The following information is intended to help Part 102 certificated drone operators understand the aircraft maintenance requirements, so you can conduct reliable, safe and secure operations.
If you operate unmanned aircraft under Civil Aviation Rule (CAR) Part 102, you must meet the maintenance and maintenance-approval requirements in Civil Aviation Rule: CAR 102.11 (b) (9) and (14). Some guidance around this can be found below.
The following organisations are approved to provide maintenance:
| Organisation | UA types/equipment approved for |
|---|---|
| Ferntech Limited | DJI Aircraft |
| Jackson UAS | All unmanned aircraft |
| Airborne Limited | All XAG Aircraft |
| Unmanned Aircraft Solutions Ltd (Bevan Lewell) | All unmanned aircraft |
| Mainland Drones (Paul Robinson) | XAG and DJI aircraft |
| Criterion Solutions NZ Limited | FlightWave Edge 130 |
| Aptella Limited | Quantum System Trinity |
| Cratos Limited | Teledyne, TEAL, Boresight branded UAS |
| OC Aerial Limited | All unmanned aircraft |
| Thompson Twins, trading as AeroInspect | DJI aircraft |
| Aerolab Limited, trading as Aerolab | XAG P series DJI Agras series EAVision J series TopXGun FP series |
| DO Drones Limited | Aircraft manufactured by ABZ Innovations |
| SPS Automation Limited | All unmanned aircraft |
If you want to perform maintenance on unmanned aircraft operating under Part 102, you must apply through CAA Certification Admin. There is no application form for this process currently, requests to become a maintenance provider are managed through CAA Certification Administration by email.
Email your application to certification@caa.govt.nz.
New Zealand doesn’t currently have an unmanned aircraft maintenance licence, so maintenance providers are not formally certificated. Instead, maintenance providers are managed through the Part 102 certification process. The CAA requires all Part 102 certificated operators to nominate a maintenance provider. Those nominated maintenance providers are then assessed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the Part 102 organisation’s maintenance needs for the aircraft they operate.
To carry out maintenance on another Part 102 operator’s aircraft you must be listed in that operator’s Exposition and on their Operations Specification document.
The CAA will assess your maintenance qualifications and experience during the assessment of the Part 102 certificated operator’s application, to ensure you have the necessary skills to conduct maintenance on the aircraft types that organisation operates.
Once a maintenance provider has been accepted by the CAA as suitable to perform maintenance services on a common aircraft type, that provider can then be used by other Part 102 certificated operators. This means more than one maintenance provider can be listed, where they have already been assessed as competent for that aircraft type. Any changes to a maintenance provider’s services, or a decision to use a different provider, requires an amendment to the Part 102 certificated operator’s Operations Specifications document.
You will need to provide the CAA with a manual that explains how you will conduct the maintenance services you intend to provide. This documentation must include the following information:
For many common aircrafts, the CAA already recognises suitable maintenance providers. This means more than one maintenance provider can be listed, where they are already accepted for that aircraft. Any changes to a maintenance provider’s services, or a decision to use a different provider, will require an amendment to the Part 102 certificate and Operations Specifications.
The CAA does not have oversight of spare parts. We urge operators and maintenance providers to take care when sourcing them.
Our advice is to use reputable suppliers and obtain traceability documentation where possible. Damaged aircraft are sometimes returned to owners after an insurance claim, which creates a risk that damaged parts could be circulating as spares.
