Links for new Canadian rules effective June 1st 2019

I thought I would create a thread with some helpful links regarding the new rules just announced this morning.

For those with really short attention spans:

Register your drone, take the exam, apply for a pilot certificate - advanced operations

Knowledge Requirements for the exam

For the whole shebang:

From the Flying your drone safely and legally - new rules page:
Flying your drone safely and legally (new rules)
These rules aren’t in effect until June 1, 2019. Take me to the current rules.

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From Transport Canada

Drones are aircraft—which makes you a pilot. When you fly your drone, you’re sharing the skies with other drones and aircraft. Before you fly, understand the rules you must follow and review our safety tips.

On this page
Legal requirements when flying drones
Drone pilots must follow the rules in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs). Part IX – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems contains most of the rules that apply to drones. You should read these regulations in full before you fly your drone for the first time.

Drone pilots must carry a valid drone pilot certificate and only fly drones that are marked and registered.

Respect all other laws
You must respect all other laws when flying your drone. We encourage you to read the following documents before you fly for the first time:

You must respect the privacy rights of others when you fly.

We investigate reports of unsafe flying. We may involve local police if you break other laws.

Fly your drone safely
It’s important that you fly your drone responsibly to avoid harming others. Here are the rules you need to follow.

Before you fly
  1. Understand your legal requirements when flying drones
  2. Understand the difference between basic and advanced operations
  3. Get the necessary knowledge requirements
  4. Get a drone pilot certificate
  5. Choose the right drone if you want to perform advanced operations
  6. Register your drone
  7. Follow your drone manufacturer’s instructions
  8. Survey the area where you will fly
    • Take note of any obstacles, such as buildings and power lines
While flying
To keep yourself and others safe, fly your drone:

  • where you can see it at all times
  • below 122 metres (400 feet) in the air
  • away from bystanders, at a minimum distance of 30 metres for basic operations
  • away from emergency operations and advertised events
    • Avoid forest fires, outdoor concerts and parades
  • away from airports and heliports
    • 5.6 kilometres (3 nautical miles) from airports
    • 1.9 kilometres (1 nautical mile) from heliports
  • far away from other aircraft
    • Don’t fly anywhere near airplanes, helicopters and other drones
Always respect the privacy of others while flying.

Penalties
You could face serious penalties, including fines and/or jail time, if you break the rules.

Fines for individuals
  • up to $1,000 for flying without a drone pilot certificate
  • up to $1,000 for flying unregistered or unmarked drones
  • up to $1,000 for flying where you are not allowed
  • up to $3,000 for putting aircraft and people at risk
Fines for corporations
  • up to $5,000 for flying without a drone pilot certificate
  • up to $5,000 for flying unregistered or unmarked drones
  • up to $5,000 for flying where you are not allowed
  • up to $15,000 for putting aircraft and people at risk
If you break more than one rule, you could receive multiple penalties.

Tips for first-time pilots
  • Make sure it is safe to fly (ask yourself, for example: are the batteries fully charged? Is it too cold or windy to fly?)
  • Fly your drone with someone who has flown a drone before
  • Fly your drone in an open space and away from people
  • Fly your drone close to the ground and at a low speed
  • Fly your drone during daylight and in good weather
Public liability insurance
We recommend buying public liability insurance for your drone. However, it is not required. Note that most standard home insurance policies do not cover the use of drones.

Useful terms to know
Drone and Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS)
We use the term “drone” on these pages to refer to any type of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). There are a number of different terms for this technology. In Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations, we use the term Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems to align with our international partners.

Visual-line-of-sight (VLOS)
Visual-line-of-sight means keeping your device in sight at all times without visual aid (for example, binoculars or video feed). This means not flying into clouds or fog, or behind trees, buildings or other (even partial) obstructions.

Bystander
Bystander refers to anyone that is not directly associated with operating the drone. Among others, this excludes the pilot and crew.

Related links


Obviously some scare tactics being used to make a point to those with no common sense.

As mentioned the enforcement of these policies are much important the the policy themselves.

I was very unhappy to see that they do not allow binoculars or video feed , this is where most of will struggle some as flying further out is an easy thing to do.

I did not see any rules for the hobbist , has that been abolished now and only certificate pilots can fly in there backyard. ?

Im trying to imagine a 18 year old kid getting his first drone , flying it in his back yard and a cop roles in to his drive and gets fined $5000 , those courts are going to be filled quickly.

So enforcement will be interesting, and I think maybe if that is the case than you should have to a 107 before you are able to purchase a drone.. lets hope that is not the case at all.
 
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Obviously some scare tactics being used to make a point to those with no common sense.

As mentioned the enforcement of these policies are much important the the policy themselves.

I was happy to see that they allow binoculars or video feed , this is where most of will struggle some as flying further out is an easy thing to do.

I did not see any rules for the hobbist , has that been abolished now and only certificate pilots can fly in there backyard. ?

Im trying to imagine a 18 year old kid getting his first drone , flying it in his back yard and a cop roles in to his drive and gets fined $5000 , those courts are going to be filled quickly.

So enforcement will be interesting, and I think maybe if that is the case than you should have to a 107 before you are able to purchase a drone.. lets hope that is not the case at all.

read it again , it says without visual aid --- no binoculars or video feed
 
Even the current rule was always within Line of sight. Transport Canada has always taken a pretty strict view of what goes in the sky and this continues today as Transport Minister Garneau mentioned in his briefing this morning. There is no "hobbiest" mindset at TC. If you're in the sky you're going to be playing with the big boys and better be prepared to know how they do things.

