• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • DroneRacingLife
  • DroneFlyers
  • Newsletter
DroneLife

DRONELIFE

Stay up to date on all the latest Drone News

  • News
  • Products
  • Industries
    • Agriculture
    • Construction
    • Delivery
    • Dual Use
    • Inspection
    • Public Safety
    • Surveying
  • Enthusiasts
  • Regulations
  • Business
  • Video
  • Podcasts

Drone Businesses Soar in Canada, as FAA Grounds US

September 14, 2014 by Alan Phillips Leave a Comment

from http://www.gigaom.com

When the producers of The Amazing Race decided to make a Canadian version of the reality TV show, they were delighted to discover that they could use unmanned aircraft to film teams of contestants scrambling from place to place.

In the U.S. that quite literally would not fly. Federal Aviation Administration rules forbid any commercial use of such drones, which typically weigh under five pounds and offer new and useful opportunities for photography.

The result is that the Canadian approach, which is based on a simple permit system, is allowing hundreds of businesses to integrate the technology in a range of industries, while U.S. companies are grounded awaiting regulation.

A ticket to fly

In the United States, everyone from media organizations to photographers to search-and-rescue crews are in a legal dogfight with the Federal Aviation Administration over a controversial policy that says only hobbyists can use drones.

While the courts sort this out, the FAA continues to crack down on any business that flies them.

It works differently to the north. In Canada, anyone that wants to use a drone for commercial purposes simply asks the country’s aviation regulator for a permit to do so and, in most cases, receives one in 10 to 20 business days.

According to Maryse Durette, a spokesperson with Transport Canada, the government has granted nearly 1,500 “Special Flight Operations Certificates” in the last three years, including 945 in the year 2013 alone.

In order to receive one, an applicant must explain in detail how they intend to use the drone, and outline what precautions will be taken to fly it safely. After reviewing the application, and consulting with the business, the federal agency then issues a permit with a distinct set of stipulations tailored to that particular business.

The upshot is that there are now hundreds of companies and institutions in Canada that have made drones part of their day-to-day operations.

Drones on set and on the farm

Canada’s decision to set up a green-light system for drones came in 2010 as the government came to recognize an emerging aviation-based economy. Since then, companies large and small are gaining expertise in drone-related technology.

A startup called Resson Aerospace, for instance, is transforming drone footage into customized images and analytics for large agriculture companies.

CEO Peter Goggin said that the image represents an early version of its proprietary software, and that it is developing more sophisticated versions as it gains more experience working with drones and clients.

Farming is not the only industry that is supporting drone-based businesses, according to Transport Canada. The agency declined to provide a specific breakdown, but did name TV production, law enforcement and real estate photography as common examples of commercial drones usages.

All of this activity is not only intriguing from a photography and technology standpoint. It may also be giving Canada a first-mover advantage when it comes to the emerging drone economy. As the National Post reported last month, one Montreal-based start-up believes “Canadian startups have an advantage over their U.S. counterparts, because in that country drone use is illegal for commercial uses.”

Continue Reading at https://www.gigaom.com

Alan Phillips
Alan Phillips

Alan is serial entrepreneur, active angel investor, and a drone enthusiast. He co-founded DRONELIFE.com to address the emerging commercial market for drones and drone technology. Prior to DRONELIFE.com, Alan co-founded Where.com, ThinkingScreen Media, and Nurse.com. Recently, Alan has co-founded Crowditz.com,  a leader in Equity Crowdfunding Data, Analytics, and Insights.  Alan can be reached at alan(at)dronelife.com

Filed Under: Legal, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: Canada, Canada Drone Law, FAA, Resson Aerospace, Transport Canada

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

LATEST

AI-Driven UTM Deployed in North Texas to Monitor Drone Traffic

Canadian company launches Texas drone traffic management system By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill As drone traffic increases in the…

Continue Reading AI-Driven UTM Deployed in North Texas to Monitor Drone Traffic

ANRA Technologies Becomes First EASA-Certified U-space Service Provider

Milestone Achieved at Airspace World Marks Major Step Forward for Europe’s Drone Airspace Integration ANRA Secures First-Ever EASA Certification for…

