Canada Drone Pilot Advanced Exam Preparation: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: The exam, flight review and certificate

In Canada, you need a drone pilot certificate to fly a drone that weighs from 250 g up to and including 150 kg. Transport Canada has three certificates: Basic Operations, Advanced Operations and Level 1 Complex Operations. This course prepares you for the knowledge part of the advanced certificate.

Getting the advanced certificate takes three steps. You pass the online Advanced Exam, pass a flight review, and then apply for the Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations in the Drone Management Portal. This course cannot do any of those steps for you.

The Advanced Exam

Transport Canada strongly recommends attending a drone flight school before the exam. If you need extra time, you can ask by email before you pay for the exam; requests are looked at case by case. After you pass, keep your reference number. Flight schools ask for it when you book a flight review.

The Level 1 Complex certificate needs two exams: the Advanced Exam and the Level 1 Complex Exam. This course covers only the advanced knowledge.

The flight review

A flight review checks that you can fly your drone safely. It is done by a flight reviewer: a drone pilot approved by Transport Canada and linked to a self-declared drone flight school. You must pass the Advanced Exam first. When you schedule, have:

• a digital or paper copy of your exam results page
• valid government photo ID with your name and date of birth
• the Certificate of Registration for the drone you will use

The skills are listed in Appendix A of TP 15263. The reviewer submits your result online within 24 hours, and you get an email with a link to see it. If you fail, you may book another review the next day. There is no limit on retakes, but the reviewer sets the price and may charge each time. Pilots from other countries need an SFOC-RPAS before the review, which can take up to 30 working days.

Applying for and carrying the certificate

After the flight review, apply in the Drone Management Portal. Transport Canada lists the fee as $25.00. You can then download and print the certificate. It lets you conduct both basic and advanced operations. When you fly, carry your pilot certificate and proof of drone registration. The certificate must be a printed or electronic document issued by Transport Canada; no other form is accepted.

Recency: staying current

The certificate does not expire, but you may only fly if you completed one of these within the previous 24 months, and you must be able to show proof:

• pass the Small Basic, Small Advanced or Level 1 Complex Exam again
• pass a flight review
• attend a safety seminar endorsed by Transport Canada Civil Aviation
• complete a recurrent training program from a drone flight school
• complete a Transport Canada-endorsed self-paced study program

Breaking the rules can be costly. For individuals, Transport Canada lists fines of up to $1,000 for flying without a certificate or required declaration, up to $3,000 for flying where prohibited or endangering aircraft and people, and up to $5,000 for an unregistered or unmarked drone. Corporations face up to $5,000, $15,000 and $25,000.

Topic quiz 1: The exam, flight review and certificate

Lesson 2: Advanced operations and safety assurance

A basic operation must meet all of these conditions: the drone weighs no more than 25 kg, you can always see it, you stay more than 30 m horizontally from any person, you fly only in uncontrolled airspace, and you stay more than 5.6 km from the centre of certified airports and 1.9 km from heliports. If any one condition is not met, the flight is an advanced or complex operation.

Advanced operations let you fly closer to people, closer to airports and aerodromes, and in controlled airspace with air traffic control permission. They also include medium drones, sheltered operations and extended visual line-of-sight (EVLOS) in uncontrolled airspace.

Drone sizes

• Small drone: 250 g up to 25 kg.
• Medium drone: more than 25 kg up to 150 kg. Medium drone operations are always flown within visual line-of-sight (VLOS).

Safety assurance and Standard 922

For advanced work, the drone must qualify, not just the pilot. A manufacturer can self-declare to Transport Canada that a model meets parts of Standard 922, RPAS Safety Assurance. People who build or modify drones can also submit a declaration. Transport Canada keeps a list of eligible drones that you can filter by manufacturer, model and standard. You must fly within the limits of the declaration. A declaration for one kind of operation does not cover the others: a drone declared for near people is not declared for over people.

