Droner’s Guide Module 2: An In Depth Look at the 2019 Canadian Drone Regulation

[@rachikb]

Hi Don, I just finished to see all your videos related to the exam, then took the exam. It took me around 50mn to answer the 35 questions, and got 80% 👍😊 Many thx for your help, you have all my gratitude my friend 🙏

[@DonJoyce]

Congratulations on passing your exam, Rachik!! I'm glad to hear you found my videos helpful! Happy flying!

[@craigspriegel8982]

Don thanks for the videos. I watched quite few of your series. You gave me the foundation I needed for the basic exam. I sat down at the computer opened about five pages and 45 minutes later I had my basic drone license. By the way that wait while you are waiting for your score seems to take forever. There it was congratulations 82%. Thanks again Craig

[@DonJoyce]

Congratulations on passing your exam, Craig!! Safe and happy flying!

[@thisandthatwithhenry9889]

Thank you for the great videos / Tutorials.... They were instrumental in my passing the Basic Licence ,,, Now 9 months later i am studying for the Advanced Licence

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, Henry! Best wishes with the Advanced!

[@EmilyTestAccount]

Good series so far! Had my basic cert for almost two years (time flies!) and figured I'd bump it up to advanced. One thing that seems a bit understated for advanced operations in controlled airspace is the 2-way radio communications requirement. To the best of my interpretation, this will also require at least Amateur Radio Operator Certificate - Basic to be able to transmit (but elsewhere seems to suggest Restricted Operator Certificate with Aeronautical Qualification) , so to really get full use of Advanced Operations is a huge step up in responsibilities and knowledge requirements.

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks Emily! Regarding radios, it is not a strict requirement for having your Advanced, but you do need a ROC-A license if you do use a radio. I cover these items in a 3 part series here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYK6kGuFlKdjpck

[@nagol1000]

Thanks Don, I bought your logbook which is a big time saver! Much appreciated.

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks for your support! Glad you like the log book.

[@shaunthedrone]

Thumbs up ere' Don, another great informative video and spreading the word. Many thanks for sharing the info for Canada :)

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks again, Shawn!

[@AsgardStudios]

Another great addition, Don.

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you, Hugh!

[@Vedics]

First lyk dear don thanks for the share , tanks for the share always stay tuned

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you so much for your continued support! Much appreciated!

[@PhantomHodgesDrone]

Good Day Don, Couple questions, really appreciate what you are doing for drone community, anyways so if i buy the package that you are selling will help get thru the advanced exam? and another stupid question, is do you have alot of stuff related to flying aircraft and helicopters on there too? , i have tried exam a couple times but no luck, (on advanced one),i have taken on line course and passed with 92 percent and transport Canada approved course but i just cant seem to get passed the new advanced one, they keep throwing alot of questions that i dont think really apply to drones

[@DonJoyce]

The exam questions are extremely odd and many people have expressed astonishment at the questions they are asked. The Droner's Guide videos cover the regulations...only. Watch them all before buying. The package you get is a soft copy of what's in the videos. Other than the Pilot Log Book, there is nothing new in the purchased package that isn't in the videos.

[@caspar_white]

These videos are fantastic mate, one question though, I assume you have your advanced licence, how come you have not done a Flight review yourself then?!

[@DonJoyce]

Yes, I have my Advanced Certification, including having passed my Flight Review. To be a Flight Reviewer requires an additional exam and fee....and time. At this point, I don't intend to become a Flight Reviewer.

[@vnw321]

Hi Don, thanks for another one of many great videos. I have a couple of questions. If a person wrights & passes the advanced exam, is there any time limit (other than the 2 year expiry) on taking the flight review? I'm assuming that holding an advanced licence but not doing the flight review is equal to a basic license?? My other question is in regard to your "how high can I fly" video. I assume a tall structure can also be a mountain or a cliff? I want to photograph & video a waterfall near where I live, I'm not sure of the height of the waterfall but it is well above the 400' drone limit so my understanding of the rule is I can take my drone to the top of it so long as I fly within the 61 meters of the face of the mountain & do not fly more than 30 meters above the top of the mountain. I would like your take on this, Thanks.....Vic. PS does the basic license also have the 2 year expiry?

