In Canada, after June 1st. what are you likely to face?

[Hendricks]

Beginning June 1st, this year, you are required to hold a Drone Pilot's Certificate if you want to fly your Phantom or any other type of quadcopter or drone.
Transport Canada is offering 2 types of piloting certificates: Basic and Advanced.
In addition to the requirement to hold a piloting certificate, your drone must also be registered with Transport Canada and the assigned registration number be displayed on your aircraft.

Transport Canada has essentially downloaded responsibility for enforcement of these new regulations to your local police department.
So, beginning June 1st, here is what you are likely to face should a police car pull up beside you while you are flying your Phantom:

First, the police officer may ask if you are in possession of a Transport Canada Drone Pilot Certificate.........and the officer may ask you to produce your certificate.
If your drone is airborne at the time, the police officer may ask if your aircraft is registered.........they may even request that you land your aircraft in order that the police officer see the attached registration number on your Phantom.

Assuming you have your pilot certificate and your Phantom has the attached registration number, that should be the end of it.

I do not believe any police officer will ask to see your flight records.
Those records can be downloaded from your Phantom's software onto your computer.........or, every time you fly you can include details from each flight into a Flight Log Book which you can carry with you whenever you fly.

That said, I do not believe you will ever be asked to produce your flight records.
Any police officer will be more than content to see that you have a pilot certificate and that your Phantom is properly registered.

All this beginning June 1st, this year.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Not only that. If you are breaking a law or flying where you are not allowed, you could have problems. I would always like to keep a printed copy of the laws I have to follow on hand. Not only for an officer but for people who do not know what the laws are and complain, you can show them that you are aloud and are not breaking any laws, Then tell them to leave.

 

[Dr_VonDuck]

Good to know! was wondering what I'd have to do if i wanted to work there. Thank you for the heads up!

 

[Hendricks]

After June 1st, if you have your Pilot's Certificate with you and Drone Registration Number on your aircraft, you'll be fine.

Your local police department will be aware that-at least- they have the right to ask drone operators for their certification as well as drone registration.

Save yourself a $1,000 fine......make sure you have your proven qualifications with you and your drone registered.

A word to the wise is sufficient.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

if you have your Pilot's Certificate with you and Drone Registration Number on your aircraft, you'll be fine.

Not necessarily. You still need to be following the laws.

 

[awasos21]

So for Americans that want to fly in Canada, do they have a process for non-citizens? Or would a 107 cert work?

 

[UpLift Aerial]

So for Americans that want to fly in Canada, do they have a process for non-citizens? Or would a 107 cert work?

They would probably just have to follow certain laws that are a little more strict as they would not have the exam certificate. Or may have to just apply for an SFOC.

 

[Hendricks]

That's a good question about U.S. visitors coming into Canada and wanting to fly their drones. Also, vice versa.
Right now, I would think that if an American had their U.S. certification, they would be fine.
Same thing with a Canadian crossing into the States.
I'm not sure if this is a Transport Canada and/or Canada Border Services issue on our side.

As it turns out, tomorrow(Thursday), I will be crossing into the United States for a short visit. I will use the occasion to ask both the American and Canadian border officials what they have to say about drone pilots(who have appropriate certification/registration) what the story is.

Stay tuned.......I will post my findings here late Thursday.

 

[Hendricks]

Not necessarily. You still need to be following the laws.

That's a given.

After June 1st, any police officer coming up to you when you are flying your drone will be more than content to see your pilot certification and your drone registration.
They won't be getting into wanting to have a look at your flight records.

 

[UpLift Aerial]

That's a given.

After June 1st, any police officer coming up to you when you are flying your drone will be more than content to see your pilot certification and your drone registration.
They won't be getting into wanting to have a look at your flight records.

Do you think they would be considered on whether you are following laws or not, like make sure you are not flying over crowds etc.?

 

[Ksridsdale]

IF your a visitor from USA to Canada with a registered USA drone is that acceptable or is there a visitor certificate for Canada?

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Visitors will have to get an SFOC to fly.

