Advanced Drone Course

Training facilitated by: Prairie Drone Academy

Course Description

The Advanced Drone Course prepares pilots to operate remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) safely, legally and confidently in Canada’s most demanding environments, including controlled airspace, near airports and in and around urban areas. Built for commercial operators, first responders, tradespeople, engineers, hobbyists and more, this course takes students from the fundamentals of basic operations through the full knowledge and skill set required to earn the Transport Canada Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations.

Taught by a Canadian veteran-owned, family-operated team with more than 30 years in aviation and instruction, including air traffic control, CASARA search and rescue, emergency management and occupational health and safety, students learn not only what the regulations say, but how pilots, air traffic controllers and emergency responders apply them in the real world. Students do not need to bring their own drone; the academy provides a range of aircraft, including first-person view (FPV) drones, and thermal drones for hands-on training.

This course is taught to Transport Canada’s Knowledge Requirements for Pilots of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, 250 g up to and including 150 kg, Basic and Advanced Operations (TP 15263), and prepares students for the Transport Canada Advanced Operations exam (50 questions, 80% pass mark). Upon successful completion of the exam and flight review, students may apply for their Advanced certificate, which is valid for commercial and recreational use nationwide.

Students will demonstrate their understanding throughout the course using written knowledge checks and practical flying assessments.

Learning Outcomes

• Privileges and limitations of the Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations under Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs)
• Applicable provisions of the Aeronautics Act and the CARs
• Airspace classification and structure, including controlled airspace and operations near aerodromes, heliports and military facilities
• Requesting RPAS flight authorization from NAV CANADA for controlled airspace
• Air traffic rules, procedures and radiotelephony
• Aeronautical charts, the Canada Flight Supplement and NOTAMs
• Meteorology: interpreting weather reports and forecasts and their effect on RPAS operations
• Air navigation and operational flight planning
• Theory of flight: the four forces, axes of control and RPAS performance
• RPAS airframes, power plants, propulsion and systems, including command and control (C2) links
• Manufacturer safety declarations and operations near and over people (Standard 922)
• Site surveys, risk assessment and operational planning
• Human factors and pilot decision-making, including fitness to fly
• Emergency procedures, including lost-link and fly-away procedures and who to contact
• Incident and accident reporting
• Maintenance, record keeping and pilot logbooks
• Recency requirements for maintaining your Advanced certificate

Practical Component

Students will fly academy drones under the guidance of certified instructors to build real-world skills and put their Advanced knowledge into practice. The course includes a Transport Canada Advanced flight review conducted by a certified flight reviewer, in which students will:

• Complete a site survey and plan an operation
• Perform pre-flight checks on the RPAS
• Take off or launch
• Navigate by visual reference
• Recognize and judge distances
• Land safely
• Describe emergency, lost-link and fly-away procedures, and when and how to report incidents and accidents

Student safety is monitored during all training exercises and flights by our professional pilots.

Legislation

Canadian Aviation Regulations – Standard 921

921.02 Pilot Certificate – Remotely Piloted Aircraft – Advanced Operations

(1) For the purposes of 901.64(b) and (c) of the CARs, a candidate must:

(a) obtain a minimum of 80% on the examination “Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems – Advanced Operations” based on Knowledge Requirements for Pilots of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, 250 g up to and including 150 kg, Basic and Advanced Operations, TP 15263.

(b) successfully complete an advanced flight review by performing the following exercises: (i) describe the site survey process; (ii) demonstrate the ability to plan an operation; (iii) describe emergency procedures that apply to operating an RPAS, including lost-link procedures and procedures to follow in the event of a fly-away, including who to contact; (iv) describe when and how to inform Transport Canada and the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of an incident or accident; (v) successfully perform pre-flight checks of their RPAS; (vi) perform a take-off or launch; (vii) demonstrate the ability to navigate both by visual reference (if ground control station (GCS) is capable), and by GCS reference only; (viii) demonstrate the ability to recognize distances; and, (ix) perform a landing.

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