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, Vic! All good questions! There is no time limit between passing the advanced and having a Flight Review. You must retain recency, that's all. And yes, passing the Advanced Exam means you still have your Basic Certificate until you pass a flight review. Regarding 'how high can you fly', the exception is only around actual structures, not land formations. If there is no structure around, the rule is strictly 400' above ground level...but note that the 400' is measured (as if anyone could actually do this!!) at the point directly below your drone. Strictly speaking then, in a hypothetically perfectly vertical cliff of say 500', you could fly at the top and you could fly at the bottom, but you couldn't go up or down it! In practice, there is always a bit of a slope AND pragmatics/reason would allow you to stay a bit off the cliff face. The principal to keep in mind is that you are trying to stay at altitudes/proximities where manned aircraft will not be flying.

[@hannonadventures]

Awesome vid and great info

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you!

[@colleenburkephotographymed5797]

Hi Don, just checking if your material hasn't changed to cover the exam for 2022?

[@DonJoyce]

Hi Colleen! All the exam information is still current. They haven't changed the requirements (topics).

[@MrBaastardo]

Hello 👋 .. is the DJI Mavic mini 3 and DJI Mavic mini .. an approved drone for advanced operations .. in Canada .. I cannot find that particular information.. 🤔

[@DonJoyce]

They ate not approved for Advanced operations. Crucial details in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpSTfI2ih9KArtE

[@FranklinNewhart]

There are currently 317 drones certified by Transport Canada

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks for the update, Franklin!

[@SNSFishing]

Приветствую 7👍 за видео

[@DonJoyce]

Спасибо! И я тоже поддержал ваш канал.

[@jamesweist8599]

right on , Thanks for the great Videos. Where you live bro ? Im in Saskatchewan , take care

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, James! I'm in Ontario. I do most of my flying north west of Kingston.

[@pchoward]

Hi Don can I just buy the flight log? I got part one from you and it really help me pass the test. Thanks

[@DonJoyce]

Hi Paul! Congrats on passing the exam and thank you for your support. Here is a link to purchase just the Canadian Drone Pilot Log Book (soft copy): tinyurl.com/CanadianDronePilotLogBook

[@kentg1864]

great video/material.

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you, Kent! Happy flying!!

[@St8ofmind123456]

Does your PDF cover material tested from the CARs manual? Thank you!

[@DonJoyce]

The "Droner's Guide" PDF material strictly covers material from the RPAS regulations, plus related material such as definitions of classes of aerodromes. Basically, what you see in the video is what you get in the PDF. The advantage, during the exam is that you can search the PDF and follow related links quickly. Hope that helps.

[@St8ofmind123456]

Essentially what I'm asking Don is does your RPAS pdf for Advanced Operations Pilot Exam cover all the material, CARs and AIM?

[@DonJoyce]

That would be a rather HUGE pdf, Brian! In my PDF for the Advanced Study Guide video, I cover a lot of material and try to cover areas that seems to often come up in the exam. The exam questions, cover an incredibly huge field of knowledge, so there is no possible way to cover everything. In the case of the Advanced Study Guide pdf, I have added several pages of information over and above what I show in the video...but again, you should assume that you are buying 'just' what you see. I don't want to lead you astray.

[@St8ofmind123456]

Don I appreciate a very clear and concise response. I am going to purchase the Advanced study guide for RPAS provided in your link. There were several questions on my basic exam that were from AIM, I was able to answer them correctly, but with additional questions and decreased time of the Advanced test I am concerned about accessing information from AIM, as I found it to be very time consuming.

[@andrewjeremysilke]

Can an adult or youth operator without even as much as a basic operations license, operate an advanced operation environment as long as they are being directly supervised then?

[@DonJoyce]

Yes, believe it or not an unlicensed adult cannot be supervised! Clearly adults are far more unruly than kids! This video talks about this and TC's current view on the subject: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2PIhaaJfNRosLM

[@cpphotography7755]

Nice one, very interesting.

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks DJ Pix

[@darrenbrear]

Awesome video 👍

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, Darren! Glad you enjoyed!

[@mayberrywj]

Once again, excellent....:)

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you, William!

[@TheKi11erj]

thank you

[@DonJoyce]

Thank you!

