Drone discussion

[speedog]

First off, i'll apologize if there's been a thread started on this recently but the transitiob to the new forum software has rendered the searches somewhat useless for the time being.

Anyhow, Transport Canada updated their recreational drone usage rules in April, 2017 and they are as follows...

Do not fly your drone
higher than 90 m above the ground
closer than 75 m from buildings, vehicles, vessels, animals, people/crowds
closer than nine km from the centre of an aerodrome (any airport, heliport, seaplane base or anywhere that aircraft take-off and land)
within controlled or restricted airspace
within nine km of a forest fire
where it could interfere with police or first responders
at night or in clouds
if you can’t keep it in sight at all times
if you are not within 500 m of your drone
if your name, address, and telephone number are not clearly marked on your drone.


Bullet 2 pretty much kills it for most recreational users and I wonder how many recreational users follow the last bullet.

Link (https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/flying-drone-safely-legally.html) to associated TC web page.

[rage2]

When they announced this, it pretty much killed off any hopes of getting a rec drone as a kids present. I have a friend who does real estate photos, and relied on his drone for exterior shots. To try to stay legal, he tried to apply for a license and apparently it's a 200+ page application or something silly. Suffice to say, he's not shooting using a drone anymore.

[Maxt]

Isn't there a size or weight exemption ?

[speedog]

Isn't there a size or weight exemption ?

From TC's web site, above 250 gr and under 35 kg - that probably covers most recreational drones that one would be able to effectively fly outside.

[Kavy]

This is an interim Order as Transport Canada doesn't have the ability to create or amend a law. Some good information about this one in particular if you google.

I have a spark and it is on the border of the weight guidelines being 190g without battery and 288g with battery. With non folding blades you can get it down to 270ish and there is a few non essentials that can be removed to shave a few grams I am sure but I haven't been bothered to try. I figure once it gets released in canada on the 15th there will be a few youtube videos showing how to get it under the Canada Regulation weight.

[Xtrema]

This is an interim Order as Transport Canada doesn't have the ability to create or amend a law. Some good information about this one in particular if you google.

I have a spark and it is on the border of the weight guidelines being 190g without battery and 288g with battery. With non folding blades you can get it down to 270ish and there is a few non essentials that can be removed to shave a few grams I am sure but I haven't been bothered to try. I figure once it gets released in canada on the 15th there will be a few youtube videos showing how to get it under the Canada Regulation weight.

Or wait for next gen. I'm sure it'll be under 250g by then. Canada invent nothing new, just follow US on the limit.

But the review on the Spark so far is typical of small drones, they don't have power to fight wind. Something that's going to be crucial for flying in Calgary. With each miniaturization, gimbal always took a hit. Phantom's gimbal is way better than Mavic's rubber mount and both are way better than Spark's 2 axis gimbal.

Yes, if the previous drone rule doesn't limit the hobby already, this one will kill it.

[Kavy]

I find that the wind isn’t throwing it around but the battery on the other hand really suffers in medium wind bringing it down to around 10 minutes

[Sugarphreak]

...

[JC522]

Some of those rules are kind of wonky to me. Like what if a squirrel or something I can't see is within 75m of me, I'm now breaking the law. Plus the name, address and phone number on my drone I don't follow, if they made some sort of database I would gladly register that way. The way the interim rules are I don't even bother flying my drone in Canada. I just use it when I'm on vacation.

[Maxx Mazda]

How high can these fucken things fly?? I almost smoked one coming out of Seattle this afternoon, and we were already climbing through 7400 feet! Can they really go that high?? Watched it getting bigger and bigger in the windshield until it finally whizzed past us on the right. Best I could tell it was 18-24" big and bright red in colour. At 240 knots it could have done some serious damage.

Now the FAA is involved as well as transport Canada, and I have a lot of forms to fill out. Why do idiots insist on flying these things close to airports for fucks sake? And who needs a drone capable of going that high anyways?

/rant

[M.alex]

meh, i doubt most people care.

just don't crash into an airplane or helicopter and you'll be fine.

[Maxt]

meh, i doubt most people care.

just don't crash into an airplane or helicopter and you'll be fine.
My neighbours have a couple of the small ones they fly around all the time, about the size of a frisbee, they never let them get too far away or very high, maybe 50 feet at the most..
One day there was a big one that was up over the area, looked about 3 feet in diameter. It was overhead for about maybe 2 minutes and the RCMP showed up and tried to follow it, not sure who phoned it in but they had a few cars out chasing it.

[RickDaTuner]

Additionally this kills the long time recreational model airplane hobbyist, as they are classifying RC helicopters, and Airplanes along with multi rotor drones.

90M ceiling for RC airplanes is very limited.

[taemo]

I think you are going to start seeing smaller, quieter, and stealthier drones so people can skirt these rules.
quieter drones would be nice.
I love drone videos and pictures but to be honest the main thing that immediately turned me off from drones is the loud buzzing sound.


Some of those rules are kind of wonky to me. Like what if a squirrel or something I can't see is within 75m of me, I'm now breaking the law. Plus the name, address and phone number on my drone I don't follow, if they made some sort of database I would gladly register that way. The way the interim rules are I don't even bother flying my drone in Canada. I just use it when I'm on vacation.
having a database would be nice but a nightmare to manage, let's say that a form gets filled up when you purchase a drone but what happens if you bought it outside of canada or when you resell your drone and the new owner fails to register the drone under their name and crash.


How high can these fucken things fly?? I almost smoked one coming out of Seattle this afternoon, and we were already climbing through 7400 feet! Can they really go that high?? Watched it getting bigger and bigger in the windshield until it finally whizzed past us on the right. Best I could tell it was 18-24" big and bright red in colour. At 240 knots it could have done some serious damage.

Now the FAA is involved as well as transport Canada, and I have a lot of forms to fill out. Why do idiots insist on flying these things close to airports for fucks sake? And who needs a drone capable of going that high anyways?

/rant
http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a24467/drone-plane-collision/

[Xtrema]

How high can these fucken things fly?? I almost smoked one coming out of Seattle this afternoon, and we were already climbing through 7400 feet! Can they really go that high?? Watched it getting bigger and bigger in the windshield until it finally whizzed past us on the right. Best I could tell it was 18-24" big and bright red in colour. At 240 knots it could have done some serious damage.

Now the FAA is involved as well as transport Canada, and I have a lot of forms to fill out. Why do idiots insist on flying these things close to airports for fucks sake? And who needs a drone capable of going that high anyways?

/rant

5km, so theoretically, 16000 feet from operator in any direction. Realistically, I had clear line and a clear day, I had it at 3km (horizontally over a lake) before video signal start to suffer. Unless you have eagle vision, you are flying FPV anything over 100m.

