Only Canadian citizens or permanent residents will be allowed to fly model aircraft in Canada. Visitors are banned from flights in Canada.
All operators must be licensed, either Basic or Advanced. The latter requires passing an in-person Flight Review, covering a broad set of topics and demonstrating flight competency, at a designated drone flight school (this will be expensive).
Each individual aircraft must be registered with the government with a separate fee for each aircraft. (The U.S. registers the pilot, and the same registration number is then used on multiple aircraft owned by the pilot.)
Basic license holders may not fly a model aircraft within 100 feet of other people which largely shuts down model aircraft flying clubs.
- Registered owners of drones must be at least 14 years old and a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Corporations and federal, municipal or provincial governments can also own drones.
- If you want to fly a drone in conditions where it’s not in visual line of sight at all times, you’ll need a special certificate (among situations where a certificate is needed). The operator of a drone also won’t be allowed to fly it too close to airports or heliports or in controlled airspace, and will have to give way to aircraft, airships, gliders and balloons.
- With the exception of police, rescue and firefighting operations, nobody will be allowed to fly a drone over or within a security perimeter set up by officials in response to an emergency. That could prohibit news organizations from using drones equipped with cameras to get aerial footage of crimes, disasters or terrorist attacks.
- Drinking alcohol within 12 hours of being on a drone flight crew is prohibited, as is being “under the influence of alcohol” or “any drug that impairs the person’s faculties to the extent that aviation safety or the safety of any person is endangered or likely to be endangered.”
- Anyone who is tired or otherwise unable to properly perform their duties is prohibited from operating a drone or taking part in a drone flight crew.
- No one will be allowed to fly a drone when the weather conditions prevent seeing it at all times, or when frost, ice or snow are stuck to it. Anyone wanting to fly a drone at night will need special lights.
- To fly a drone over a concert or sporting event, the operator will need a special flight operations certificate. It will also take a special flight operations certificate for a drone to transport things like explosives, weapons, ammunition, or flammable or biohazardous material.
- There will be two levels of pilot certificates to operate a drone. Those with a basic certificate will have to be at least 14 years old and pass a test. However, the regulations also provide for someone under 14 to operate a drone if supervised by someone 14 or older who has a certificate.
- Those with advanced operations certificates will get to fly closer to airports and controlled airspace. They will have to be at least 16 years old and pass an exam and a flight review.
Must also be at least 30 meters from other people. That shuts down many model aircraft airfields run by flying clubs. For example, at my model aircraft club, our runway is may be 20 meters from the parking area, and less than that from our setup and maintenance tables.
Everyone who flies a drone in Canada will be required to pass a written exam, and if you wish to, say, fly as a group at your model airfield, you will also be required to pass an in person Flight Review, including an oral exam and a flight exam, at designated drone schools (this will be expensive).
To fly within less than 30 meters of people, you must pass an in person flight review (in person flight exam) at a registered drone flight school and operate a certified drone, only. (These are all high end, expensive, commercial aircraft. Hobbyist and home built aircraft are prohibited in this category.) This is an in-person exam and may cover any of these topics.
Every aircraft must be registered. For model aircraft hobbyists, who often have many aircraft, this will be expensive.
Source: New rules for drones: Pilot certificates, avoiding airports — and no drunk droning | CBC News
In short, you will need a full scale remote pilot’s license to continue flying model aircraft a model airfield, with your friends. This will cost a considerable amount of money to obtain, and a significant effort in order to pass the in person Flight Review.
In effect, these new rules are de facto intended to eliminate most model aircraft operations by creating large barriers to entry.