Other parts of Standard 922 cover safety and reliability (922.07), containment (922.08), command and control link reliability and lost-link behaviour (922.09), detect, alert and avoid systems (922.10), control station design (922.11) and the demonstrated environmental envelope (922.12). If Transport Canada invalidates a declaration after a drone is listed, the owner gets an email and an updated registration certificate.

Sheltered operations (small drones only)

A sheltered operation is flying around a building or structure without direct line-of-sight and without a visual observer. The limits are:

• no more than 30 m (100 ft) above the building or structure
• within 61 m (200 ft) horizontally of it
• within 3.7 km (2 NM) of the pilot and control station at all times
• the pilot and control station are at the site during take-off, launch, landing or recovery
• at least 30 m (100 ft) horizontally from uninvolved persons
• in controlled airspace, a drone declared to 922.04

EVLOS operations (small drones only)

EVLOS means flying beyond the pilot's visual line-of-sight with a trained visual observer who holds at least a basic pilot certificate. EVLOS is allowed only in uncontrolled airspace, at least 30 m from any person, and within 3.7 km of the pilot, control station and visual observer.

Topic quiz 2: Advanced operations and safety assurance

Lesson 3: Airspace, aerodromes and authorizations

Airspace classes

Controlled airspace is airspace where air traffic control service is provided. Canada has seven airspace classes, A to G. Under section 601.02 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations:

• Classes A, B, C, D and E are controlled airspace.
• Class G is uncontrolled airspace.
• Class F is special use airspace, either Restricted or Advisory. It can be inside controlled or uncontrolled airspace.

Class A is for IFR flights only. Class B allows IFR and controlled VFR flights, with ATC clearances for all aircraft. Control zones are set up around certain aerodromes to keep IFR aircraft in controlled airspace during approaches. A control zone near your site means you need an authorization, even close to the ground.

Altitude

Section 901.25 limits drones to 400 ft (122 m) above ground level. When you are less than 200 ft (61 m) horizontally from a building or structure, you may fly up to 100 ft (30 m) above it. You may go higher only under an SFOC, or in controlled airspace if the air traffic services provider's authorization allows it.

Flying in controlled airspace

To fly in controlled airspace you need at least an advanced certificate, a drone with the right safety declaration, and an authorization from the air navigation service provider. For NAV CANADA airspace, request an RPAS Flight Authorization, for example with the NAV Drone app. For military airspace, ask the Department of National Defence.

Section 901.71 says the provider may ask for details such as the date, time and length of the flight; the drone's category, registration and features; the boundaries of the operating area; the pilot's name, contact details and certificate number; your lost-link procedures; your emergency procedures; and how long it takes to end the operation. Keep the authorization easily accessible while you fly.

Airports, heliports and aerodromes

Inside these distances but outside controlled airspace, you need a valid advanced certificate and must follow the established procedures in TC AIM section 3.4.1.3. Plan the flight so you stay clear of aircraft using the aerodrome. Section 901.17 says drones must give way to aeroplanes, helicopters, airships, gliders and balloons at all times.

Places with extra limits

• Class F Special Use Restricted airspace, emergency sites and zones restricted by a NOTAM are off limits without authorization, even for drones under 250 g.
• Do not fly inside the security perimeter of police or first responders, such as at a crash, flood or disaster site.
• Stay at least 9.3 km (5 NM) from a wildfire.
• Advertised events, such as outdoor concerts and sports, need a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC).
• You may not take off or land in a national park unless the park superintendent allows it.

Check NOTAMs in the NAV CANADA portal or in NAV Drone. The National Research Council's Drone Site Selection Tool map is for convenience only and does not replace your own checks.

Topic quiz 3: Airspace, aerodromes and authorizations

Lesson 4: Weather and radio basics

TP 15263 expects advanced pilots to understand aviation weather and radio. Your site survey must also consider the weather now and the forecast for the whole flight.

Weather reports and forecasts

Units and terms

• Times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
• Wind speed is in knots.
• Horizontal visibility is in statute miles (SM).
• Cloud heights in METARs and TAFs are above ground level (AGL). Heights in GFAs and pilot reports are normally above sea level (ASL).
• Sky condition terms are SKC, FEW, SCT, BKN and OVC, from clear sky to fully covered.