Your experience is why this hobby is going to die. People keep on disobeying the rules (including myself on a few occasions on the line of sight one)

At this point, I feel that only safe flying is over body of waters or wilderness where population is sparse. But anything that's geographically significant, there will be people around it and drone would be a no go.

But the strict rules will mean there will be more guerrilla style flying:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-police-drone-mccall-golf-course-crescent-heights-1.4143301

[Maxx Mazda]

I honestly had no idea drones could even fly that high. I hate to think that there are people out there intentionally flying closer and closer to airplanes intentionally just to capture some air to air footage..

[Kavy]

I honestly had no idea drones could even fly that high. I hate to think that there are people out there intentionally flying closer and closer to airplanes intentionally just to capture some air to air footage..

The wind that high up makes flying a drone extremely difficult and the video would have tones of jello in it making it rather useless. There will always be those jackasses that ruin it for everyone else unfortunately.

[Xtrema]

I honestly had no idea drones could even fly that high. I hate to think that there are people out there intentionally flying closer and closer to airplanes intentionally just to capture some air to air footage..

https://petapixel.com/2016/03/10/idiot-flew-dji-camera-drone-11000-feet-clouds/

11000 feet, it will take the whole battery pack to do it.

I won't be surprised people try this just to see if they can.

[Mitsu3000gt]

So nothing has changed then, you still can't fly a drone anywhere you would actually want to, and the rules are so broad you can be fined for virtually anything. Using them responsibly and for legit business purposes (i.e. real estate photography) is pretty well impossible.

Past rules never stopped people from bringing them to highly public areas and being as annoying as possible (I see them regularly in Prince's Island buzzing the geese & their babies, nobody does anything about it), so I don't think these new ones will either. By the time any authority gets around to responding to a drone call, the user will be long gone.

[J-hop]

The wind that high up makes flying a drone extremely difficult and the video would have tones of jello in it making it rather useless. There will always be those jackasses that ruin it for everyone else unfortunately.

Flying quad copters is damn easy. Try flying a 120sr in wind haha, no power, super light. Harder to fly in wind than my 130. Don't know how people flying the typical 4 rotor drones get into hairy situations. They are literally the tricycle of RC flying

[The_Penguin]

Flying quad copters is damn easy. Try flying a 120sr in wind haha, no power, super light. Harder to fly in wind than my 130. Don't know how people flying the typical 4 rotor drones get into hairy situations. They are literally the tricycle of RC flying

I was in Cabo a couple weeks ago, and watched a couple drones flying. One was obviously a Phantom, the other, not so sure.
I was quite impressed at how stable they were. I haven't had any experience with drones, but even with a medium wind these things could hover in 1 spot and really stick there.

[J-hop]

I was in Cabo a couple weeks ago, and watched a couple drones flying. One was obviously a Phantom, the other, not so sure.
I was quite impressed at how stable they were. I haven't had any experience with drones, but even with a medium wind these things could hover in 1 spot and really stick there.

Yea it makes them great for filming as they are incredibly stable even in wind. In terms of skill needed to fly one they are at the bottom of the spectrum. So if you get into trouble you're probably screwing around or need to buy something like a simple 120 SR and learn the basics.

I guess it's like putting someone that can't drive in an awd car with every stability control possible. They think they know how to drive when in reality the car is constantly saving them from themselves so they end up doing stupid shit

[mazdavirgin]

I was in Cabo a couple weeks ago, and watched a couple drones flying. One was obviously a Phantom, the other, not so sure.
I was quite impressed at how stable they were. I haven't had any experience with drones, but even with a medium wind these things could hover in 1 spot and really stick there.

Quad rotor drones are fundamentally unstable systems they have 6 degrees of freedom and 4 actuators. This means that it's actually "impossible" for a human to fly without computer assistance. When you're watching one of those drones what you're actually seeing is a computer constantly adjusting the speed of all 4 rotors independently of each other to keep the drone level. This occurs thousands of times per second. So really you don't fly these things per say... You just tell them which direction to go.

[snowcat]

Phantom's gimbal is way better than Mavic's rubber mount and both are way better than Spark's 2 axis gimbal. t.

I disagree. The mavic's gimbals is great!

[Xtrema]

I disagree. The mavic's gimbals is great!

Mine is too jerky on sudden stops. You really have to fly smooth. Phantom is better on this regard.

And it get worse the colder it gets as the rubber hardens.

[Bladeh]

Guess only place I could fly is up my ass.

Crazy Canadian Drone Laws! A Police Officer's Perspective.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qtQIa5wm3Y

[RickDaTuner]

Guess only place I could fly is up my ass.

Crazy Canadian Drone Laws! A Police Officer's Perspective.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qtQIa5wm3Y

While I agree that the drone laws are a over the top.

I'm having a hard time agreeing with this guys definitions and interpretations of the interim law, he also lacks a great deal of understanding of the terms used in the legislation.

IIRC the original Definition of a Drone was a remotely controlled unmanned aircraft that could be operated further than a Typical Line Of Sight, but due to the sheer amount of different type of drones available, and the ability for them to record video, they all became grouped into one classification.

Hard to believe this guys' job is to interpret law with the liberties hes taking in defining terminology and practical application.

[Xtrema]

I do agree the language need to tightened up. If I'm 90m above, I'm theoretically 75m away from everything. :D

[J-hop]

I'm pretty sure this is like tobagganing bylaws. It's meant to give authorities the power to penalize morons doing stupid things like flying into flight paths. The average user flying in a soccer field probably isn't going to get tagged.

[Xtrema]

Surprising turn of event in a new July update:
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/flying-drone-safely-legally.html



Fly your drone:

below 90 m above the ground
at least 30 m away from vehicles, vessels, and the public (if your drone weighs more than 250 g up to 1 kg)
at least 75 m away from vehicles, vessels, and the public (if your drone weighs more than 1 kg up to 35 kg)
at least 5.5 km away from aerodromes (any airport, seaplane base, or areas where aircraft take-off and land)
at least 1.8 km away from heliports or aerodromes used by helicopters only
outside of controlled or restricted airspace
at least 9 km away from a natural hazard or disaster area
away from areas where operation could interfere with police or first responders
during the day and not in clouds
within your sight at all times
within 500 m of yourself or closer
only if clearly marked with your name, address, and telephone number


So you now only need to stay 30m away from the public, distinction of airport vs heliport added and distance from them is lowered.

This is way better.

[speedog]

Much, much better but the city of Calgary's bylaws with respect to no RC devices within city parks (and school grounds?) still leaves things quite restricted in Calgary.

