Drone operators urged to fly safely and within the law

RCMP are reminding drone operators to respect regulations and the privacy of others.

Police are offering up the following tips.

To keep yourself and others safe, fly your drone:

• where you can always see it
• at night only if you have lights on your drone
• below 122 metres (400 feet) in the air
• away from bystanders, at a minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres for basic operations
• away from emergency operations and forest fires
• away from outdoor concerts, parades and advertised events
• away from airports 5.6 kilometres (3 nautical miles)
• away from heliports 1.9 kilometres (1 nautical mile)
• outside controlled airspace (for basic operations only)
• away from other aircraft, including other drones

For drones over 250 grams, remotely piloted aircraft pilots need to carry a valid drone pilot certificate and only fly drones that are marked and registered. 

Those who break the rules can face serious penalties, including fines and/or jail time.

Fines for individuals:

• up to $1,000 for flying without a drone pilot certificate
• up to $1,000 for flying unregistered or unmarked drones
• up to $1,000 for flying where you are not allowed
• up to $3,000 for putting aircraft and people at risk

Fines for corporations:

• up to $5,000 for flying without a drone pilot certificate
• up to $5,000 for flying unregistered or unmarked drones
• up to $5,000 for flying where you are not allowed
• up to $15,000 for putting aircraft and people at risk

Before flying a drone for the first time, people are encouraged to read these regulations in full.

More information on flying your drone safely and legally can be found here.

Drone incidents and suspicious drone activity can be reported here:  https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/drone-safety/report-drone-incident.