TP 15263 asks you to tell height from altitude when you talk about your flight. Drone limits such as 122 m (400 ft) are measured above ground level (AGL).

To change UTC to local time, add or subtract your offset. If your local time is UTC minus 6 hours, a report issued at 1800 UTC is 12:00 local time. To change local time to UTC, do the opposite: if your local time is UTC minus 7 hours, 09:00 local time is 1600 UTC.

Weather and drone performance

• Density altitude: warm air and high elevation make the air thinner. Density altitude rises, and rotors and wings make less lift. Expect weaker take-off and climb performance.
• Wind and turbulence: wind near buildings, hills and trees can be gusty. Check wind against the drone's limits.
• Icing and frost: frost, snow and ice on rotors or wings reduce lift.
• Thunderstorms: updrafts, downdrafts, downbursts, microbursts, hail and lightning can cause loss of control. Stay well away.

Radio basics

The radiotelephony section of TP 15263 is linked to the operator certificate with an aeronautical qualification. It expects you to use standard terms, know common frequencies and handle emergencies such as a fly-away broadcast.

• Listen before you transmit so you do not block another station.
• At an uncontrolled aerodrome in a mandatory frequency (MF) area, pilots must talk on the MF using uncontrolled aerodrome procedures.
• 126.7 MHz is used, along with the flight information frequency, to broadcast SIGMETs, urgent pilot reports and fuel-dumping information.

Topic quiz 4: Weather and radio basics

Lesson 5: Site surveys, maintenance and incidents

Site survey

Before you fly, section 901.27 says you must do a site survey to make sure the area is suitable. It must consider:

1. the airspace class and any rules for the area, including NOTAM restrictions
2. the altitudes and routes for approach, take-off, launch, landing or recovery
3. how close other aircraft operations are
4. how close airports, heliports and other aerodromes are
5. the location and height of obstacles, such as wires, masts, buildings, cell towers and wind turbines
6. the current weather and the forecast for the whole flight
7. for VLOS, EVLOS and sheltered operations, the horizontal distance to uninvolved people
8. for BVLOS operations, the distance from populated and sparsely populated areas

Under section 901.24, you must also know the site survey results, any declarations for your drone model, and the qualifications of all crew members. TP 15263 adds good practices such as briefing the crew, planning emergency procedures for a lost link, fly-away or system fault, and choosing an alternate recovery area.

Crew fitness

Section 901.19 says you must not act as a crew member if you are tired or likely to become tired, or are otherwise unfit. You must not act as a crew member within 12 hours after drinking alcohol, while under its influence, or while using a drug that impairs you in a way that puts safety at risk.

Serviceability and maintenance

Before take-off, section 901.29 says the drone must be serviceable, maintained and with all mandatory actions done according to the manufacturer's instructions (or those of the person who made the declaration for the model), and all required equipment must be installed and working.

Records

Section 901.48 puts record keeping on the owner of the drone system. Records must be available to the Minister on request.

If you sell or give the drone to someone else, you must give the new owner the maintenance records at the time of transfer.

Incidents and accidents

Section 901.49 says the pilot must immediately stop operations if any of these happen, and not restart until the cause has been analysed and corrective action taken:

• an injury to anyone that needs medical attention
• unintended contact between the drone and a person
• unexpected damage to the airframe, control station, payload or command and control link that affects performance or flight
• the drone leaving its horizontal boundaries or altitude limits
• a collision or risk of collision with another aircraft
• the drone becoming uncontrollable, flying away or going missing
• any other incident that led to a police report or a Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report

Keep a record of each analysis for 12 months and give it to the Minister on request. If you see someone else flying a drone unsafely, call 9-1-1 first if there is imminent danger. Then you can report unsafe use with Transport Canada's online drone incident report form. Privacy problems go to your local police.

Topic quiz 5: Site surveys, maintenance and incidents