Are you licensed to fly in Canada?

Yes, Edmonton Drone Photographer holds an Advanced Operations - Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (small) Certificate, issued by Transport Canada. See below for more details on Basic vs Advanced drone operations in Canada.

Do you have insurance?

Edmonton Drone Photographer holds $2M in liability insurance for drone operations.

What is the difference between Basic Operations and Advanced Operations?

There are two levels of certification for small RPAS, each with their own set of rules about where a pilot can fly: Basic and Advanced.

A pilot with a Basic Certificate cannot fly within 100ft laterally of bystanders and cannot fly in controlled airspace (1 nautical mile from heliports, 3 nautical miles from airports). To obtain a Basic Operations Certificate, one must pass a test administered by Transport Canada. This challenging test focuses on aviation principles such as air traffic control, meteorology, human factors, physics, etc. A Basic License is very restrictive of where a pilot can legally fly, especially in an urban area, because it is tricky to guarantee that no bystanders will come within 100ft.

A pilot with an Advanced Certificate can fly near people (between 5 and 30m laterally) or over people (within 5m laterally) if they have a drone equipped with a parachute. Advanced Pilots can also fly in controlled airspace if a Special Flight Operations Certificate is granted by Nav Canada. To obtain an Advanced Operations Certificate, a pilot must pass an even tougher exam as well as an in-person Flight Review with a Transport Canada approved Flight Reviewer, similar to a drivers license test.

What is the difference between flight near people and flight over people?

Flight near people is when bystanders may be present, but it is feasible to keep them 5m horizontally from the drone. Edmonton Drone Photographer currently only has a drone with a Safety Assurance Declaration for flight near people.

Flight over people is when it is unfeasible to keep bystanders greater than 5m from the drone. Flight over people requires a drone with a Safety Assurance Declaration from the Manufacturer, which requires that the Manufacturer complete testing related to the consequences of a drone making impact with a bystander as well as implement a system to prevent the drone from free falling (parachutes).

There is currently only one parachute available for the DJI Mavic 2 and it costs over $2500 CAD. This is on our wishlist and can be added to our inventory if required for a project :)

What kind of drone do you own?

Edmonton Drone Photographer uses three drones: Mavic 3, Mavic 2 Zoom, and Mavic Mini 2.

More info on my drones can be found at our affiliate website: https://www.inteximaging.com/blog/best-drones-commercial-photography

Instead of using a smartphone to control the drone, an iPad with a custom mounting bracket is used. This allows for keeping in communication with air traffic with my cell phone. Plus, having a large screen makes it easier to frame my shots.

What sets Edmonton Drone Photographer apart from other drone operators?

Edmonton Drone Photographer is affiliated with IntEx Imaging, an award winning architecture photography firm. It’s one thing to know how to fly a drone…it’s an entirely different thing to know how to take captivating photos and videos that are in alignment with the clients brand.

Edmonton Drone Photographer is also an engineer-in-training with strong safety and project management skills. All of the necessary steps are completed to make sure flights are safe and legal.

What are your prices?

Please contact me for pricing. Each project is different as some areas may be much easier to fly in than others, depending on requirements such as:

• Transport Canada Approval - SFOC required for flying in controlled airspace

• City of Edmonton/Municipality Approval

• Landowner/heliport notifications

• Scouting

• Amount of photos/video required

• Editing

• Licensing