Below 90 meters still stops drone operators from flying over downtown although the heliport on the west end trumps that anyways.

Peoplease will still fly where they shouldn't - some knowingly and others not.

[Xtrema]

Much, much better but the city of Calgary's bylaws with respect to no RC devices within city parks (and school grounds?) still leaves things quite restricted in Calgary.

Below 90 meters still stops drone operators from flying over downtown although the heliport on the west end trumps that anyways.

Peoplease will still fly where they shouldn't - some knowingly and others not.

Just did the map again, 80% of city is now drone friendly from the perspective of federal regulation with the new 1.8km and 5.5km rule. Under the new rule, you can now fly it around East Village or Lindsay park (other than city by law), while most of the core is still prohibited (tall concrete and metal building screw with navigation of the drone anyway).

You just have to be 30m away from people and stuff, which is much more manageable.

And if you got a DJI Spark, you have even less restriction.

[ZeroGravity]

Just did the map again, 80% of city is now drone friendly from the perspective of federal regulation with the new 1.8km and 5.5km rule. Under the new rule, you can now fly it around East Village or Lindsay park (other than city by law), while most of the core is still prohibited (tall concrete and metal building screw with navigation of the drone anyway).

You just have to be 30m away from people and stuff, which is much more manageable.

And if you got a DJI Spark, you have even less restriction.


How does one create a map like the one you've mentioned?

[Xtrema]

How does one create a map like the one you've mentioned?

http://obeattie.github.io/gmaps-radius/

Draw 1.8km around the 4 hospitals and 2 heliports

Draw 5.5km around yyc and springbank

[Mitsu3000gt]

If I understand the new rules correctly, it's much more friendly for Real Estate photographers. I still think there will be issues with people claiming/thinking drones are spying on them in their windows though unless that is covered by the bylaws.

[Xtrema]

If I understand the new rules correctly, it's much more friendly for Real Estate photographers. I still think there will be issues with people claiming/thinking drones are spying on them in their windows though unless that is covered by the bylaws.

There is still the 30m rule and the fact you can't let them know it's commercial activity. Everything quoted is recreational only.

[ZeroGravity]

http://obeattie.github.io/gmaps-radius/

Draw 1.8km around the 4 hospitals and 2 heliports

Draw 5.5km around yyc and springbank


oh nice. thx.

[speedog]

http://obeattie.github.io/gmaps-radius/

Draw 1.8km around the 4 hospitals and 2 heliports

Draw 5.5km around yyc and springbank

8 heliports within city limits - https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/collaborative/civuas/uav_site_selection_tool.html

[Mitsu3000gt]

Has anyone revisited the idea of getting a drone now that the DJI Mavic Air is out? It's so small it seems to fall under some of the more relaxed laws, but it's possible I'm not interpreting them correctly. The idea of a palm-sized drone that has almost all the features from the Phantom line and more features than the Mavic Pro has got me more interested than I have been before about getting one. It also seems like it would be easy to travel/hike with, and use it in places far away from people that have much more relaxed laws.

[Kavy]

I have a spark that I modified to be under 250g so no drone laws apply to it. I had an inspire and a phantom previously and use the spark all the time. I like the new mavic but I don’t see the large benefit of my changing over, for those with a phantom I could defiantly see the appeal.

[95EagleAWD]

So nothing has changed then, you still can't fly a drone anywhere you would actually want to, and the rules are so broad you can be fined for virtually anything. Using them responsibly and for legit business purposes (i.e. real estate photography) is pretty well impossible.

Past rules never stopped people from bringing them to highly public areas and being as annoying as possible (I see them regularly in Prince's Island buzzing the geese & their babies, nobody does anything about it), so I don't think these new ones will either. By the time any authority gets around to responding to a drone call, the user will be long gone.

These rules aren't really for enforcing at the time of use, IMO; they're there to throw at the operator after they do something stupid, like almost hit an airliner.

[Mitsu3000gt]

These rules aren't really for enforcing at the time of use, IMO; they're there to throw at the operator after they do something stupid, like almost hit an airliner.

Interesting. Makes sense I guess. And yeah, based on what I have seen, by the time anyone complains the drone pilot will be long gone but the last thing I would want to do is become one of those people.

My interest in them has been renewed due to how small they are now, they aren't a pain to haul around with you. With something like the Mavic Air you can put it in a coat pocket.

I have no desire to fly around people where I could potentially be annoying them so I assume that would avoid most of those scenarios anyway. With how small they are now, I thought it would be cool to take with me on vacation, hiking out in the middle of nowhere, or for Real Estate photography jobs that were out of the city unless I was able to get a permit otherwise for professional use.

[J-hop]

These rules aren't really for enforcing at the time of use, IMO; they're there to throw at the operator after they do something stupid, like almost hit an airliner.

Or possibly flying in kananaskis, I would imagine if they see you they’d ticket you there. They have a sign there about them on your way in.

All it takes is one moron that can’t fly and damages a Lipo and starts a fire.

[revelations]

Has anyone revisited the idea of getting a drone now that the DJI Mavic Air is out? It's so small it seems to fall under some of the more relaxed laws, but it's possible I'm not interpreting them correctly. The idea of a palm-sized drone that has almost all the features from the Phantom line and more features than the Mavic Pro has got me more interested than I have been before about getting one. It also seems like it would be easy to travel/hike with, and use it in places far away from people that have much more relaxed laws.

I am thinking about a pico drone for hikes in the middle of nowhere. 10-15 min of flight time is pretty good.

[revelations]

These rules aren't really for enforcing at the time of use, IMO; they're there to throw at the operator after they do something stupid, like almost hit an airliner.

Not exactly. Drone operators have been fined while flying in a park near YYC (not even near AC) and, latest, in Banff near public area :

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-drone-fine-danny-mceachren-1.4499979

[firebane]

Not exactly. Drone operators have been fined while flying in a park near YYC (not even near AC) and, latest, in Banff near public area :

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/banff-drone-fine-danny-mceachren-1.4499979

This part really irks me... I get flying where large groups are, but who the fuck cares if your miles from anyone

"We do see it fairly frequently," he added, "And the public are certainly encouraged to report all UAV use they see to Banff Park dispatch — (403) 762-1470 is the number. That's how this file came to us. The description of the UAV pilot or user and any vehicle associated with it are helpful."

[revelations]

This part really irks me... I get flying where large groups are, but who the fuck cares if your miles from anyone

"We do see it fairly frequently," he added, "And the public are certainly encouraged to report all UAV use they see to Banff Park dispatch — (403) 762-1470 is the number. That's how this file came to us. The description of the UAV pilot or user and any vehicle associated with it are helpful."

