km of an aerodrome — airspace that is out of bounds to the unqualified.
Mr Robie says he picked up the office Phantom 4 which "no-one else was really using".
Now he is the office "go-to" drone operator, but admits he has a fair amount yet to learn.
His flight examiner this week was Wayne Cook, of Christchurch, who ventured into the drone world five years ago as part of his business Cobi Digital Productions.
His Freefly Alta 6 weighs over 13kg, compared to a Phantom 4 which weighs just over 1kg.
"You treat it like an aircraft.
"It’s not a toy."
With a camera operator and a safety observer, it allows him to fly and film in places that are difficult and expensive to reach with traditionally-rigged cameras.
"It’s just so much quicker.
"It just gives you an ability to have a camera not on a tripod."
The nature of the work means he flies his drone manually rather than using automatic GPS functions.
And that is how this week’s flight tests were conducted, with drone operators in full manual control, having to allow for wind, to follow instructions, and turn and land smoothly.
Aviation Safety’s chief executive Andrew Shelley can see the day coming when drone operators are licensed in the same way as firearms users.
His view is there is no reliable way to stop irresponsible use of drones — "not with the existing rules and regulations".
He suggests a licensing system "where in order to buy a drone from a retailer or to import a drone you have got to have a licence to do so".
Once existing drones became obsolete, New Zealand would be left with "licensed people who are operating licensed drones".
"That would be possible.
"We’ve made it work with firearms."
