Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)

Manufacturer’s Instructions

901.31 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless it is operated in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Control of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

901.32 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system that is not designed to allow pilot intervention in the management of a flight.

Take-offs, Launches, Approaches, Landings and Recovery

901.33 A pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft shall, before take-off, launch, approach, landing or recovery,

• (a) ensure that there is no likelihood of collision with another aircraft, person or obstacle; and

• (b) ensure that the site set aside for take-off, launch, landing or recovery, as the case may be, is suitable for the intended operation.

Minimum Weather Conditions

• 901.34 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a VLOS operation unless the weather conditions at the time of flight permit

  • (a) the operation to be conducted in accordance with the operating manuals applicable to the remotely piloted aircraft system of which the aircraft is an element; and

  • (b) the pilot or any visual observer to conduct the entire flight in visual-line-of-sight.

• (2) If the ground visibility is four miles or less, no pilot shall operate a medium remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a VLOS operation at a distance of more than half of the ground visibility unless the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

• (3) Subject to subsection (4), no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a BVLOS operation unless ground visibility is not less than three miles and the aircraft is operated clear of cloud.

• (4) A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a BVLOS operation in cloud or when the ground visibility is less than three miles if

  • (a) a declaration referred to in section 901.194 has been made in respect of the model of remotely piloted aircraft system of which the aircraft is an element and in respect of the technical requirements set out in section 922.10 of Standard 922 and the operating manuals applicable to the system allow for operation in those conditions; or

  • (b) the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

Icing

• 901.35 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system when icing conditions are observed, are reported to exist or are likely to be encountered along the route of flight unless the aircraft is equipped with de-icing or anti-icing equipment or the pilot has a means to detect icing.

• (2) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system with frost, ice or snow adhering to any of the critical surfaces of the remotely piloted aircraft.

• (3) For the purposes of subsection (2), critical surfaces means the wings, control surfaces, rotors, propellers, horizontal stabilizers, vertical stabilizers or any other stabilizing surfaces of the remotely piloted aircraft, as well as any other surfaces identified as critical surfaces in the operating manuals applicable to the system.

Formation Flight

901.36 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft in formation with other aircraft except by pre-arrangement between the pilots of the aircraft in respect of the intended flight.

Prohibition — Operation of Moving Vehicles, Vessels and Manned Aircraft

901.37 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft while operating a moving vehicle, vessel or manned aircraft.

Use of First-person View Devices

• 901.38 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system using a first-person view device unless a visual observer maintains unaided visual contact with the airspace in which the remotely piloted aircraft is operating in order to detect conflicting air traffic and other hazards and take action to avoid them.

• (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), first-person view device means a device that generates and transmits a streaming video image to a control station display or monitor, giving the pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft the illusion of flying the aircraft from an onboard pilot’s perspective.

Night Flight Requirements

• 901.39 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system at night unless the remotely piloted aircraft is equipped with lights that are sufficient to allow the aircraft to be visible to the pilot or a visual observer, whether with or without night-vision goggles, and those lights are turned on.

• (2) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system using night-vision goggles unless the goggles are capable of, or the person has another means of, detecting all light within the visual spectrum.

Multiple Remotely Piloted Aircraft

• 901.40 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), no pilot shall operate more than one remotely piloted aircraft at a time unless

  • (a) the aircraft are operated to conduct a VLOS operation;

  • (b) the aircraft are operated in accordance with the operating manuals applicable to the remotely piloted aircraft system;

  • (c) the remotely piloted aircraft system is designed to permit the operation of multiple aircraft from a single control station; and

  • (d) no more than five aircraft are operated at a time.

• (2) A pilot may operate more than five remotely piloted aircraft at a time if the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

• (3) A pilot may operate more than one remotely piloted aircraft at a time to conduct an operation that is not a VLOS operation if the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

Advertised Events

• 901.41 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system at any advertised event except in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

• (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to the operation of a remotely piloted aircraft system for the purpose of an operation to save human life, a police operation, a fire-fighting operation or any other operation that is conducted in the service of a public authority.

Handovers

901.42 No pilot shall hand over their responsibilities to another pilot during flight unless, before the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft,

• (a) a pre-arrangement in respect of the handover has been made between the pilots; and

• (b) a procedure has been developed to mitigate the risk of loss of control of the aircraft.

Payloads

• 901.43 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system if the aircraft is transporting a payload that

  • (a) includes explosive, corrosive, flammable, or bio-hazardous material;

  • (b) includes weapons, ammunition or other equipment designed for use in war;

  • (c) could create a hazard to aviation safety or cause injury to persons; or

  • (d) is attached to the aircraft by means of a line, unless the operation is conducted in accordance with the operating manuals applicable to the system.

• (2) A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft system when the aircraft is transporting a payload referred to in subsection (1) if the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

Flight Termination System

901.44 No pilot shall activate a system that terminates the flight of a remotely piloted aircraft if it will endanger or will likely endanger aviation safety or the safety of any person.

ELT

901.45 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft equipped with an ELT.

Transponder and Automatic Pressure-altitude Reporting Equipment

• 901.46 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system if the aircraft is in the transponder airspace referred to in section 601.03 unless the aircraft is equipped with a transponder and automatic pressure-altitude reporting equipment.

• (2) An air traffic control unit may authorize a pilot to operate a remotely piloted aircraft that is not equipped in accordance with subsection (1) within the airspace referred to in section 601.03 if

  • (a) the air traffic control unit provides an air traffic control service in respect of that airspace;

  • (b) the pilot made a request to the air traffic control unit to operate the aircraft within that airspace before the aircraft entered the airspace; and

  • (c) aviation safety is not likely to be affected.

Operations at or in the Vicinity of an Aerodrome, Airport or Heliport

• 901.47 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft at or near an aerodrome that is listed in the Canada Flight Supplement or the Water Aerodrome Supplement in a manner that could interfere with an aircraft operating in the established traffic pattern.

• (2) Subject to section 901.73, no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a VLOS operation if the aircraft is at a distance of less than

  • (a) three nautical miles from the centre of an airport; and

  • (b) one nautical mile from the centre of a heliport.

• (3) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a BVLOS operation if the aircraft is at a distance of less than five nautical miles from the centre of an aerodrome that is listed in the Canada Flight Supplement or the Water Aerodrome Supplement unless the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

• (4) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft if the aircraft is at a distance of less than three nautical miles from the centre of an aerodrome operated under the authority of the Minister of National Defence unless authorized to do so by the Department of National Defence.