The operator was flying around in an area with lots of people. That was pretty dumb on its own in ANY area - let alone a park.

[firebane]

The operator was flying around in an area with lots of people. That was pretty dumb on its own in ANY area - let alone a park.

Oh yes the guy was definitely in the wrong.

[Xtrema]

I have a spark that I modified to be under 250g so no drone laws apply to it. I had an inspire and a phantom previously and use the spark all the time. I like the new mavic but I don’t see the large benefit of my changing over, for those with a phantom I could defiantly see the appeal.

My Phantom 3 has been collecting dust even if it got better camera on board than small drone, probably will see it.. Spark i have no interest since I already got a Mavic. Mavic Air tho interests me.

[Mitsu3000gt]

My Phantom 3 has been collecting dust even if it got better camera on board than small drone, probably will see it.. Spark i have no interest since I already got a Mavic. Mavic Air tho interests me.

Where do you find you use your drones the most?

[Xtrema]

Where do you find you use your drones the most?

Rarely in the city any more because rules are vague and nobody really understand it. I have used it at a few spots like the Bowmont Park and Bearspaw once the distance rule was relaxed. Also used it to check on a few roofs for friends for insurance purpose.

Other than that, it's K country and when I travel to US. Although drone laws are clamping down on different regions there too. Rarely any spots for flying now. Was in Balboa park in San Diego near the airport. Saw a Mavic flew over my head and knew immediately someone violated the rules. Ranger leading the tour just threw up her hand and just say she may need to report it to FAA but there is no way she's gonna do the paperwork. :D I did a bit scouting around that park, if I were to violate the law, I would have taken off from the less traffic rose garden and flew in. Someone had the same idea seeing the drone's trajectory.

Took a shot at Newport beach and put it up on Google Maps and got over 2M hit. Must be a bot be still.

I found the Mavic is quite portable already I already put that in my sling along with my DLSR. Mavic Air will probably free up even more room in my bag. And that detachable thumb sticks will be a god send as that part along with the guard takes up a bit of room.

The only negative of Mavic Air so far is that it's louder than Mavic Pro/Original. Not a deal breaker if you keep it over 100ft up. But could attract attention lower. Also gimbal range of motion looks even more stiff that Mavic. And Mavic is already pretty stiff compared to Phantom (which is why I still have a Phantom 3). And there isn't a LCD screen on the controller, so if the app fails (and it happens, some time due to USB cable going bad), you are really totally dark and hope that RTH works (again, pretty much the same with Phantom series).

Again, don't have an Air on hand yet so just impression fed by internet reviews:
https://myfirstdrone.com/blog/dji-mavic-air-vs-mavic-pro

[Mitsu3000gt]

Rarely in the city any more because rules are vague and nobody really understand it. I have used it at a few spots like the Bowmont Park and Bearspaw once the distance rule was relaxed. Also used it to check on a few roofs for friends for insurance purpose.

Other than that, it's K country and when I travel to US. Although drone laws are clamping down on different regions there too. Rarely any spots for flying now. Was in Balboa park in San Diego near the airport. Saw a Mavic flew over my head and knew immediately someone violated the rules. Ranger leading the tour just threw up her hand and just say she may need to report it to FAA but there is no way she's gonna do the paperwork. :D I did a bit scouting around that park, if I were to violate the law, I would have taken off from the less traffic rose garden and flew in. Someone had the same idea seeing the drone's trajectory.

Took a shot at Newport beach and put it up on Google Maps and got over 2M hit. Must be a bot be still.

I found the Mavic is quite portable already I already put that in my sling along with my DLSR. Mavic Air will probably free up even more room in my bag. And that detachable thumb sticks will be a god send as that part along with the guard takes up a bit of room.

The only negative of Mavic Air so far is that it's louder than Mavic Pro/Original. Not a deal breaker if you keep it over 100ft up. But could attract attention lower. Also gimbal range of motion looks even more stiff that Mavic. And Mavic is already pretty stiff compared to Phantom (which is why I still have a Phantom 3). And there isn't a LCD screen on the controller, so if the app fails (and it happens, some time due to USB cable going bad), you are really totally dark and hope that RTH works (again, pretty much the same with Phantom series).

Again, don't have an Air on hand yet so just impression fed by internet reviews:
https://myfirstdrone.com/blog/dji-mavic-air-vs-mavic-pro

Awesome, thanks.

Yeah I was talking to some people today, and it sounds like Bragg Creek, K- Country, and traveling are the go-to spots. I go to Hawaii a lot, and it seems to be pretty open unless rules have changed recently, except for Oahu which has a military base or air strip every few miles haha. If you stay under 400ft you also should be out of any tour helicopter's way.

With a mic right under the drone hovering, it looks like the Mavic is 98dB and the Air is 99dB, so not too bad but a little louder. The pitch of the sound also adds to perceived loudness. The Mavic Pro Platinum is noticeably quieter around 93dB - just going by this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cINDPOLTJQo

I think the only difference is the rotors, so maybe there will be a quieter rotor set for the Air available at some point.

Some idiot was flying a Mavic through Prince's Island last summer a few feet off the water and it was very noticeable.

I read that Fish Creek Park was OK as long as you take off and land outside of the park, but I am not 100% sure on that. There are soccer fields and other similar areas nearby that are easily 30m from any structure you could presumably take off in. Most of it is far enough away from the SHC and Rockyview Helipads as well:

https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/collaborative/civuas/uav_site_selection_tool.html

[Xtrema]

https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/collaborative/civuas/uav_site_selection_tool.html

That tool has not been updated to the short distance. It's still at 9km from airports, it's only 5.5.km now.

NVM: looks like it's under recreational drone part is updated with proper distance.

Not sure if provincial park has the same status as national parks but from a aerodrome perspective, Fish Creek is all cleared to fly..

[firebane]

Here is a good video


https://youtu.be/9qtQIa5wm3Y

[ExtraSlow]

Drones are prohibited in all Alberta provincial parks without a special permit.

[Brent.ff]

And really provided youre not flying it in busy places, it’s probably fine. But my wife gave a guy shit for flying one at prairie mountain for half an hour over top of our group and others. Nothing like the constant wirr of a drone for to really enjoy nature. Flying them around people trying to get away from the city is just being a dick.. I might start carrying a slingshot

[speedog]

Drones are prohibited in all Alberta provincial parks without a special permit.

So much for Fish Creek then.

