The Alexandra pilot has been sentenced to 325 hours of community service for taking people on rides without a licence. (File photo) Photo: 123RF
An Otago pilot who sold helicopter rides and took people flying without the right licence has been sentenced to community service.
The 59-year-old Alexandra man was charged with flying a helicopter without an appropriate licence, Air Operator Certificate or medical approval, breaching the civil aviation rules.
This meant he did not have and did not meet the requirements for operating a commercial passenger flight, despite advertising and selling helicopter rides.
He was sentenced to 325 hours of community service in the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday.
The pilot was also convicted and discharged after failing to provide information and obstructing the Civil Aviation Authority investigation.
Judge David Robinson described his behaviour as cavalier, saying he had acted in a flagrant disregard of the rules that were intended to keep the community safe.
The Civil Aviation Authority was awarded costs, and its deputy chief executive Dean Winter said the rules were there to keep people safe.
Repeatedly operating a helicopter without the appropriate licence to ensure competence posed a significant risk to passengers and the public, and undermined the integrity of our aviation system, Winter said.