[@RM-iy7xx]

Thanks for sharing

[@DonJoyce]

And thank you one more time, Raymond!!

[@davidmackinnon9645]

Hi Don Doesn't within 5 ft mean greater than or equal to 5 ft

[@DonJoyce]

I don't know what you're referring to. I don't recall 5 ft coming up anywhere.

[@davidmackinnon9645]

@@DonJoyce I was using ft as an example of 5 of anything Within of anything would be outside of 5 in general parlance Im clear now Thanks Don

[@davidmarincak9849]

Any idea how much Flight Review is? And do I have to do this every two years?

[@DonJoyce]

Hi David! Thanks for watching! I've heard people mention prices for Flight Reviews between $200-$400, depending upon the Flight School. Sometimes they bundle a flight review in with ground school training. TC requires proof of 'recency' every two years. They are a bit vague on what this really means, but they say training may qualify.

[@davidmarincak313]

@@DonJoyce Thank you for replying. Sitting on the fence whether to do Basic or Advanced

[@juansandoval1124]

how i order the guide?

[@DonJoyce]

There is a link in the Description of the video. Here it is for convenience: tinyurl.com/CanadianRPASGuide

[@TheKi11erj]

how do i register a homemade fpv drone

[@DonJoyce]

It's easy! When registering your drone, you are asked for model name, or if it is home made. You just have to provide some degree of simple description. A serial number is not required.

[@danhuckson3658]

FYI to anyone, we’ll worth buying.

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, Dan! I refer to it all the time.

[@billwalton75]

Another great series Don, I doubt I would ever do the advanced certificate anyway but if I did I think I would have a real problem with the flight review. If I didn't have a drivers license and wanted one I would go to the DMV write a multi-choice exam and if I pass I get my "basic certificate/license" I then can choose to take driver training or not and then go back to the DMV and take my "road test" from a DMV employee. The drone test should be the same there are no checks & Balances here, not saying their all crooks but whats to stop a drone company from this " Sorry guy you just missed passing but you know we are having a flight training class on Saturday only $500 take that and your sure to pass on your next try" There is no question the actual flight review should be done by a TC employee. BTW I almost fell out of my chair when you said a 1 hr flight test was $200. !!!!! Sounds like a profit program for the drone training company's. Maybe someone from Marketplace needs to do some investigative reporting and see whats going on it just doesn't pass the smell test. Keep up the GREAT video's Bill

[@DonJoyce]

Thanks, Bill! You're absolutely right: having the trainers and testers as the same entity is very suspect, particularly when there are so few flight reviewers around. A big part of my motivation for all these regulations-related videos was to save droners and RC folks from having no alternative but to go to expensive and inconvenient flight schools.

[@caduceus68]

This was a concern of mine, too. At a couple hundred bucks a shot, it would add up fast. I fear, though, that having a TC staff member doing the testing would skyrocket the test price. I suspect that the Market itself will become one system of check and balance. Once people are out having their flight reviews done (if Winter ever ends), it will become *very* public knowledge *very* quickly which, if any, schools are padding their bottom line with a disproportionate number of retests and/or "remedial courses". I think TC will be keeping some tabs on this as well, since they don't want schools doling out particularly easy passes either. That info would get around quickly too. Though I haven't read anything on it yet, I'm pretty certain there will be some form of auditing process.

[@billwalton75]

I agree with today's social media its a powerful incentive to keep on the "up & up" however there is always a percentage that gets ripped before the word gets out. As I said above I would not likely ever go for advanced anyway just kind of stirring the pot. I think it over all is going to cause a shift in drones in Canada, it won't affect those that have drones up to their eyeballs RC is their thing and God Bless them but for the fly a few times a month to get some video type of person like myself it will have a negative impact on the companies that sell drones, my plan was to buy a Mavic Air, that's on the back burner now and unless DJI can shave 51gs off the Spark I will likely get some Chinese knockoff that's a whole lot less safe then a Mavic Air but 249g and I don't have to deal with any of it. Who's out the drone company that won't sell me a Mavic Air like Center Drone.......(I only mention them because I see them most on Amazon) All the Best Bill

[@DonJoyce]

BTW i just uploaded my Study Guide for Flight Reviews: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3zPo6uArJmfodU