Hi Guys & Girls, I’m new to the forum
and came across this post by chance... and thought I would post my experience so far regarding the process to (NOT) obtaining a
SFOC in Canada - aka the
form 26-0835E (Application for a Special Flight Operation Certificate - SFOC) - hopefully this info is useful for any other Aussie drone enthusiast thinking of taking there drone to Canada for "Happy Snaps".
btw..I’m an enthusiast, who fly's on weekends, under 2kg excluded category + flying for fun I don't need a licence or certification.
With that said...
I’m from Australia and heading to Canada for a holiday, in the next few weeks (Aug 2019), and was hoping to take my Mavic Air to get a few cool “selfies” hahaha, but I have been struggling to get my head around on how to get my drone registered and obtaining the SFOC permit as a ‘foreign pilot’ with Transport Canada.
Before, I submitted my official online application, I sent them an email
(25th June) direct to:
[email protected] stating my intent to fly recreationally for my upcoming family holiday and that most of the questions on the
26-0835E SFOC form didn't seem to be applicable to a casual drone operator. (btw, I just received a response today -
9th August 
) see below...
- - -
Hello, You will need to apply for a SFOC via this form.
We do not differentiate between recreation or commercial use. Regards,
| Civil Aviation Safety Inspector- Flight Operations | |
RPAS Center for Expertise
Transport Canada/Government of Canada | |
- - -
I ended up submitting my
26-0835E SFOC form a few days later anyway
(29th June) which I also just received a response
(8th Aug), also, at the same time I applied for a
GCKey, and upon submitting this error message appeared
Attention
- It is not possible to continue registering for an account as you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. If you are a foreign resident and wish to operate a drone in Canada, you must apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate.
- - -
Also, this was the response I received today
(9th August) - (from my 26-0835E SFOC form application, remembering I sent this on the 29th of June)
Thank you for submitting your SFOC request to Transport Canada – RPAS Centre of Expertise.
Your reference number is ATS-19-20-xxxxxxxxxxxx ** Please include this reference number in the subject of your e-mails and any correspondence related to this request **
In order to obtain a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) to operate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Canada as a Foreign Operator or Pilot, please complete the following;
1. Provide the following documents:
a. Completed application Form 26-0835E if you have not already done so;
b. Completed checklist;
c. Copy of your passport;
d. Copy of your TP-15263 compliant training certificate;
e. Copy of Flight Review appointment confirmation (Advanced Operations ONLY);
f. Foreign RPAS pilot certificate (if available);
g. Foreign RPAS registration certificate (if available); and
h. Any other documents that may support your application, as per Section D of the checklist.
2. You are required to read and understand the Canadian Aviation Regulations – Part IX
3. Familiarize yourself with the attached checklist, confirm each item with a check mark (YES-NO-N/A) and provide additional information where necessary. Information can be written directly onto the checklist itself or in your reply email by specifying the item number for which the information pertains to.
4. Complete training from a Canadian self-declared training provider based on Transport Canada TP-15263. Some of these courses are offered online while others are offered in a classroom setting.
NOTE: If applying for Advanced Operations: a Flight Review must also be completed once you arrive in Canada. Completion of the flight review will be a condition on your SFOC.
5. E-mail the completed form, supporting documentation, and checklist to [email protected] and mention “ATS-19-20-xxxxxxxxxxxx – YOUR NAME - SFOC Application – Foreign Operator/Pilot” in the “SUBJECT” line.
Please note that once an SFOC is issued, it will be the responsibility of the Applicant to ensure all conditions of the SFOC are complied with. Failure to comply with any condition of the SFOC may result in fines of up to $1000.00 for an individual or $5000.00 for a corporation.
Processing times for SFOC applications are up to 30 working days. Incomplete applications or missing information will result in processing delays.
Kindest regards,
RPAS - Centre of Expertise
Transport Canada
[email protected]
In addition, you will need to complete the
Checklist for SFOC – RPAS – CAR 903.01(c) – Operation of a RPAS by a foreign operator or pilot – Basic and Advanced Operations and meet the requirements within -
note dot point 1d, and 4 which need to be completed in Canada, and then wait up to another
30days for possible approval...
by the time I receive this, I will most likely be back in Australia
drinking an Aussie Fosters beer...
JK (that stuff is gross hahaha)
So in summary, seems that Transport Canada don't want foreign "enthusiast" drone pilots flying while on holiday, and it's virtually impossible to obtain a SFOC if you are a non-Canadian resident...
In contrast I applied for a permit with FAA to fly in the USA, and it literally took 5 minutes to be approved and cost me $5USD...
I'm departing in a few weeks...so no flying in Canada for me
sadness.....
Please let me know if anyone else has been in the same boat and had any luck with obtaining a SFOC in Canada?
Thanks everyone for reading -
