Information for Non-NZPIA Licence Holders

New Zealand Civil Aviation Rules require all parachutists, except students and tandem passengers, to hold a Parachute Certificate issued by the organisation that the drop zone is affiliated to.

This means that jumpers who hold non-NZPIA licences must obtain an NZPIA licence prior to jumping under the NZPIA. This is not only true for licences from other countries, but also for those from other NZ organisations (e.g. NZPO, NZPF, etc.).

This Rule applies even if you only want to do one jump. It is a CAA Rule, and the NZPIA has no authority to change it or make exceptions.

The NZPIA offers two options for sport/recreational parachutists. An NZPIA Assessor will evaluate your experience and non-NZPIA credentials to determine if you are eligible for an equivalent NZPIA certificate.

NZPF Licence Holders

NZPF licences are not NZPIA licences, therefore holders must apply for an initial-issue NZPIA certificate, and meet current NZPIA competency requirements. However, old NZPF licences may be used as evidence of experience.

Lost Documents

You may still be able to get an NZPIA certificate if you’ve lost your non-NZPIA document. The Assessor will evaluate your logbook(s) and carry out a competency assessment to determine the most appropriate NZPIA certificate for you.

No Licence or Logbook

NZPIA cannot issue a certificate without evidence of experience. Here are some suggestions for recovering a lost skydiving history:

• Ask the organisation that issued the certificate, if it’s still active, for a copy of your document.
• Contact drop zones you’ve worked at to see if they have copies of your credentials.
• Contact drop zones where you’ve done a lot of jumps to see if they have records of those jumps (e.g. load manifests, etc.)

If none of these are possible, contact the NZPIA for advice.

Non-NZPIA Ratings

See the Info for Non-NZPIA Rating Holders page