Come learn to fly with us. We spend an afternoon getting to know unmanned aircraft and the basics of control. You get hands on experience flying a micro quad and if you’re ready… the 3DR IRIS+ and X8+.
This workshop is provided in partnership with Lift RC
Join us for a discussion on the history and future of unmanned aviation. We talk about trends and topics of interest like safety, regulation, bleeding edge technology and more.
Check out the Drones 101 Seminar here
I had actually figured this out when I was on planning an operation in Abbotsford January 13th, 2015. In my planning efforts when reaching out to some local authorities we we actually briefly mistaken for Amazon when we had described what we were doing. What I figured out from this was that Amazon was flying in the Abbotsford control zone, and probably near our operation.
I am not at all surprised of this. The FAA is been dragging their heals in the USA and it has resulted in several companies coming to Canada to use UAV technology. I have recently started working with a company that actually moved their entire operation to Canada because the regulatory environment is much friendlier to testing and development.
Companies from the USA that are looking to legally test systems seem to be welcome nearly anywhere but their home country. As the FAA struggles to catch up and deal with the regulatory development needed, they are stifling the growth of hundreds of companies in the USA that could be creating some of the next generation technologies that our industry needs to become safer. They are preventing the development of the very technology that would help them.
The other effect of the FAA’s lethargic and cumbersome response is that there are no hundreds of other operators and developers in the USA that are knowingly flying against the rules. Many have decided that it is worth risking the penalties to advance their business.
I certainly welcome this as it will drive some very advanced american talent and technology over the border, further advancing Canada’s position as one of the world leaders in unmanned systems. It also gives companies like Aerobotika a lot of business as we are here to help those organizations navigate the Canadian regulatory landscape to fly safely and legally in Canada’s UAV friendly airspace.
Our second airing on Global news in a week. This time they used quite a bit of Paul’s interview. The portion that they used was about the future of unmanned flight in Canada. We are very happy to have been part of this story. Thank you Global BC and Yuliya.
For Immediate Release: January 21, 2015
A British Columbia based next generation UAV pilot training academy launches February 2015. Classes will be held monthly starting in BC with a travel schedule to be announced end of quarter.
Course content
Offered jointly by Aerobotika Aerial Intelligence and Pacific Rim Aviation Academy the ground school course covers the new UAV Pilot Knowledge Program required by Transport Canada.
The class setting offers a 6:1 student pilots to instructor ratio and a curriculum that includes: Standard pilot licensing, technical specifics of unmanned aircraft, industry practices and regulations. Education also covers how air space works and who is allowed to use it at any given time, UAV rules and how to avoid dangerous situations such as damage or interference with regularly scheduled aircraft. .
UAV Pilot training partners:
Aerobotika is a commercial UAV consulting services organization on the leading edge of regulatory changes. Their operational experience and knowledge of current and emerging technologies broadens the training to cover practical business applications. The combination is ideal for those who see potential within their organization for unmanned vehicles, but need direction getting started.
Pacific Rim Aviation Academy brings years of training 1000s of pilots in the Canadian regulatory environment with experienced trainers dedicated to providing students with practical, career oriented training.
At the end of the course and relevant examinations, UAV pilot candidates receive a Letter of Completion. That letter can be submitted to Transport Canada as proof that pilots have met the knowledge requirements for the special flight operations certificate (SFOC).
Combining Aerobotika’s veteran pilots and UAV technical training with Pacific Rim’s well established commercial flight school program will result in safe and responsible operations of remotely piloted aircraft for both commercial and amateur use.
Because the UAV, alternately called remotely piloted aircraft system, unmanned aircraft system, remote control aircraft, or simply the popular, ‘drone’ is in greater use, concern by both the public and authorities has also intensified.
“It’s a problem across Canada,” said RCMP Sgt. Cam Kowalski in a CTV news interview. Drones are affordable and accessible online, and through hobby shops. People are flying “toy” quad-copters which are capable of reaching altitudes that interfere with commercial and general aviation traffic, often unaware they’re causing problems.