Continue Reading ANRA Technologies Becomes First EASA-Certified U-space Service Provider

WarrenUAS Receives FAA Approval to Train Students on Large Drones

New exemption allows Warren County Community College to expand its advanced UAS training capabilities WarrenUAS, the unmanned systems training program…

Continue Reading WarrenUAS Receives FAA Approval to Train Students on Large Drones

Teledyne FLIR and AerialOGI Launch First Dual-Use OGI Camera Module

New AerialOGI-N Enables Real-Time Detection of Gas Emissions by Hand or Drone Teledyne FLIR OEM and AerialOGI Unveil AerialOGI-N Teledyne…

Continue Reading Teledyne FLIR and AerialOGI Launch First Dual-Use OGI Camera Module

Commercial Drone Alliance’s Lisa Ellman Calls for Restoring American Leadership in Drones at Industry Summit

Summit Opens Amid Policy Shifts and Market Changes At the Commercial Drone Innovation and Security Summit in Washington, D.C., Lisa…

Continue Reading Commercial Drone Alliance’s Lisa Ellman Calls for Restoring American Leadership in Drones at Industry Summit

Evolve Dynamics Unveils Foxe and Wolfe: New Miniature Drones for Defense Operations

UK Manufacturer Introduces New Military Drones: Rugged ISR Platforms Inspired by Battlefield Lessons and Built for Harsh Environments Evolve Dynamics…

Continue Reading Evolve Dynamics Unveils Foxe and Wolfe: New Miniature Drones for Defense Operations

DJI Mavic 4 Pro: Revolutionary Features, Rave Reviews, and U.S. Availability Challenges

DJI has officially unveiled the highly anticipated Mavic 4 Pro, a drone packed with groundbreaking features that are turning heads…

Continue Reading DJI Mavic 4 Pro: Revolutionary Features, Rave Reviews, and U.S. Availability Challenges

A2Z Drone Delivery’s Longtail AirDock Edition Enters FAA Airworthiness Review

FAA review could pave the way for expanded commercial drone delivery and BVLOS operations in the U.S. A2Z Drone Delivery…

Continue Reading A2Z Drone Delivery’s Longtail AirDock Edition Enters FAA Airworthiness Review

Tiny Tech, Big Impact: How Nano Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture, Disaster Response, and Industry

Nano drones-extremely small, agile unmanned aerial vehicles-are creating new opportunities in a variety of industries. While much attention has focused…

Continue Reading Tiny Tech, Big Impact: How Nano Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture, Disaster Response, and Industry

Headed to XPONENTIAL 2025? Can’t-Miss Partners, Innovations, and Keynotes in Houston

AUVSI XPONENTIAL  returns to Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center from May 19–22, 2025. As the industry’s top innovators gather…

Continue Reading Headed to XPONENTIAL 2025? Can’t-Miss Partners, Innovations, and Keynotes in Houston

Secondary Sidebar

Footer

SPONSORED

Inspired Flight Gremsy IF800 VIO F1 drones geo week

What Will It Take to Strengthen U.S. Drone Manufacturing? A Conversation with Inspired Flight’s CEO

Global Mapper Mobile data collection

Collection Ground Control Points with Global Mapper Mobile

Military Drone Mapping Solutions

How SimActive’s Correlator3D™ is Revolutionizing Military Mapping: An Exclusive Interview with CEO Philippe Simard

Photogrammetry Accuracy Standards

SimActive Photogrammetry Software: Enabling Users to Meet Accuracy Standards for Over 20 Years

NACT Engineering Parrot ANAFI tether indoor shot

Smart Tether for Parrot ANAFI USA from NACT Engineering

Blue Marble, features global mapper, features Blue Marble

Check Out These New Features in Global Mapper v25 from Blue Marble

About Us | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Write for Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service

The Trusted Source for the Business of Drones.

This website uses cookies and third party services. By clicking OK, you are agreeing to our privacy policy. ACCEPT

Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT