Published August 22, 2019 With recent changes to the Canadian drone regulations (back on June 1st), I started to think more about the last 5 years in the commercial drone industry. A lot has changed over this period, with plenty of players arriving and exiting from the scene. I should know, as I was one…
Published May 9, 2019 If you are operating small Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) in Canada (under 25 kg), you have a couple of different options to get licensed, depending how you would like to operate. You must be licensed to fly after June 1, 2019 in Canada, when the new regulations come into effect.…
Published January 13, 2019 Last week, the Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau announced changes to drone regulations that will be coming into effect on June 1, 2019. In the video below I’ve outline some further details about the new framework, including the Basic and Advanced level of pilot licensing. Below are some links that you…
Published December 9, 2018 Drones and planes colliding, shotguns being fired at quadcopters, and hospitalizations from drone crashes. I don’t mean to be sensational here, but these situations can all be found in the Canadian Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS). As described on the official Transport Canada website: Transport Canada collects aviation occurrence…
Published on June 11, 2018 When you’re just starting out with commercial drone work in Canada, there are a lot of directives to pay attention to in order to stay in compliance with regulations. One of the crucial steps to take in order to keep you flying safe is to send in proper notification 24-48…
Published on May 1, 2018 | Last updated on May 9, 2018 There are many drone users out there that have some experience with photo and video capture, but haven’t conducted many mapping missions with their UAVs. If you are just starting to explore how you can create quality maps with your drone’s data, or you…
Published on March 13, 2018 Five years seems like a lifetime in the rapidly expanding sector of the small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) market. In this time span, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a couple of different companies who provide drone services to clients, and I’ve also provided drone services out on my…
Published March 2, 2018 Our guest is Mauricio Ortiz, who is the Owner of Aeromao! As a Canadian leader in fixed-wing UAV manufacturing, they have exported to more than 45 countries in less than 4 years! The biggest standout features for these drones is the long flight time, ability to carry multiple sensors, and the…
Published January 30, 2018 Our guest is Bill Gaylord, who is a President and CEO at AirData UAV! Formerly called HealthyDrones, AirData provides UAV pilots and fleet operators with innovative flight data analytics for preventive maintenance, regulatory reporting, general aircraft health, and flight performance. I started using AirData’s cloud service recently and have been a…
Published on December 18, 2017 For every legitimate drone operator out there, there is an equal number that are not playing by the rules here in Canada. Even some people with good intentions find themselves in illegal territory by misunderstanding the Transport Canada rules, which can be convoluted at times. I came upon Transport Canada’s…
Published on July 12, 2017 Here in BC when we operate our UAVs, we aren’t often dealing with flat farmer’s fields, endless sight lines and perfect weather. We are operating in areas with steep terrain, coastal conditions, high winds and challenging takeoff and landing areas with tall timber and limited space. With these factors to…
When you first start to plan mapping missions with UAVs, you realize there are a lot of factors at play. How high should I fly? What speed should my UAV be flying? How much front overlap and sidelap do I need? What should my camera settings be? What camera lens is best? These are all questions…
When we take a step back and look at the current state of the commercial drone industry, one thing is clear: there are many ways to do business with drones. For drone startups or established companies that are introducing UAVs, one of the most critical decisions they make in the early stages is to establish what areas of business they will focus their attention…
Published July 24, 2016 | Last updated: October 7, 2018 For those new to UAV mapping operations or traditional airborne data collection, the idea of establishing Ground Control Points (GCPs) in a study area may be a new concept. Let’s start with a definition: Ground Control Points are identifiable points on the surface of the earth…
