Pilot Toby Wallis has been fined $3750 for towing water skiers with his helicopter in the Marlborough Sounds during the 2006 Christmas holiday period.
He pleaded guilty in Blenheim District Court yesterday to charges of careless flying, after holidaymakers complained to the Civil Aviation Authority.
The court wastold Wallis flew a helicopter in a manner that concerned people in a small bay off Queen Charlotte Sound about 4pm on January 4 last year.
His helicopter towed skiers around the bay and then one person was suspended from a rope for about 10 minutes while the machine hovered around and about before being returned to a jetty.
The helicopter was also seen to perform low-level passes and nosedives below the minimum legal height of 500 feet.
At the time, a number of boats were in the bay, moored mostly near the foreshore. However, one craft was towing a child on a sea biscuit.
Wallis told an authority investigator that he could not recall if anyone was wearing life jackets, saying he had given a safety briefing earlier.
Two other charges were laid by the authority - dangerous flying and low-level flying. Both were dropped as Wallis claimed a loss of licence would seriously affect his ability to obtain any income from his commercial flying business.
The judge noted it was a serious offence. However, as the authority was not to prosecute for a loss of licence, he put it down to a one-off error in judgment.
Wallis was charged $3750 in addition to $130 court costs and $250 in solicitor's fees.
Wallis owns and operates a firm specialising in scenic helicopter tours, air tours and helicopter charter.
Company information called him a highly experienced pilot who held commercial helicopter and aircraft pilot licences.
"[He] has more than 11 years' local flying experience, ensuring safe, informative and enjoyable scenic helicopter tours and air tours," the information said.
"[His firm] is certified under Civil Aviation Part 135, the highest attainable standard of air transport regulations in New Zealand."
