Buying A Drone In Canada? 13 Things You Need To Know
If you want to fly a drone in the winter, legally you have to choose wisely.
1. It’s YOUR Responsibility
Flying a drone in Canada is not as simple as just buying one. It is your responsibility to know the rules set out by Transport Canada and to take this seriously. It may be just a hobby for you, but it is business for me and many others in the aerial imagery industry. Did you know that you cannot fly any size of drone in a provincial or national park in Canada? And yes, that includes all of Gatineau Park, not just the popular sections. Or did you know that when you buy a drone new or new-to-you that you need to register it with Transport Canada? Ya, it costs $5 per drone.
2. Transport Canada Certification
There are two levels of pilot certification for drone operators. The info below is taken from the Transport Canada website. You need to familiarize yourself with this as a basic resource. You can find the link here If you plan on operating a drone over 250 grams these apply to you.
Basic
Advanced
It is legally required that your pilot license is on your person any time you fly. This can be a physical, printed copy or digital. In addition you need to carry the registration form for your drone at all times when flying.
Please Note: You do not need a drone pilot license to fly a micro drone, such as the DJI Mavic Mini series that weigh in under 250 grams. The link below under heading 5 gives you detailed info on the best practice for flying those.
3. Transport Canada & Nav Canada
At this point you’ve read mention about Transport Canada in this article. It is the federal government department tasked with creating and enforcing the rules around Canadian airspace. They are the ones who regulate drones in Canada. The other organization that you need to know about is Nav Canada. They are the not-for-profit crown corporation responsible with making sure planes don’t fly into each other. You know the cool airport control towers high over the terminal buildings? They are all operated by Nav Canada. They provide weather services, aeronautical info and if you want to fly restricted airspace, you will need to get in touch with them.
4. Drone… Pilot?
Yes, if you fly a drone in Canada of any size you need to know two things. First is that you are a pilot according to Transport Canada. Second your drone is legally considered an aircraft. Sorry folks, them’s the rules.
5. Sorry to disappoint you but the DJI Mini is still a drone
As I stated above, the DJI Mavic Mini series (among many other brands, they are just the most well known) are considered micro drones and are not regulated by the federal Canadian Aviation Regulations. This does not mean that you can do whatever you want. The link here to the Transport Canada site has all the detailed info. It’s a lot of information and no, you can’t just ignore it because it may not all apply to you or it’s “just to much.” There are two major “rules” when flying a micro drone weighing less than 250 grams:
Do not fly over people (at events, crowded streets etc)
Do not fly in restricted airspace (what is restricted airspace? We will get to that, but it’s also part of what you must know before flying).
(Technically there is a third restriction relating to staying away from forest fires, because of fire fighting aircraft in the area).
6. Fuck The Rules… Airspace is for planes only right?
Noooopppppeeee. Whether you are flying a micro drone or a UAV that weighs 50 lbs, you are going to have to know what airspace is. Ever wondered why there are so few aerial images of Parliament Hill? There is a restricted, exclusion zone all around it, “technically” called Class F airspace. To fly in and around Parliament you need to contact the RCMP. Good luck with that by the way! Here is the link for the Transport Canada resources as it regards airspace.
Taking a personal detour here to give you an idea of how I determine airspace.
The first place I look is here. The airspace where anyone with a basic pilot license can fly is Class G airspace. Most of Canada, generally speaking, is Class G.
The second place is the Drone Pilot (Canada) App. This is a fantastic resource that is kept up to date and provides very accurate info. You can log all your flights, record notes, keep a log of all your drones, and submit requests for flights right in the app.
The third place is the DJI GO 4 app or the DJI Fly app for Mavic Mini series drones. This map will show landing and take off routes at airports and restricted airspace for airports and heliports around hospitals. (Please note: DJI locks you out of certain airspace around airports though you should be able to fly there according to Nav Canada. There is an unlocking process where DJI send you a temporary code to unlock your drone in certain locations).
7. VLOS
This is a basic rule for anyone flying a drone of any kind. If this is new to you, it’s a firm rule. You need to be able to see your drone at all times. VLOS stands for visual line of sight and it is something you will see a lot of in the regulations and drone literature. There are technical ways around this, such as hiring spotters with constant communication devices to extend your VLOS but that is neither here nor there if you are new to drone flying.
8. Recording Your Flight
This is pretty basic. Any time you turn on your drone and fly it, you need to make a manual log with notes about your weather details, location, time of day, flight duration, if anything bad happened etc. You need to hold onto those flight records for a minimum of two years and Transport Canada can technically request them at any time.
9. You (probably) Can’t Fly Over People
I mentioned this earlier in regards to the micro drones. As a general rule you cannot fly your drone, regardless of the size, over people. At the beach? At an event? At a ski hill? You can fly under certain circumstances at these locations if there are no people around underneath you. This is usually achieved by asking permission from a land-owner (this is required anyway FYI), flying at quiet times of the day etc. You will need to seek special permission from Transport Canada if you want to fly a drone at an event for example. This application is called an SFOC and they can be challenging to get for reasons outside the scope of this blog post.
Here’s one way you can fly over people!
10. How Close Can You Fly A Drone To Someone
Basic License: 33 m horizontally
Advanced: 6 m horizontally
11. How High Can I Fly?
Basic License: 122m or 400 ft (AGL or at ground level
Advanced License: 122m or 400 ft (AGL or at ground level)
Micro Drones: There is no regulated height restrictions but you should use your common sense. Transport Canada strongly suggests 400 ft.
12. Flying In The Winter? Manufacturer Guidelines
The Transport Canada regulations are predicated on you flying your drone according to the manufacturer specifications. Those include the specifications for the ambient air temps your model of drone is rated to fly in. If you want to fly all year round, I suggest a DJI mini series drone or the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. There are many other drones on the market but DJI is most well known and user friends for beginners and professionals alike.
READ MORE: For information on the types of photographer insurance and how you can benefit, check out this
13. Insurance For Photographers
Commercial liability insurance is not required to work as a drone pilot or photographer. There are many companies that will never ask you if you don’t volunteer the information. But as a working professional or aspiring professional, it is highly recommended. There are just as many organizations and companies that do require you to carry commercial liability insurance for aerial work with a minimum of $2 million dollars. I have a policy with Premier Canada and I highly recommend them.
The End (Of This Post Anyway) - Social Responsibility
At the end of the day most folks on Instagram, big reposting pages and organizations wanting to share or use your photos will not know anything about drones or the regulations. Have fun, follow the rules and use your common sense. You are a pilot when flying a drone in Canada and your actions can positively or negatively impact public perception for the rest of us. No one wants to read about you in the news!
Happy trails and have fun capturing the world from above.
