New Canada Wide Drone Organization - UUAG

[Glasswalker]

Hi everyone. I'm a member from over at MavicPilots.com. And based on the recent updates from Transport Canada on the new Drone Laws in Canada, a lot of us have been frustrated. I'm launching a new non-profit community group in Canada to help address this. If you're interested in keeping our hobby accessible, safe, and fun, please read on!

One thing that is made clear, is that if we don't contest these laws, and find ways to demonstrate to the community at large, and lawmakers that we are a safe and responsible community of pilots. Then the laws will continue to become more and more restrictive.

I've decided someone needs to lead the charge. And get the ball rolling. But we need the community to give us input, feedback, and register interest in membership. By doing this we gain concrete numbers, and statistics, which can be used as ammunition to gain partnerships in industry, vendors, and insurance underwriters, and to approach Transport Canada to open a dialog about improving the current situation.

It's clear this is a possibility, as MAAC clearly had a position at the table. Their organization has thousands of members in Canada, and was able to get an exemption made for their dues paying members. But their organization is focused on the more general RC Aircraft hobby, which hasn't changed a lot in decades. Their interests don't alingn with those of us using new, exciting developments in drone technology for art, science, photography, videography, real estate, surveying, exploring, outdoor activities, or just recording family events.

A new organization that offers many benefits to it's members, the primary of which is a voice to the community, and regulators, but also including Liability Insurance coverage, deals with vendors, regular community events, etc, is called for.

I've launched UUAG, the United Un-manned Aviators Guild in Canada, to focus on filling this void. (I like to pronounce it "Wag"). It's a non-profit, and we want to get it rolling ASAP with the communities help!

I've already spoken with the owners of the DronePilots network of forums, and they support me cross-posting this across all their sites. I'm also in talks with them on how we can cooperate and not fragment the community.

I'm already talking to many Canadian Drone based Youtube Channels. Other community groups, NODE, and other avenues. To unite everyone in Canada who enjoys this hobby and start building something great for our emerging community. We don't want to compete with other groups, we want to collaborate and work with them.

I also have an FPV Racer, and plan to reach out to FPV Canada, and other Racing leagues in Canada to setup partnerships and collaboration with them as well.

I want this organization to represent ALL Drone users in Canada, regardless of their intended use, or brand of preference. Also we want to support Commercial users as well, not ONLY recreational users. As those of you using your drones for business are a new growing industry in Canada, that we want to foster and support!

Please hit our website at www.uuag.ca
And register your interest in membership. There is a survey, designed to gather info about what the members want to get, and how we should structure the organization. There is no commitment, just gathering info so we can effectively plan.

And don't hesitate to contact me here on the forum, or via the website if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments!

Lastly, if you're interested in helping somehow, I'd love to hear from you. I have no intentions of this being a one-man-show. I'm just getting the ball rolling, but it will take the help of the community for this to succeed.
Anyone willing to help in any way is greatly appreciated. We are also specifically seeking people for the following purposes:

• We need licensed Flight Instructors (for manned flight). We need to develop flight safety material, and need your help!
• We need licensed manned pilots, to help as advocates with the conventional aviation community
• We need experienced Lobbyists, to help with dealing with regulators, etc
• We need those with formal law experience, to help with interpreting laws, documents, etc, and covering our butts
• We need people to help with planning local groups, meetups, and events
• We need people willing to volunteer their time just to help answer questions, and general administrative tasks
• I'd love to get some representatives of Law Enforcement on-board to help in communicating with that wing of the government

Thanks for your time in reading this, I'll look forward to hearing from all of you, and your comments!

- Paul

 

[Jayfdee]

Good luck, your efforts and experience will without doubt help other countries, I am surprised that Canada and Sweden have taken such a harsh stance, I always thought of them as very liberal countries. I suspect the regulators have just not done the necessary consultation before making the laws.

It will damage your economy, just watch any TV programme ,it is almost impossible to make any film without drone footage.
Not sure about pronouncing your organisation "Wag", here in the UK, "Wags", means "Wives and girlfriends".
Good luck and greetings from the UK.

 

[Glasswalker]

Good luck, your efforts and experience will without doubt help other countries, I am surprised that Canada and Sweden have taken such a harsh stance, I always thought of them as very liberal countries. I suspect the regulators have just not done the necessary consultation before making the laws.

It will damage your economy, just watch any TV programme ,it is almost impossible to make any film without drone footage.
Not sure about pronouncing your organisation "Wag", here in the UK, "Wags", means "Wives and girlfriends".
Good luck and greetings from the UK.

Lol, you can't get away from having some localized issue. I hadn't thought of that in the UK. I mean you can always fall back on the "spelling" version of the acronym. Or shorten it to Unmanned Aviators Guild. (I was trying to avoid "Those nuts with the flying drone thingies!") lol

Appreciate your comments, and that's exactly what I think happened too. Lack of proper consultation, and consideration. And some political grand-standing. (Regulators trying to appear they are taking a strong stance against a real danger without realizing that it's not a real danger, or they are mis-interpreting information, etc).

And it's not helping the number of dolts on youtube posting close encounters with planes, etc (many of which are faked). But then the low-brow news outlets pick it up, and ends up being taken literally.

Someone has to stand up, and give a voice to the other side of the coin.

Thanks again for your support from across the pond, and feedback!

 

[acherman]

This sounds like what NODE is doing.

NODE Canada

 

[Glasswalker]

Hi @acherman, yes NODE and UUAG have some aligned goals, but it's definitely not the same thing. We definnitely hope to cooperate with NODE on this.

NODE is first of all an international platform, which has one campaign to work on Canada regulations.

It's also primarily a lobbyist vehicle. To help industry (specifically DJI) to get names signed up, to use as ammunition to lobby governments. This is great, because that also aligns with one of our goals. (think of it as a drone focused version of change.org, giving a mechanism to share news with members, and use the name lists for added momentum, to back up claims to regulators)

But UUAG is looking to be an actual community organization, organizing events, providing training and information, connecting members with one another, providing liability insurance to our members, and providing other services/benefits.

I have already reached out to NODE (which is actually mentioned in my original post by the way) and I hope to partner with them so we can benefit one another in the parts of our goals that are mutually aligned.