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ARTICLE · 08 JUNE 2015

Droning On: Canada's New Drone Regulations

McCarthy Tétrault
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Transport Canada has unveiled a new set of proposed drone regulations, which would apply to small(ish) drones – those weighing 25 kg or less – that are flown within sight of the operator.

CanadaTransport
Emily MacKinnon
Emily MacKinnon
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Transport Canada has unveiled a new set of proposed drone regulations, which would apply to small(ish) drones – those weighing 25 kg or less – that are flown within sight of the operator. Large drones continue to be governed by the Special Flight Operations Certificate ("SFOC") regime described in a previous post. Once these new regulations come into force, they will replace the SFOC temporary exemptions implemented in November 2014.

The regulations create three different – and aptly-named – categories: very small drones, small drones (limited operations), and small drones (complex operations). Within each of these categories, the proposed regulations address topics required to integrate drones into Canadian airspace, including drone maintenance, flight rules, and operator certification.

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