Rules for the use drones in Quebec are somtimes unclear and critisezed by many. As a result, Transport Canada is working to improve them.

First, the term drone means an aircraft without an on-board pilot. They can vary in size  like a quadricopter of 35 cm in diagonal, a small helicopter operated by police forces or a large plane-sized aircraft sent to war zones. Drones are also used to capture beautiful landscape for a lot less then renting a helicopter. Prices can vary from 25$ to 2000$ for affordable ones.

The rules in Quebec are simple, you can’t fly a drone near a residential area and airports. There isn’t a lot of rules for recreationnal use except that we have to respect the private life of others, it cannot weight more than 35 kg and it has to be used at day with a clear weather. For commercial use, it’s a lot more complicated. You need a certificate that can take as long as 20 days to get. It’s called “Certificat d’opérations aériennes spécialisées”.If you get payment or other commercial benefits by using a drone, you’re considered has a person that is flying for a non-recreational reason so you need a certificat. The maximum altitude that drones can go up to is 150 meters.

Julien Gramigna, a professionnal videographer, was caught with a fine of a 1000$ because he filmed a publicity for a real estate agent with his drone. Fines can go up to 25 000$. M.Gramigna says that in quebec the laws are too strict.”In Ontario it’s a lot more tolerated” he said. In Ontario, in one year there has been 734 permit delivery and only 127 in Quebec so in Ontario it’s more tolerated because there are less accident and more people with permits.

Transport Canada is working  on the laws so they will be more detailed.

If you are interrested here is currently the best drone:

 -Dji Phantom 4 Pro

This drone is a quadricopter, it’s the most technologically advanced drone on the market. It has a 4k camera at 60 fps Full HD 1080p 120 fps for slow motion and an integrated gimbal (takes out unwanted vibrations and movement in flight to capture fluid and smooth footage). His auto
nomy is 25-30 minutes and has a maximum range of 7 km before it deconnects. It has a 5 direction obstacle sensing and you control it with your phone/tablet on an application. It can fly up to 72 km/h and has a maximal altitude of 500 metres. It’s price is approximately 2000 CAD but you surely could find a better deal.

(written by Jean-Maxime Boudreau and edited by Jean-Christophe Fournier and Mélodie Boisvert)