Changing the rule for 8hrs to 12 for bottle to throttle surprised me a bit and I'm wondering if that has changed across the board for all types of airmanship.

Going from 300-400 ft ceiling doesn't do a lot for me but I like the fact that photos and videos can be sold without having a Special Flight Operations certificate.

At least there is some clarity now and we can get on with it after the period of uncertainty for the last couple of years.
 
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Obviously some scare tactics being used to make a point to those with no common sense.

As mentioned the enforcement of these policies are much important the the policy themselves.

I was very unhappy to see that they do not allow binoculars or video feed , this is where most of will struggle some as flying further out is an easy thing to do.

I did not see any rules for the hobbist , has that been abolished now and only certificate pilots can fly in there backyard. ?

Im trying to imagine a 18 year old kid getting his first drone , flying it in his back yard and a cop roles in to his drive and gets fined $5000 , those courts are going to be filled quickly.

So enforcement will be interesting, and I think maybe if that is the case than you should have to a 107 before you are able to purchase a drone.. lets hope that is not the case at all.

If you are suburban resident like me, there is no backyard flying since i can't meet the minimum distances required between people and vehicles. I also can't actually fly in my yard because I am within a kilometre of a helipad and within the Toronto Pearson Control Zone. There are actually very few places I can fly within a short drive.

I think at the end of the day enforcement is going to be complaint based. The problem is that the Police aren't likely to know the rules and there will need to be some education.My guess is that most of the citations will be not for breaches of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) but simple things like trespass/city ordinance violations or not having permission from the property owner for operating from that location.
 
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Can somebody say something clear about hobby operators who are the majority here? What is the difference. The rules for safe flying are nothing new.
Does this mean that everybody who have a drone should have a licence and a certificate of registration? If so then would be maybe better to quit with hobby droning.
 
Can somebody say something clear about hobby operators who are the majority here? What is the difference. The rules for safe flying are nothing new.
Does this mean that everybody who have a drone should have a licence and a certificate of registration? If so then would be maybe better to quit with hobby droning.

Yes, if it is over 250 grams and flown outdoors.
 
Hi I have looked through your posting. I am New to drones. Might be silly but please direct me to the actual information I need to Learn/know to do
The advanced exam and flight review test.
I’ve clicked on a few the highlighted items on your page but don’t seem
To find the actual study material.
Maybe I’m just nuts but please help.
Thanks
David
 
Not a silly question at all. Are you new to Aviation or just drones?

Most of the theory of flight stuff you can find in the ground school book From the Ground Up I think is the title.

If you are new to aviation and drones I'd recommend a course, particularly if you want to go for the advanced pilot certificate. I'm guessing you'll soon be able to take a course that covers the ground school and also has the flight review test included as part of the package. I did a Transport Canada approved UAV ground school course last year which covered the stuff I am hearing about on the new pilot certificate exam.
 
Not a silly question at all. Are you new to Aviation or just drones?

Most of the theory of flight stuff you can find in the ground school book From the Ground Up I think is the title.

If you are new to aviation and drones I'd recommend a course, particularly if you want to go for the advanced pilot certificate. I'm guessing you'll soon be able to take a course that covers the ground school and also has the flight review test included as part of the package. I did a Transport Canada approved UAV ground school course last year which covered the stuff I am hearing about on the new pilot certificate exam.
Thanks so much. Where can I do a course?
 
Last year I did the aerobotika groundschool course. They run virtual and classroom sessions across the country and the dates are listed on their website. Not sure if they have the new courses ready yet but if you google aerobotika and go to their website you'll see what is available. There are also others that offer courses but I like aerobotika because of their alumni guarantee. If you've already taken their course and want a refresher you can sit in on their classes again for free. They also do the radio exam which you will need if you want to get the advanced pilot certificate.
 
This comes as no surprise to me! What people will be asking for is a comprehensive source where they can find the information that will help them pass an exam. You nor Transport have provided this, and, you have gone the extra distance of recommending a specific private course! What is your motivation?
Look, the guy asked for help and I offered him a suggestion and what I did. Drop the hostility.

It sounds like you are just looking for answers and don't want to learn. Like it or not if you're flying in Canadian skies then you've gotta play by the rules and one of the things that TC mandated is what needs to be covered from a knowledge perspective. There are some books that cover this, From The Ground Up, which I mentioned before.
 
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No, you drop the pretence that you know what you are validating. You are not reading the questions asked, but seem to have the answers. Do I have credentials? Yes, have gone through both GA and ATR training years ago. Have also dealt with many people who think they know all the answers while teaching at College and University. If you don't know something, just admit it. Maybe someone will help you.
It's clear I should no longer try to help you and I'm just going to leave it at that.
 
OK guys lets be nice .
:::.jpeg.jpeg
 
I wonder if you have to pay 10 bucks every time you take the exam if you fail the first time. If not, then I might just take a stab at it and if I fail I will buy the material suggested in order to study.
 
I wonder if you have to pay 10 bucks every time you take the exam if you fail the first time. If not, then I might just take a stab at it and if I fail I will buy the material suggested in order to study.
Yes you have to pay for each attempt if you fail. There is also a 24 hr waiting period before you can retake the test if you fail.
 

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