Rapid advancements in remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) technology have the potential to improve the transportation system for Canadians. RPAS, or drones, could fundamentally transform the transportation system by shifting last-mile delivery from the roads to the skies, creating new ways to commute in cities with passenger-carrying drones (“urban air mobility”), and better connecting our remote and Northern communities to the supply chain.
Today, RPAS are already being used for search and rescue, delivery of critical medical supplies, infrastructure inspections, environmental mapping and photography/videography. These operations are helping to save lives and keep our first responders and other workers (e.g. power-line inspectors) out of dangerous environments.
These new aircraft are flown without a pilot on board, and in ways that were never envisioned by the existing regulations for civil aviation – the ability to take-off and land almost anywhere, including from a hand rather than the ground, is one fundamental difference with traditional aviation. To enable Canadians and the Canadian industry to innovate and capitalize on the benefits of increased RPAS, the challenge is to develop a regulatory framework that encourages innovation while ensuring safety. This requires novel and more agile approaches to regulating to ensure safety and environmental innovations.
In 2019, Transport Canada (TC) achieved a major milestone towards full integration of RPAS by establishing a new set of regulations for small drones (less than 25 kg) flown where the pilot can see it (“visual line-of-sight”) that both creates a stable regulatory environment for businesses while allowing more space for recreational pilots to fly for fun.
To implement these regulations, the Department developed a new online system for registration and pilot certification. A Canadian can register a drone in less than 3 minutes, rather than using the existing paper-based process for registering aircraft that can take 90 days. Under these regulations as of September 30, 2019, 32,485 RPAS have been registered and 28,289 RPAS pilot certificates have been issued.
The next step is putting in place a system to enable the safe use of RPAS flown outside the pilot’s line of sight (“beyond visual line of sight” or BVLOS), which holds much of the economic potential of this emerging sector.
To advance knowledge of the safety risks of BVLOS operations, TC supported:
the development of two test ranges (one in Alma, QC and one in Foremost, AB) that provide the industry with protected airspace in which they can conduct research and development flights.
Pilot projects with industry conducted off the ranges. For example, Drone Delivery Canada flew critical medical supplies to a remote community in Moosonee, ON, and Canada Post flew medical supplies in Southern BC.
The use of RPAS to help the surveillance and protection of the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale in the Gulf of the St-Lawrence.
TC began approving routine beyond visual line-of-sight operations in 2019 that pose a lower risk to people and other airspace users. Today, these operations are approved by TC on a case-by-case basis. The goal is to develop regulations that will allow for industry to safely carry out BVLOS flights on a more routine basis, with a system of aircraft registration and pilot certification.
The Department continues to engage with the RPAS sector in Canada and internationally to understand their plans and help inform priorities for regulation. To further engage the innovative and future-oriented thinking of these industry players, TC is establishing a Drone Advisory Committee that will help shape the strategic vision for the future of Canada’s airspace.
In addition, TC is developing a whole-of-government strategy to address long-term and multi-jurisdictional social, economic, and safety challenges associated with RPAS integration.
TC is also working with key partners (e.g. airports and international partners) to identify mitigations for the security threat (e.g. like disruption of flights at Gatwick Airport) posed by drones.