[Darell_n]

I hate the sound of them with a passion I can’t explain, but if they were silent I wouldn’t care at all where they were flown. Has there been any development noise wise on these devices. (and can we ban Harleys from parks too)

[Mitsu3000gt]

Drones are prohibited in all Alberta provincial parks without a special permit.

Looking into Fish Creek further, there is a by-law that you can't fly in or over a "park" (can't find any actual laws), but I imagine it is extremely difficult to enforce if the pilot is not taking off and landing within the park, and staying a few hundred feet above ground. Some people say it's not illegal at all as long as you are under 300ft/90m, but I can't find any backup for that. Lots of drone regulations seem to be complicated and ambiguous, and changing all the time.


And really provided youre not flying it in busy places, it’s probably fine. But my wife gave a guy shit for flying one at prairie mountain for half an hour over top of our group and others. Nothing like the constant wirr of a drone for to really enjoy nature. Flying them around people trying to get away from the city is just being a dick.. I might start carrying a slingshot

Flying drones around people, especially crowds, is dumb. I don't think you wife was out of line there at all if the pilot was buzzing the crowd. I also would be terrified that I'd hit someone, and open myself up to a lawsuit. It's possible prairie mountain is a legal place to fly, though, but you are supposed to stay a good distance from people at all times depending on the weight of your drone.



I hate the sound of them with a passion I can’t explain, but if they were silent I wouldn’t care at all where they were flown. Has there been any development noise wise on these devices. (and can we ban Harleys from parks too)

The sound is quite annoying indeed. Different drones have different pitches as well, so some are better than others. A few hundred feet up though you won't really hear them unless there is no other noise. DJI makes a Mavic Pro Platinum with updated ESC's and propellers that reduce noice from 98dB to 93dB (measured right at the drone), it has a much softer sound. Generally the smaller drones have a higher pitched noise, so it may seem louder even if it doesn't measure louder.

[J-hop]

^ yea definitely illegal to fly on prairie mountain

[speedog]

Looking into Fish Creek further, there is a by-law that you can't fly in or over a "park" (can't find any actual laws), but I imagine it is extremely difficult to enforce if the pilot is not taking off and landing within the park, and staying a few hundred feet above ground. Some people say it's not illegal at all as long as you are under 300ft/90m, but I can't find any backup for that. Lots of drone regulations seem to be complicated and ambiguous, and changing all the time.

CoC has a bylaw on the books that bans the operation of any type of RC device in a city owned park which includes playgrounds, cemeteries, natural areas, sports fields, pathways, trails and park roadways.

[Brent.ff]

Fish creek is a provincial park, aka, no drones.. not sure why someone would be so urged to launch or land outside.. wtf is so important to film?

[Xtrema]

Fish creek is a provincial park, aka, no drones.. not sure why someone would be so urged to launch or land outside.. wtf is so important to film?

Same reason people take picture of sunsets, flowers, mountains. It's just another outlet. As for noise, every quad from DJI are quite quiet when it's over 50m above ground. You will only hear it if someone tries to get a closer shot to the ground. And the Mavic Pro Platnium wing tips reduces Mavic's Pro noise by 60%.


CoC has a bylaw on the books that bans the operation of any type of RC device in a city owned park which includes playgrounds, cemeteries, natural areas, sports fields, pathways, trails and park roadways.

Well the fact that one guy violated federal law and got fined $500 by a judge and the lawyers are all ready to pounce on vague languages, I am not sure if city is ready to take it beyond a warning unless they encounter a serial offender.

$500 is quite cheap if you are after a shot. Any more penalty and lawyers will get involved and cost everyone more $. I think going forward it'll be more educational than enforcement. I don't think there is much teeth unless you get caught threatening an aircraft.

[J-hop]

Not sure why people keep saying the rules are vague? They actually are relatively straight forward and mostly well defined. People just (en masse) aren’t reading them.

I bet the model airplane guys that have been doing this for decades and following the rules are shaking their heads right now.

[Xtrema]

Not sure why people keep saying the rules are vague? They actually are relatively straight forward and mostly well defined. People just (en masse) aren’t reading them.

I bet the model airplane guys that have been doing this for decades and following the rules are shaking their heads right now.


at least 30 m away from vehicles, vessels and the public (if your drone weighs over 250 g and up to 1 kg)

horizontally? Vertically? Can I buzz everyone 50m above them and I'm good? If it's lateral, how do you proof that I'm guilty while I'm in the air? Or am I pulling the take off and land in an empty field and I'm clear?


during the day and not in clouds

Is this as clear as our old school zone? 1hr after sundown?


within your sight at all times

What if I have super human vision? If it's VLOS and no FPV, then say VLOS.

That what I mean that lawyers are already pulling this apart. You can't enforce this which this kind of language. Yes people has been flying model planes for decades. But drones is another animal. And even with these in place, I have seen people flying RC planes at school yards, you are not going to stop them. The only enforceable part is aerodromes and parks where it's clearly stated. Everything else, unless you get a guilty plea, even if you subpoena the GPS record, it's tough to make it stick.

We need stricter, clearer and enforceable rules and higher fines and actual enforcement if you need this to stop.

[J-hop]

Completely agree things should be better and should be more strict and more idiots need to be slammed with heavy fines when they do stupid crap

As for distance away it’s no doubt horizontally. Airspace borders are defined in nautical miles along the surface (ignoring layers airspace that doesn’t apply here) so anytime you see “away from” when flying it’s along the surface with vertical boundaries projecting up.

Sure “during the day” could be vague but in the clouds isn’t.

But things like ceiling height, flying near controlled airspace, flying in parks etc which are the questions most asked and rules most violated these things are spelled out pretty damn clear.

Regardless, when you do an abnormal activity it should ring bells that maybe you need to talk to someone about what is allowed and what isn’t.

It’s too bad, drones are stupid easy to fly, so they allow people to do stupid things and get into bad situations they couldn’t even get close to with a real heli. As a result the governement has to implement idiot control and ruin it for the rest of us.

[zieg]

I bet the model airplane guys that have been doing this for decades and following the rules are shaking their heads right now.

Ugh, you have no idea. Flying a model aircraft used to require skill, which was a great way to keep the fools out.

[Rat Fink]

.

[95EagleAWD]

Transport Canada clearly defines day as the period between the beginning of morning civil twilight and end of evening civil twilight. They define twilight as the period when the sun’s disc is less than 6 degrees below the horizontal. I hope that clears things up for you drone guys as it’s what pilots have had to work with for decades.

Day = one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. That's what I used for logging. Although it doesn't matter much now, flying a seaplane for work. No night flying period... :(

[Mitsu3000gt]

CoC has a bylaw on the books that bans the operation of any type of RC device in a city owned park which includes playgrounds, cemeteries, natural areas, sports fields, pathways, trails and park roadways.

