Safety and compliance
How we run a flight
Aerial work goes wrong in predictable ways, which means most of the job is done before the aircraft leaves the ground. This is our process, the credentials behind it, and what we need from you so the day runs the way it was planned.
Before we mobilise
The flight is planned before the day of the job, and most of what makes a site straightforward or complicated is visible at this stage.
- Airspace review for the site, including proximity to certified airports, heliports and hospital pads
- NAV CANADA authorisation where the work falls in controlled airspace, requested with enough lead time to come back before the scheduled date
- Hazard review from imagery and site information: overhead powerlines, towers, stacks, traffic, livestock, water and anything that changes where we can launch and recover
- Weather planning against our own limits for wind, visibility, precipitation and temperature, with a decision point the day before and again on the morning
- Landowner and stakeholder notification where the flight path involves ground beyond the client's property
On site
- We check in with your site contact on arrival and walk the area before anything is unpacked
- We brief anyone working nearby on what we are doing, how long it takes and where the aircraft will be
- Launch and recovery areas are chosen away from foot traffic, equipment movement and overhead obstructions
- The launch area is cordoned, and on busy sites we work with a visual observer so one person watches the aircraft while the other watches the ground
- PPE to your site standard, and orientation completed before we walk past the gate
Separation from people
We plan flight lines so the aircraft stays clear of anyone not involved in the operation, and we treat that as a planning problem rather than a decision made in the air. On an active site that usually means sequencing our flight around the crews, using a corner of the site for launch and recovery, and holding until a work area clears rather than flying over it.
In the air
- Battery reserves set so the aircraft returns with margin, not on the warning
- Return to home altitude configured for the tallest obstruction on site before the first launch
- Lost link behaviour confirmed on every aircraft before the flight, with a recovery plan for a link interruption over the furthest point of the mission
- Clear abort criteria: rising wind, closing visibility, an aircraft in the area, an emergency response aircraft, or anything on the ground that changes while we are up
- We land early when conditions shift. A partial dataset captured safely is worth more than a complete one that cost you an incident
Credentials
- Pilot certification
- Transport Canada Advanced Operations
- Aircraft
- Registered and marked with Transport Canada
- Near people
- CAR 901.69(b) / Standard 922.05, to 5 m horizontally
- Liability
- $7.5M through Coverdrone
- Workers compensation
- WCB Alberta, in good standing
- First aid
- Standard First Aid certified
- Operating since
- 2016
Where a flight genuinely needs to happen close to people, our mapping aircraft is declared for operations down to 5 m horizontally. Where it does not, we build the separation into the plan and the work gets done without anyone having to stand somewhere else.
Industrial and energy sites
Arranged per projectSite specific safety training is arranged per project. Where your site requires H2S Alive, CSTS, ground disturbance, or an orientation specific to your operation, we complete the requirement ahead of mobilisation rather than on the day. Tell us what your site expects when you send the scope and we will build the lead time into the schedule.
The same applies to permits, work packages and sign in procedures. We work to your system rather than asking you to adapt to ours.
What we need from you
5 itemsA site contact
Someone reachable on the day, who can answer a question without a phone tree.
Known hazards
Particularly overhead services, live equipment and anything that moves.
Access details
Gates, keys, road conditions and where a vehicle can sit.
Active work areas and shift timing
So we can plan around your crews instead of interrupting them.
Training requirements
Anything we should complete before we arrive, with enough notice to book it.
Documentation for your prequalification package, including insurance certificates, WCB clearance and pilot certification, is available on request.
Request our safety documentationData and imagery
HandlingCaptured imagery belongs to the project. We hold files for one year from the capture date so they can be retrieved if you need them again, and we handle anything sensitive according to your requirements. Our full approach is set out on the privacy page.
Where a flight will capture ground beyond your property, we plan the coverage to what the project needs and tell you in advance what the frame will include.
Common questions
Answered plainlyWhat certification does Drone360 hold?
Transport Canada Pilot Certificate, Advanced Operations. Every aircraft is registered with Transport Canada and marked with its registration number.
How close to people can you fly?
Our mapping aircraft carries the manufacturer safety assurance declaration for operations near people under CAR 901.69(b) and Standard 922.05, which covers flight as close as 5 m horizontally to people who are not part of the operation. Beyond that we plan separation into the flight rather than deciding it in the air.
What insurance is carried?
$7.5M commercial aviation liability through Coverdrone, plus WCB Alberta coverage in good standing. Certificates and clearance letters are issued to your project on request.
Can you meet our site specific safety requirements?
Site specific training is arranged per project. Where a site requires H2S Alive, CSTS, ground disturbance or an orientation specific to your operation, we complete the requirement ahead of mobilisation. Tell us what your site expects with the scope and the lead time is built into the schedule.
Do you provide documentation for prequalification?
Yes. Insurance certificates, WCB clearance, pilot certification and aircraft registration are available for your prequalification package on request.