Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)

Visual Observers

• 901.20 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system if visual observers are used to assist the pilot in detecting and avoiding conflicting air traffic and other hazards unless reliable and timely communication is maintained between the pilot and each visual observer during the operation.

• (2) A visual observer shall communicate information to the pilot in a timely manner, during the operation, whenever the visual observer detects conflicting air traffic, hazards to aviation safety or hazards to persons on the surface.

• (3) No visual observer shall perform visual observer duties for more than one remotely piloted aircraft at a time unless the aircraft are operated in accordance with subsection 901.40(1) or in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

• (4) No visual observer shall perform visual observer duties while operating a moving vehicle, vessel or aircraft.

Compliance with Instructions

901.21 Every crew member of a remotely piloted aircraft system shall, during flight time, comply with the instructions of the pilot.

Carriage of Persons

901.22 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft that carries persons on board.

Procedures

• 901.23 (1) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless the following procedures are established:

  • (a) normal operating procedures, including pre-flight, take-off, launch, approach, landing and recovery procedures; and

  • (b) emergency procedures, including with respect to

    • (i) a control station failure,

    • (ii) an equipment failure,

    • (iii) a failure of the remotely piloted aircraft,

    • (iv) a loss of the command and control link,

    • (v) a fly-away,

    • (vi) flight termination, and

    • (vii) the detection and avoidance of conflicting air traffic and other hazards.

• (2) If the manufacturer of the remotely piloted aircraft system or the person who has made a declaration referred to in section 901.194 in respect of that model of system provides instructions with respect to the topics referred to in paragraphs (1)(a) and (b), the procedures established under subsection (1) shall reflect those instructions.

• (3) No pilot shall conduct the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft unless the procedures referred to in subsection (1) are reviewed before the flight by, and are immediately available to, each crew member.

• (4) No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless the operation is conducted in accordance with the procedures referred to in subsection (1).

Pre-flight Information

901.24 A pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft shall, before commencing a flight, be familiar with the information that is relevant to the intended flight, including

• (a) the results of the site survey conducted under section 901.27;

• (b) any declaration referred to in section 901.194 made in respect of the model of remotely piloted aircraft system to be used for the flight; and

• (c) the qualifications of all crew members.

Maximum Altitude

• 901.25 (1) Subject to subsection (2), no pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft at an altitude greater than

  • (a) 400 feet (122 m) AGL; or

  • (b) 100 feet (30 m) above any building or structure, if the aircraft is being operated at a distance of less than 200 feet (61 m), measured horizontally, from the building or structure.

• (2) A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft at an altitude greater than those set out in subsection (1) if the operation is conducted in accordance with a special flight operations certificate — RPAS issued under section 903.03.

Horizontal Distance

901.26 Unless the operation is conducted under Division V, no pilot shall operate

• (a) a small remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a VLOS operation at a distance of less than 100 feet (30 m), measured horizontally and at any altitude, from any person not involved in the operation; or

• (b) a medium remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a VLOS operation at a distance of less than 500 feet (152.4 m), measured horizontally and at any altitude, from any person not involved in the operation.

Site Survey

901.27 No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system unless, before commencing operations, they determine that the site for take-off, launch, landing or recovery is suitable for the proposed operation by conducting a site survey that takes into account the following factors:

• (a) the boundaries of the area of operation;

• (b) the type of airspace and the applicable regulatory requirements;

• (c) the altitudes and routes to be used on the approach to and departure from the area of operation;

• (d) the proximity of manned aircraft operations;

• (e) the proximity of aerodromes, airports and heliports;

• (f) the location and height of obstacles, including wires, masts, buildings, cell phone towers and wind turbines;

• (g) the predominant weather and environmental conditions for the area of operation; and

• (h) the horizontal distances from persons not involved in the operation.

Other Pre-flight Requirements

901.28 A pilot of a remotely piloted aircraft shall, before commencing a flight,

• (a) ensure that there is a sufficient amount of fuel or energy for safe completion of the flight;

• (b) ensure that each crew member, before acting as a crew member, has been instructed

  • (i) with respect to the duties that the crew member is to perform, and

  • (ii) on the location and use of any emergency equipment associated with the operation of the remotely piloted aircraft system; and

• (c) determine the maximum distance from the pilot the aircraft can travel without endangering aviation safety or the safety of any person.

Serviceability of the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System

901.29 No pilot shall conduct the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft, or permit the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft to be conducted, unless the pilot ensures that

• (a) the aircraft is serviceable;

• (b) the remotely piloted aircraft system has been maintained, and all mandatory actions have been completed, in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer or of the person who has made a declaration referred to in section 901.194 in respect of that model of system; and

• (c) all equipment required by these Regulations or the manufacturer’s instructions, including any system element necessary to support the operation of the remotely piloted aircraft system, is installed, if applicable, and serviceable.

• (d) [Repealed, SOR/2025-70, s. 61]

Availability of Manuals

• 901.30 (1) No pilot shall conduct the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft unless the operating manuals applicable to the remotely piloted aircraft system of which the aircraft is an element are immediately available to crew members.

• (2) No pilot shall conduct the take-off or launch of a remotely piloted aircraft to conduct a BVLOS operation under Division VI unless the RPAS operator’s RPAS operations manual is immediately available to crew members.

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.