Where Can I Fly My Drone in Calgary
Flying Your Drone in Calgary, Alberta
It’s understandable why you’d want to capture some beautiful footage of the Calgary area.
Are you flying your drone in or around Calgary, Alberta? As Transport Canada states “Drones are aircraft – which makes you a pilot. When you fly your drone, you’re sharing the skies with other drones and aircraft. Before you fly, understand the rules you must follow…”
All drone pilots must follow the rules in the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARS) which can be found here on Transport Canada’s website.
Situated between the Bow River and the Elbow River, Calgary is Western Canada’s largest municipality. The city lies within the foothills of the Parkland Natural Region and the Grasslands Natural Region. Surrounded by the beautiful Rocky Mountains, Calgary is the major urban centre for the entire southern half of the province of Alberta. Residents enjoy the beauty of suround nature and sunny weather for 2,300 hours every year. Making Calgary a popular destination for drone footage.
It’s important to know and understand the laws around flying your drone in Calgary. While federal legislation has been passed, by-laws can also come in to effect in specific areas and it’s important you research them before you head out to fly your drone in and around Calgary.
Film permits from the City of Calgary are required for any professional video production, similar to traditional film work throughout the city. You can find more information here.
View National Research Council of Canada’s Drone Site Selection Tool (MAP)
Common questions asked about where you can fly your drone in and around Calgary:
- With schools, if you can meet the requirements of your certification, then yes! It’s best practice to make sure you have permission of the property owner before you use their land to launch and land. Be cautious of operating around kids who may not understand the risk of spinning propeller blades.
- The City of Calgary’s Parks and Pathways Bylaw now permits the use of drones under 250 grams in designated areas. Drones over 250 grams can operate with a permit issued by the Director, Calgary Parks.
- There aren’t any maps that say “fly here!” but you can use some of the resources below to help. Start with airspace. Avoid flying in busy, controlled airspace even if your drone is under 250g. While possible, it’s not smart, particularly with the amount of air traffic in and around the hospitals.
- Avoid areas with people who might complain. Try to go somewhere that’s not populated and give people a heads up whenever possible.
- If you can operate within the restrictions of your certification, then yes! If you’re flying for work, you may need a film permit particularly if you’re operating off of City of Calgary property.
- $3000 per infraction. So if you’re not certified, flying an unregistered drone in controlled airspace and get caught because you’re too near to people, you’re looking at up to $12000.
Important links for Calgary Drone Pilots:
Flying your drone safely and legally – Transport Canada
Drone site selection tool – National Research Council Canada
Canadian Airspace Viewer
City of Calgary Drone Information page
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