"In" and "over" are sometimes treated differently, if the take off and land isn't in the restricted area. Hawaii is like this - you can't take off from beaches, but you can fly over them. It's the airspace that is often ambiguous.


Fish creek is a provincial park, aka, no drones.. not sure why someone would be so urged to launch or land outside.. wtf is so important to film?

The same reasons thousands of photographers go to Fish Creek Park every year, it's a nice place with unlimited photography/videography potential. It's also an extremely popular spot for wedding, engagement, and grad photos. Drones don't just take video, they can take still photographs too and you can obviously get some very cool vantage points from the air. Not that long ago, you would literally need to charter a helicopter to get the shots you can with a cheap drone now - if you think about it, that's pretty remarkable. It's saved the filming/documentary industry millions of dollars as well.


Not sure why people keep saying the rules are vague? They actually are relatively straight forward and mostly well defined. People just (en masse) aren’t reading them.

I bet the model airplane guys that have been doing this for decades and following the rules are shaking their heads right now.

The rules are extremely vague, and they change frequently. The sheer amount of online discussion around drone rules, and the differing responses even from authorities, is a pretty good indication that nobody really knows what the rules are haha. Other than airports, it's pretty vague and the surrounding language could use a lot more detail. I don't think anyone is upset about the rules, only that they are ambiguous and difficult to interpret - clearer, more descriptive rules would benefit everyone.

[Brent.ff]

The same reasons thousands of photographers go to Fish Creek Park every year, it's a nice place with unlimited photography/videography potential. It's also an extremely popular spot for wedding, engagement, and grad photos.


And yet, joe-guy with his DSLR doesn't have to buzzing around annoying folks. Like i said, i'm just gonna get a high-quality slingshot

[Mitsu3000gt]

And yet, joe-guy with his DSLR doesn't have to buzzing around annoying folks. Like i said, i'm just gonna get a high-quality slingshot

You can't even hear the drones at the altitudes they normally fly at, you most likely wouldn't even know it was there. Helicopters and planes fly over the park all the time, families with screaming kids have picnics there, people's dogs bark there, it's sandwiched in between some major roads - Fish Creek Park is generally not a quiet place. It would have to be dead silent for you to hear a drone unless it was very close to you, which would be illegal regardless. You are far more likely to be annoyed by something else in or around the park than a drone at 150ft+ that you can't even hear.

Slingshots aren't even allowed to be carried in the parks, but that's OK right?

[firebane]

Not sure why people keep saying the rules are vague? They actually are relatively straight forward and mostly well defined. People just (en masse) aren’t reading them.

I bet the model airplane guys that have been doing this for decades and following the rules are shaking their heads right now.

How about this?

www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/interim-order-respecting-use-model-aircraft.html

Definitions

1 (1) The following definitions apply in this Interim Order.
unmanned air vehicle means a power-driven aircraft, other than a model aircraft, that is designed to fly without a human operator on board. (véhicule aérien non habité)

Recreational Purposes

3 (1) Subject to subsection (2), this Interim Order applies in respect of model aircraft having a total weight of more than 250 g (0.55 pounds) but not more than 35 kg (77.2 pounds).

(2) It does not apply to
unmanned air vehicles; and

[Brent.ff]

You can't even hear the drones at the altitudes they normally fly at, you most likely wouldn't even know it was there. Helicopters and planes fly over the park all the time, families with screaming kids have picnics there, people's dogs bark there, it's sandwiched in between some major roads - Fish Creek Park is generally not a quiet place. It would have to be dead silent for you to hear a drone unless it was very close to you, which would be illegal regardless. You are far more likely to be annoyed by something else in or around the park than a drone at 150ft+ that you can't even hear.


You seem to think i'm focused on Fish Creek. I'm not. I get that you're a 'legal' operator and are following the rules, but the vast majority of people that i have run into in the Parks (fish creek and elsewhere) seem to be people that got one for xmas, and have no idea what the rules are. Watching guys take off and land on the walking bridge in fish creek, fly it just over the river, and then over peoples head...

Legal operators aren't the problem, it's the idiots who get them for the hell of it, dont read the regulations, and have no anticipation of others expectations. The guy that got dinged in Banff is a perfect example of that. He had no idea that flying a drone at Two Jack during probably the busiest skating week of the last 5 years wasn't going to go well, that it was illegal in the Park, or that people would be frustrated?

[firebane]

You seem to think i'm focused on Fish Creek. I'm not. I get that you're a 'legal' operator and are following the rules, but the vast majority of people that i have run into in the Parks (fish creek and elsewhere) seem to be people that got one for xmas, and have no idea what the rules are. Watching guys take off and land on the walking bridge in fish creek, fly it just over the river, and then over peoples head...

Legal operators aren't the problem, it's the idiots who get them for the hell of it, dont read the regulations, and have no anticipation of others expectations. The guy that got dinged in Banff is a perfect example of that. He had no idea that flying a drone at Two Jack during probably the busiest skating week of the last 5 years wasn't going to go well, that it was illegal in the Park, or that people would be frustrated?

Lets be honest how many peopke buy a car and read the manual lol. Drones should be mandatory to be sold with regulations.

[Brent.ff]

Lets be honest how many peopke buy a car and read the manual lol. Drones should be mandatory to be sold with regulations.

At the very least, you still need to pass a test to drive a car (even if that really doesn't make people better drivers)...

[firebane]

At the very least, you still need to pass a test to drive a car (even if that really doesn't make people better drivers)...

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/proposed-rules-drones-canada.html

[Mitsu3000gt]

You seem to think i'm focused on Fish Creek. I'm not. I get that you're a 'legal' operator and are following the rules, but the vast majority of people that i have run into in the Parks (fish creek and elsewhere) seem to be people that got one for xmas, and have no idea what the rules are. Watching guys take off and land on the walking bridge in fish creek, fly it just over the river, and then over peoples head...

Legal operators aren't the problem, it's the idiots who get them for the hell of it, dont read the regulations, and have no anticipation of others expectations. The guy that got dinged in Banff is a perfect example of that. He had no idea that flying a drone at Two Jack during probably the busiest skating week of the last 5 years wasn't going to go well, that it was illegal in the Park, or that people would be frustrated?

I completely agree with you that those types of people are the problem but think it's important to note though that those types of people are the problem with ANYTHING. Irresponsible users always ruin it for the responsible ones in any hobby, and typically represent a minority. If someone was buzzing right over my head or my pets' with a drone in Fish Creek, I'd be annoyed too. If I looked up and saw a drone at 200ft that I could barely even hear, I couldn't care less. I was in Jasper a few years ago and a bunch of people pulled over to look at a nice lake, then all of a sudden a drone flies over everyone's heads and starts flying a few feet above the water, maybe 20 ft from where everyone was standing, ruining both the experience and any photo opportunities - this type of irresponsible usage ruins it for everyone, including the responsible drone pilots.