“Canada is in a fortunate position to have training guidelines provided by our aviation authority,” says Paul Bennett, Aerobotika’s co-founder. “However, there are other aspects to commercial UAV operations beyond the requirements of Transport Canada and we present those in our pilots’ best practices segment of the course.”
To find out more on:
Training or to register for courses starting late February: Aerobotika at 1-800-579-1828 or [email protected].
Aerobotika Website:
www.aerobotika.com/academy
Pacific Rim Aviation Academy Website:
www.flighttraininginbc.com
Transport Canada Requirements:
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/publications/page-6557.html
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:
Paul Bennett 778-999-9511 [email protected]Paul had the pleasure of spending an afternoon in a vineyard with a favourite client and a news crew from Global BC to talk about unmanned aircraft uses in business. Paul is the one in the hat walking up the vineyard with Andrew Etsell from Singletree Winery. We focused on the industry as a whole along with specialization in precision agriculture and a constant overtone of safety and compliance! Not a lot made it in, but likely will be in the future.
Just another way that we are trying to contribute to safe and responsible use. We are hoping that this will help get people out to Aerobotika Academy to learn the rules and about safe flying.
Here’s a link to the original: https://globalnews.ca/video/1784152/drone-technology-takes-off
Aerobotika Unmanned Systems Academy, the first institution in Canada to offer training for Transport Canada’s future pilot knowledge requirements.
In the near future, Transport Canada is going to have established pilot knowledge requirements for UAV operators in Canada. Aerobotika has had a preview of what these requirements will be and has designed a curriculum to begin educating pilots now to be ready for the requirements when they are published.
For detailed information on our course offerings, please see: Aerobotika’s UAS Academy
To discuss this or any other offerings from our Unmanned Systems Academy, please contact [email protected] or call us at 1-800-579-1828 ext 4.
For all unmanned aerial options Transport Canada requires that the flight be performed under the following conditions or restrictions:
To file the necessary paperwork with Transport Canada and other regulatory bodies, we will need to collect information on location and boundaries as well as information on the subject property and surrounding properties and will need the contact information for property or people with signing authority for the property.
This offer is for 1 battery of flight (Typically 7 to 12 minutes) on our smaller aerial platforms and up to 1 hour onsite. Captured video or photo is the only deliverable and can be transferred to your possession at the completion of the flight through several means. Use this time to capture anything you want as long as it complies with municipal, provincial, and federal regulations as described below. This offer is restricted to the lower mainland and Fraser Valley. It includes 1 operator, 1 flight, transit to your location, and transport Canada Special Flight Operations Certificate (greater than $400 value). As with all unmanned aerial options Transport Canada requires that the flight be performed greater than 30 meters from the general public, that all people, businesses, and tenants within 30 meters be notified of the operation, streets within 30 meters be closed to traffic for the duration of the flight and can be subject to other restrictions as Transport Canada deems necessary to ensure public safety. To file the necessary paperwork with Transport Canada and other regulatory bodies, we will need to collect information on location and boundaries as well as information on the subject property and surrounding properties.
A 30% deposit is required to secure a booking.
Permits and filing other than those permits issued by Transport Canada are not included. Additional flight time is available at the regular Aerobotika rate. For information on adding more time to the operation, please email us at [email protected] or phone 1-800-579-1828 and choose option 1.
One flight can be all it takes to get the perfect shot or sequence to showcase your business, event, or home. We want to get you hooked on Aerobotika’s services, so we are offering to come to one flight for you for a reduced rate. We will work with you or your team to come up with a flight to capture that shot with the superior impact that only aerial photo and video can provide. For only $250 you get your first flight with Aerobotika, a Transport Canada approved aerial video and photo capture.
Call us at 1-800-579-1828, email [email protected], or use the request for below.
Please read the fine print