When I’m asked to take aerial photographs, my clients are often surprised by the complexity of the whole process and the prices involved. You should be aware that a company using aerial photography (i.e. using a DRONE) without an official COAS and without training is illegal. Training is mandatory, and safety instructions must be respected and approved by Transport Canada for every flight. Unfortunately, Transport Canada now has to add DRONES to their airspace, and it would be very dangerous if a drone were to collide with an airliner at very high speed. We see many companies operating illegally in Quebec City that have no commercial certification, and your company could be reprimanded by Transport Canada.
There are fines for those who don’t follow the rules, including “recreational” pilots. These fines can range from $5,000 to $25,000 for a company, but we don’t often hear of drone pilots being reprimanded.
Scientists at the University of Dayton Research Institute have published results of impact tests that they say “prove large aircraft won’t always win in collision with small drones.”
The test was designed to mimic a midair collision between an airplane and a drone at 238 miles per hour. Scientists launched a 2.1-pound DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter at the wing of a Mooney M20, a small piston-powered, propeller-driven airplane. What the scientists found, and what the video shows above, is that the drone doesn’t shatter on impact. Instead, it tears a gaping hole into the leading edge of the wing that damages its main spar (the primary structural member of the wing).
Source: https://petapixel.com/2018/10/08/this-is-what-a-drone-strike-would-do-to-an-airplane/
- Become a drone pilot
For 50 years, CQFA has been the national aeronautical school of the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education. Hundreds of airline pilots, bush pilots and flight operations specialists from across Canada and abroad study at CQFA every year. To find out more about the subject and the training required, please visit the CQFA Center of Excellence: http: //www.cqfa.ca/pro/index.php?id=1006