If you get a $1000 drone for Christmas and your first instinct is to bring it to a public place without checking any rules or doing any safety research, you're an idiot and deserve a fine. Especially now with drones having been around for years, anyone dumb enough to bring a drone to a crowded sight-seeing area with tourists everywhere should most certainly be punished.

I haven't even bought a drone yet and I have done about 40 hours of research already, as well as practiced on cheap indoor drones - there is a lot to know, they aren't toys (especially the larger ones) and I can see how people can get in over their head, but that is not an excuse for irresponsible usage.

[Xtrema]

that people would be frustrated?

Tell that to people who smoke cigs and pots in public parks, especially pot. :D

Yeah, there will always be people not care or know about the rules. To me I think once laws are solid, license it then mandate insurance just like cars and problem is solved. That will immediately get rid of most of idiots.

[Gman.45]

Jhop - agree completely regarding the training wheels/quad bit.

I fly helos, although I did have quads, I have 3 dozen various helos, up to 500 class, lots of 300 and 450 ish class, pretty much every unit Blade has ever made but their largest 700, a few Align, and a couple others.

I was teaching some newphews on the new 120, the cops stopped by - I was in a soccer field in Moose Jaw SK, they were taking their K9 dog there for training. All they wanted to do was see my Tx, as the officer was a helo pilot too it turned out, and I have a really new Tx, ix12, and he wanted to see it. There are no city bylaws here, told me he flew at the same location all the time - and I've seen a 300 buzzing around before. He just said be courteous for the kids sports teams that use it for training, and fly inside the baseball diamonds which are fenced and about 100 yards away from the soccer field, when kids are there using the soccer field.

I'm moving back to Calgary in spring, kinda sucks there are few places to fly in the city, luckily we have a large yard at our place in Bearspaw, large enough for park flying anyway. Once I'm back I'll post again, any responsible Beyond member that wants to fly there is welcome to.

[J-hop]

Geez a 500, that’s a beast!

[Xtrema]

I'm moving back to Calgary in spring, kinda sucks there are few places to fly in the city, luckily we have a large yard at our place in Bearspaw, large enough for park flying anyway. Once I'm back I'll post again, any responsible Beyond member that wants to fly there is welcome to.

Before they relaxed the distance from 9km to 5.5km, flying in parts of Bearspaw closest to Springbank airport was no go.

Now I think as long as you are north of Bow river, you are good.

[Gman.45]

Thanks Xtrema, I'll be looking into that carefully before I fly or let anyone else, just to be sure.

500 is a bigger machine, when you see it next to the 6 and 700 though...Wish I'd bought a 700 when they were available.

[speedog]

Before they relaxed the distance from 9km to 5.5km, flying in parts of Bearspaw closest to Springbank airport was no go.

Now I think as long as you are north of Bow river, you are good.

Pretty much anywhere between the Bow River and Highway 1A between Cochrane and Calgary is still off limits even with the 5.5km rules - there's a couple of private helicopter pads that screw everything up.

[Xtrema]

Pretty much anywhere between the Bow River and Highway 1A between Cochrane and Calgary is still off limits even with the 5.5km rules - there's a couple of private helicopter pads that screw everything up.

Meh, those are pretty small areas and those are on 1.8km radius now. Nice to watch out for but insignificant. Shrinking from 9km to 5.5km released at least 50% more space in that area to fly than before and not worry about aerodrome violations.

It used to be that you have to clear 1/2 of Rocky Ridge in the north before you are cleared.

[speedog]

Didn't know about the 1.8 km rule

[Mitsu3000gt]

Why does the Transport Canada drone map say the red circles are only 1/4 Nautical mile? Am I interpreting that incorrectly? It says this in the "help" section:

"Additionally, a red ring is drawn centered at the selected map point. This ring represents the maximum horizontal distance at which the UAV may be operated under the exemption (1/4 nautical mile, or ½ nautical mile depending on weight class)." 1/4 nautical mile is like 460m.

EDIT: NM, it's for when you click on any space on the map, it suggests how far you can fly it away from yourself (500m). Would be nice if they updated the map to 5.5KM - doesn't help anyone when the information is so difficult to get.

[Xtrema]

Didn't know about the 1.8 km rule

https://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/collaborative/civuas/uav_site_selection_tool.html

Switch to model aircraft of the left.

60% less coverage by areodrome after rule changed last summer. So outside of the aerodrome area, it's province's and city's problem.

I didn't even know this when a friend in Bearspaw want me to come out and check his roof. I quoted him old rules and he proved me wrong.

[Gman.45]

Hrrm...that's new to me to.

I'm not going to sweat it, 99% of my flying will be very low altitude helo flying, nobody can even see them unless they were on the property anyway, but that probably nixes having the public coming out to fly there. Don't you just love legislation and regulations. With what the pilot in the thread posted, I'm all in favor of having rules to keep idiots flying extremely high performance and heavy units up at higher altitudes out of visual control, even with tx/camera/goggles, but these rules for small models are getting ridiculous - I'd seen that cop's video when he first posted them and were linked from Beyond, and I agree pretty much with all he's saying.

Even flying electric planes/gliders, it'd be very hard to spot due to the treeline and where my property sits, the neighbor on one side has a small golf range and lands balls in our yard all the time, it's an ongoing joke and never been a problem, plus he shoots his muzzle loader for Stampede parties and Canada day parties - I'd never give him a hard time over that, I'm sure even IF he or his family saw me flying something, they wouldn't either, and it's unlikely he'll see anything anyway. I'll typically be at 50 feet agl at most, mostly lower, only my one glider would be higher, and I'll mostly fly that elsewhere where it's better terrain and completely legal anyway.

This does make me wonder about flying the smaller helos in a backyard inside the city itself - how does the law apply for that if you're over the 250g weight as say 250 size helo certainly would be? Just doing hover practice or fundamentals/etc in your back yard...what's the exposure legally like there?

[speedog]

Hrrm...that's new to me to.

I'm not going to sweat it, 99% of my flying will be very low altitude helo flying, nobody can even see them unless they were on the property anyway, but that probably nixes having the public coming out to fly there. Don't you just love legislation and regulations. With what the pilot in the thread posted, I'm all in favor of having rules to keep idiots flying extremely high performance and heavy units up at higher altitudes out of visual control, even with tx/camera/goggles, but these rules for small models are getting ridiculous - I'd seen that cop's video when he first posted them and were linked from Beyond, and I agree pretty much with all he's saying.

