New Regulations and Standards Will Allow UAVs to Operate in Canadian Airspace
Published on December 21, 2010
December 21, 2010, Medicine Hat Alberta...On June 28th, Transport Canada (TC) granted permission for the Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Systems Program Design Working Group to proceed with a four phase recommendation process, to introduce new regulations and standards for the safe integration of routine UAV operations in the Canadian airspace. During this four phased process the main working group and three sub committees (people, product and operations and access to airspace) will consider classes of recommendations based on: visual range operations, maximum weight of the aircraft and type of operation of the unmanned air vehicle system.
“Transport Canada is a regulator for anything that flies in Canadian airspace,” said Wayne Crowe, executive director for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Canada and Co-Chair of the working group. “This process is significant because TC is recognizing that UAVS exist, are going to exist and can fly in general airspace- therefore they’re developing these regulations.”
Dewar Donnithorne-Tait, president and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems is optimistic that this process will unlock opportunities such as building a UAV training centre which provides proper training and meets flight crew regulations. CCUVS is also involved in research and development initiatives that will be able to provide useful information to Transport Canada during this process. A recent example, addressing the inconsistency in international regulations of unmanned aircraft, was a scientific study entitled An Approach to the Classification of Unmanned Aircraft, this report proposed a mathematically precise approach to classifying UAVs- this study was completed by Cameron Fraser, with the Flight Sciences department of Bombardier Aerospace and Donnithorne-Tait.
Although a lengthy process members of the UAV working group are optimistic that studies, such as those done by CCUVS and recommendations presented to Transport Canada will make their way into the current Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) policies and procedures-potentially showing the UAV industry a more streamlined process.
“This can seem like a long process, but I am hopeful that as we develop the recommendations for the rules and regulations, that they will get added to the current guidelines that are provided to regional SFOC officers- making the process easier and more flexible,” said Crowe.
For more information on the Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) Systems Program Design Working Group and the research and development currently underway contact Dewar Donnithorne-Tait from CCUVS at (403) 488-7208, visit www.ccuvs.com or go to www.edalliance.ca to learn more about the active UAV industry in southeast Alberta.