Printed from https://fyi.org.nz/request/13016-who-is-watching-us-from-above on April 30, 2024 09:42

Who is watching us from above?

Jason McIntosh made this Official Information request to Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

The request was refused by Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

From: Jason McIntosh

Dear Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand,

Over the past months I have Increasingly witnessed strange lights and unusual aircraft ( mainly in the evenings) above Hamilton . They are often seen hovering for long periods of time and other times are seen moving around our skies . Around or on May 29 2020 between 5.45 and approx 9.00pm ,myself and at least three acquaintances (I found out later) witnessed what appeared to be a small unmanned fixed wing aircraft ( about the size of a family car ) circling at a low altitude above Dinsdale, Waikato University and the Bankwood Road areas .
I can only assume that these are some form of Surveillance Aircraft .
I have asked the NZ Police under the Freedom of Information Act if they use drones and they have stated that they don’t use them.
Please name the owners and operators of these craft and their purpose.

Yours faithfully,

Jason McIntosh

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From: OIA
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

Good afternoon Jason,

I am acknowledging receipt of your official information request dated 4 June 2020 for:

• Names of owners/operators of what appeared to be a small unmanned fixed wing aircraft (about the size of a family car) operating/circling at a low altitude above Dinsdale, Waikato University and the Bankwood Road areas on around 29 May 2020 between 17.45 and 21.00pm.

We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 2 July 2020, being 20 working days after the day your request was received.

If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Your request is being handled by Official Information & Privacy Officer, Talia Zachariah. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact Talia on email [CAA request email].
If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into account.

Sue Holliday
Legal Administrator
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
(DDI) +64 (4) 560 9616 |

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This electronic mail transmission is confidential, may be privileged and should be read or retained only by the intended recipient. If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender and delete it from your system.

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From: OIA
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand

Hi Jason

I checked CAA records and there are no complaints about drones or unmanned aircraft reported to the CAA for any incident on 29 May 2020.

If you want to report a drone safety concern yourself, please use the reporting system in the below link.

https://www.aviation.govt.nz/about-us/co...

Regards,

John Parnell
Principal Solicitor
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand | Aviation Security Service
Te Mana Rererangi Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Kaiwhakamaru Rererangi
Level 15 | Asteron Centre | 55 Featherston Street | PO Box 3555 | Wellington | 6011
(DDI) +64 (4) 560 9634 | M 021810585

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
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