 

[Hendricks]

As I said in an earlier post, at this point there are many unknowns regarding Canadians taking their drones into the United States and vice versa.
I will find out the answers to most of these questions when I cross the border tomorrow.
I will as American border officials for their rules for Canadians wanting to bring their drones across the border and i will ask the Canadian Border Services for their take on things.

I will post the accurate and up to date information here tomorrow.

 

[Hendricks]

Visitors will have to get an SFOC to fly.

I'm not sure that's true........it could be;however, I will confirm what is required when I cross the border tomorrow.....

 

[UpLift Aerial]

I'm not sure that's true........it could be;however, I will confirm what is required when I cross the border tomorrow.....

Unless they post false information on the TC website, then it's true.
I saw it someplace else on the website too.

 

[Dr_VonDuck]

If it were me, I would just play it safe anyway wherever you are, get registered, get permitted, get certified, be insured. If youre doing this professionally, be professional. If you're a hobbyist, at least cover your hind quarters.

Presently I am a hobbyist, but it wont be long at all before i start doing this for money. My opinion is that doing the extra mile, if it isnt a ton of skin off your back, is well worth the peace of mind so that when youre flying, you can focus on what you're doing.

 

[Hendricks]

Do you think they would be considered on whether you are following laws or not, like make sure you are not flying over crowds etc.?

Yes. For sure they will be making sure you are following the laws........however, the 400 foot altitude ceiling is quite difficult to enforce for a police officer standing on the ground.
From a vantage point standing on the ground, there is no way any police officer could say with any degree of accuracy that a drone was above 400 feet.
You could be flying at 550 feet and the police officer couldn't tell what altitude you were at.

We should all obey the laws and I am making the point that police officers won't really be able to determine what altitude you were operating at.
Unless they ask to see your flight records..........and I'm pretty sure they won't be doing that.

The other matter deals with Line of Sight.
It's very subjective because one person's eyesight may be better than another persons.
So, that means that one person could fly further away than another person.

A police officer might not be able to see your drone, but if you can, then no laws have been broken.

 

[Hendricks]

I'm heading across the border shortly...I will update with information I am given by both American and Canadian border officials with respect to pilots on both sides of the border wanting to fly their drones in either country.

Stay tuned........

 

[UpLift Aerial]

Yes. For sure they will be making sure you are following the laws........however, the 400 foot altitude ceiling is quite difficult to enforce for a police officer standing on the ground.
From a vantage point standing on the ground, there is no way any police officer could say with any degree of accuracy that a drone was above 400 feet.
You could be flying at 550 feet and the police officer couldn't tell what altitude you were at.

We should all obey the laws and I am making the point that police officers won't really be able to determine what altitude you were operating at.
Unless they ask to see your flight records..........and I'm pretty sure they won't be doing that.

The other matter deals with Line of Sight.
It's very subjective because one person's eyesight may be better than another persons.
So, that means that one person could fly further away than another person.

A police officer might not be able to see your drone, but if you can, then no laws have been broken.

ME: *Flying my drone far away and watching it..*
OFFICER: "Sir, where is your drone? I can't see it. Are you flying in VLOS?"
ME: *Looks at the Officer* "It's right there, don't you see it??"
OFFICER: ...
ME: ... *Say to myself* "Dang it! I can't see it now!! Thank's officer!"
ME: "Let me bring it closer so you can see it, it's right there" *Pointing to a random spot in the sky while drone comes from the opposite direction.*

Once you look away, you can never find it, it is a pin dot in the sky.

 

[Hendricks]

ME: *Flying my drone far away and watching it..*
OFFICER: "Sir, where is your drone? I can't see it. Are you flying in VLOS?"
ME: *Looks at the Officer* "It's right there, don't you see it??"
OFFICER: ...
ME: ... *Say to myself* "Dang it! I can't see it now!! Thank's officer!"
ME: "Let me bring it closer so you can see it, it's right there" *Pointing to a random spot in the sky while drone comes from the opposite direction.*

Once you look away, you can never find it, it is a pin dot in the sky.

There is no question 'line of sight' is quite subjective.