Even flying electric planes/gliders, it'd be very hard to spot due to the treeline and where my property sits, the neighbor on one side has a small golf range and lands balls in our yard all the time, it's an ongoing joke and never been a problem, plus he shoots his muzzle loader for Stampede parties and Canada day parties - I'd never give him a hard time over that, I'm sure even IF he or his family saw me flying something, they wouldn't either, and it's unlikely he'll see anything anyway. I'll typically be at 50 feet agl at most, mostly lower, only my one glider would be higher, and I'll mostly fly that elsewhere where it's better terrain and completely legal anyway.

This does make me wonder about flying the smaller helos in a backyard inside the city itself - how does the law apply for that if you're over the 250g weight as say 250 size helo certainly would be? Just doing hover practice or fundamentals/etc in your back yard...what's the exposure legally like there?

My one son has flown his RC heli in our backyard (250 sized) and the only way he would've got in trouble is if a neighbor snitched and we're within 3km of the YYC..

[Mitsu3000gt]

This does make me wonder about flying the smaller helos in a backyard inside the city itself - how does the law apply for that if you're over the 250g weight as say 250 size helo certainly would be? Just doing hover practice or fundamentals/etc in your back yard...what's the exposure legally like there?

You're highlighting how ambiguous the rules are right now. They just aren't clear. And what if your drone was 249g? Are police carrying scales with them? (maybe they do for drugs haha). Or what if some kid is playing with a basic Amazon drone over 250g like 10-15ft off the ground in his back yard?

My general understanding though is over 250g and you are under the exact same laws as anything up to 1Kg, and also by some rules that apply up to 35Kg:

https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/flying-drone-safely-legally.html

I've got a couple micro drones (palm-sized) that I'm sure I could use outside without anyone getting their panties in a bunch, but anything larger and I bet people would complain even though I wouldn't be flying them any differently.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Looking at the same rules (https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/flying-drone-safely-legally.html), it seems as long as you are over 30m but below 90m in the air, and you take off from a field (so you are at least 75m from anything even during take off an landing) you can fly over parts of the city. Would this be correct? Or are you not allowed to fly over any built-up areas under any circumstances? Most of South Calgary is no longer restricted from an airspace perspective with the new rules.

[revelations]

Looking at the same rules (https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/opssvs/flying-drone-safely-legally.html), it seems as long as you are over 30m but below 90m in the air, and you take off from a field (so you are at least 75m from anything even during take off an landing) you can fly over parts of the city. Would this be correct? Or are you not allowed to fly over any built-up areas under any circumstances? Most of South Calgary is no longer restricted from an airspace perspective with the new rules.

What do the CoC bylaws state?

[Mitsu3000gt]

What do the CoC bylaws state?

Google searches for "Calgary drone bylaws" don't bring up anything official that I can see, so I am not sure yet...

It's rather difficult for people wanting to fly responsibly to get clarity on all the rules.

The CPS page on drones is out of date and has wrong information on it, so that doesn't help too much either: http://www.calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Public-services/Safe-Use-of-Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-(UAV)-or-Drones.aspx?redirect=/drones

Anyone have a link to the official bylaws? They might be scattered around within different subsections, like Parks, Streets, etc. which makes it pretty much impossible to find them all.

[Crazyjoker77]

Google searches for "Calgary drone bylaws" don't bring up anything official that I can see, so I am not sure yet...

It's rather difficult for people wanting to fly responsibly to get clarity on all the rules.

The CPS page on drones is out of date and has wrong information on it, so that doesn't help too much either: http://www.calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Public-services/Safe-Use-of-Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-(UAV)-or-Drones.aspx?redirect=/drones

Anyone have a link to the official bylaws? They might be scattered around within different subsections, like Parks, Streets, etc. which makes it pretty much impossible to find them all.

Because its not drone or RC specific but in with the bylaws for parks and pathways. Been there since 2003 long before drones where anything other than terrorist bombing toys.

https://www.calgary.ca/CA/City-Clerks/Documents/Legislative-services/Bylaws/20m2003-ParksPathways.pdf?noredirect=1

and the pertinent wording

24. No Person shall set off, launch or operate, while in a Park:
(a) any fireworks, explosive devices or rockets;
(b) any glider or hot air balloon; or
(c) any remote control device including boats, planes, helicopters or cars;
except where such activity is specifically allowed by the Director.

and of course goes on to allow them to deem a area suitible

GENERAL MANAGER POWERS
48. (1) The Director may as the Director deems necessary for the administration of
Calgary’s Parks, preservation and protection of Parks and Amenities, and to
ensure public safety:

(k) designate areas within Parks where kites, hot air balloons or gliders may
be launched and where remote controlled Vehicles, planes, and boats
may be operated;

Listd the fine at 100$

[Mitsu3000gt]

Yes, I think someone found that earlier, but my question was not about parks :) Parks are off limits for launching/landing, but whether or not you can fly over the park with an off-site launch/land site does not seem to be clear. The bylaw seems to only apply to people inside the parks, which the pilot would not be. I also don't think a $100 fine is much of a deterrant when it is near impossible to find the pilot, so I can see that changing in the future.

With the new rules, pretty much all of South Calgary is not in restricted airspace with relation to helipads and aerodomes. So, if you satisfy all the Transport Canada rules that I can find (30m from people & vehicles, 75m from buildings, below 90m high) is there still an additional bylaw against flying in a field or something that happens to be in city limits?

[Xtrema]

http://www.calgary.ca/cps/Pages/Public-services/Safe-Use-of-Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicles-(UAV)-or-Drones.aspx?redirect=/drones

You can't fly over a road. But I don't can't find that info in the document they refer to. The park one we already know. There is no concrete definition of your scenario. If you are in a park it's $100. If you are over a road, it's a court date.

But CPS is quoting old rules from Transport Canada for the airport part. Or they are just too lazy and list the highest weight class to deter people.

[speedog]

You're probably safe out at McKinnon Flats or you could try to get access to crown land that's near Calgary. - the ability to fly on a piece of crown land would be up to the lease holder. There is a web site where you can look up this information, I'll find it and post the link.

[Brent.ff]

McKinnon flats is an alberta park.. can't do it there

[speedog]

McKinnon flats is an alberta park.. can't do it there

Well it's not listed as a provincial park nor is it designated as a provincial recreational area - after a fair bit of searchinh I found out that it's designated as a conservation site and wildlife viewing area, not sure what that really means or what rules apply then.