About Flight Testing

Our flight test, conducted for the award of a Pilot Certificate or as part of the annual OCA for Part 102 operators, is designed to assess the ability of the pilot to address the following topics:

• flight planning including weather;
• hazard assessment;
• airspace knowledge and procedures if operating within 4km of an aerodrome;
• battery management;
• knowledge of UAS systems;
• failsafe functions (if any);
• pre-flight checks;
• take-off and landing;
• 360 degree yaw-turn maintaining position;
• four quarters of orientation;
• ascending and descending circuits;
• figure-of-8 flight path;
• vertical 180 degree ascending and descending corkscrew; and
• emergency situations.

The latest version of our Flight Test Guides can be downloaded here:

• Fixed Wing
• Multi-Rotor
• VTOL

Important Note: In order to pass our flight tests you must be able to fly in DJI’s “attitude” (ATTI) mode. This is the mode that the craft will revert to if it loses GPS, and we can guarantee that at some point it will lose GPS.

Why ATTI Mode?

The purpose to practice flying in ATTI mode is to “remain competent at maintaining manual control of their aircraft in the event that automated flight modes are lost.”

Flight testing locations

We offer flight testing/OCAs throughout New Zealand, and routinely in Christchurch, Feilding, Auckland.

For more information or to book yours, email us.