A 59-year-old Alexandra man has today been convicted and sentenced in the Dunedin District Court to 325 hours of community service for multiple charges relating to his illegal operation of a helicopter.
The sentence was for flying a helicopter without an appropriate licence or medical approval, operating without an Air Operator Certificate (AOC), and attempting to operate without an AOC. Additionally, the individual had failed to provide information and obstructed the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) during its investigation, for which he was convicted and discharged.
The charges arose because the pilot advertised and sold helicopter flights to the public. This was in breach of the civil aviation rules, because he did not have, and did not meet, the requirements for operating a commercial passenger flight involving the carriage of passengers by air for hire or reward.
Judge Robinson described the pilot’s behaviour as “cavalier,” and that he had, “acted in flagrant disregard of the rules that were intended to keep the community safe.”
The judge also awarded the CAA costs for this matter, which has been before the courts since 2021.
CAA Deputy Chief Executive Dean Winter emphasised that civil aviation rules and regulations exist to ensure public safety.
“Repeatedly operating an aircraft without the appropriate licence and certification to ensure competency, poses a significant risk to both passengers and the general public, and undermines the integrity of our aviation system,” Mr Winter said.
This outcome sends a clear message that repeated unlawful behaviour which places the public at risk will not be tolerated and likely result in significant consequences.
Under Section 46 of the Civil Aviation Act:
027 763 0000 | media@caa.govt.nz
