Significant Growth in Recreational and Small Business Applications
The Popularity of Drone Operations in Canada
Drones have been around for many years, but for the longest time they were inaccessible to the general public. They were used for military or scientific research purposes and their cost was prohibitively high.
The situation changed dramatically when companies, exploiting advances in technology, began producing inexpensive and reliable flying machines that were easy to operate and capable of capturing high-quality still and video images. The appeal to a large and diverse audience was considerable. The popularity of drones and their rapid adoption generated concern about control of their operation in an airspace traditionally occupied by manned aircraft, where only a very small number of unmanned aerial vehicles had operated.
Transport Canada, the national regulator of Canadian airspace introduced laws governing drone operations in early 2019. Drones were labelled Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and those weighing more than 250g, had to be registered. Anyone operating a registered RPAS had to complete an examination to be granted a Pilot Certificate authorizing their use.
Experience, Breadth and Depth
Our Steering Committee

Don Joyce
Erinsville, Ontario
Don has his Advanced certification and flies a Mavic 2 Pro, Mini 4 Pro, and Avata 2 recreationally. He retired in 2023 from his day job as an engineer in the telecom industry. Don has published hundreds of videos on his Don Drones On YouTube channel, aimed at helping Canadians both understand the drone regulations and how to fly safely. Don is also the co-creator of the Drone Pilot Canada app.

Nick Seemel
Fall River, Nova Scotia

Mike Hill
Kingston, Ontario

Steve Bannister
Gimli, Manitoba
Steve runs a classic ‘light commercial’ drone operation called Interlake Drone Services. He has his advanced drone certification with a Flight Reviewer rating and flies a variety of drones including the Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual. His latest project has been a set of BVLOS missions to monitor ice dams and flooding on the Red River. Steve is a former air force pilot with deep aviation experience.

Steve Bogner
Medicine Hat, Alberta

Jean Lamoureux
Gatineau, Quebec