Indigenous-Led Métis Drone Training Builds Job-Ready RPAS Talent for High-Demand Sectors

Training at Métis Crossing builds advanced drone skills for emergency, industrial, and environmental missions across Canada

Canada’s drone industry has a new source of trained professionals. At Métis Crossing in Alberta, the second cohort of the Rupertsland Emergency and Industry Skills Program (REISD), also known as Métis Drone, has graduated. The program focuses on Métis Citizens and combines cultural learning with advanced RPAS training and real-world mission experience.

Funded in partnership with Rupertsland Institute, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, the Government of Canada, and IN-FLIGHT Data, the program provides full Advanced RPAS pilot certification at no cost to participants. Graduates are now prepared to support emergency management, land stewardship, utilities, energy, environment, cultural monitoring, and digital mapping projects across the country.

“This program is helping build one of Canada’s strongest pipelines of skilled, motivated, professional drone pilots,” said IN-FLIGHT Data President Chris Healy. “Organizations looking for trained, job-ready pilots should be talking to this group.”

Indigenous-Led Training at Métis Crossing

Métis Crossing, described as Alberta’s premier Métis cultural destination, served as both classroom and mission site. Located on traditional Métis land along the North Saskatchewan River, the site offered an environment where technology training and cultural knowledge could develop together. Students learned advanced RPAS skills while also engaging with Métis culture, land-based learning, and the history of the region.

The program design places equal value on technical skills and cultural context. Participants train on professional RPAS systems and work through structured ground school and flight exercises. At the same time, they gain a deeper understanding of how drones can support community goals, from cultural preservation to environmental stewardship. Graduates received technology tools and cultural resources to help launch or advance careers in multiple sectors, supporting both economic opportunity and Indigenous participation in Canada’s growing drone ecosystem.

Capstone Mission Demonstrates Commercial-Grade Skills

The capstone project at Métis Crossing was built to mirror a professional commercial operation. Students planned and executed a full Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) mapping and intelligence mission across the property. The mission demanded detailed pre-flight planning, formalized procedures, coordinated airspace communication, and careful on-site mission management supported by real-time situational awareness.

Students were responsible for mapping the main Lodge and surrounding buildings, the white buffalo and animal paddocks, the Victoria Settlement graveyard, the North Saskatchewan River corridor, the adjacent bridge, and nearby natural landscapes. They carried out the complete operational lifecycle, including mission design, risk assessment, air and ground safety planning, data acquisition, quality control, and final post-processing.

These workflows reflect the standards used today in energy, utilities, environmental monitoring, and emergency-response missions across Canada. The final high-resolution maps and data products are designed to enhance guest and visitor experience, support land-use planning and infrastructure development, document culturally significant areas, and inform wildlife and environmental stewardship. For potential clients and employers, the capstone demonstrates that graduates have already delivered useful, real-world data to a major national tourism and cultural site.

Building a Workforce Ready for Industry

The REISD Métis Drone Program is not an introductory or hobby course. Graduates train on IN-FLIGHT Data’s advanced RPAS curriculum and follow operational standards similar to those used by government and industrial customers. The program emphasizes discipline, situational awareness, and adherence to clear procedures.

Participants complete Advanced RPAS Pilot Certification recognized across Canada and log practical flight hours on both multirotor and fixed-wing systems. They gain experience across full mission cycles, from initial planning to final data delivery, and receive Emergency and Industry Skills training aligned with real deployments. Training prepares them for Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) and Extended Visual Line of Sight (EVLOS) operations, while also building foundational competencies for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) missions. Each graduate leaves with a professional-grade RPAS platform and a working understanding of environmental, industrial, cultural, and emergency-response applications.

Graduates are taught to respect chain-of-command, manage air and ground safety, perform structured risk assessments, and document missions in a professional way. They also learn to manage airspace responsibilities and carry out data-quality checks. For employers, this translates into new hires who can integrate into field teams quickly, work safely, and contribute measurable value to operations and projects. Organizations that wish to hire pilots or share their own drone use cases with future cohorts can contact info@metisdrone.ca.

Skills Aligned with Real-World Demand

The competencies developed in the Métis Drone program are closely aligned with the needs of Canada’s drone workforce. Graduates are prepared to support energy and utilities inspections, forestry and wildfire work, environmental and wildlife monitoring, and emergency response and search and rescue missions. They can contribute to construction and infrastructure inspection, agricultural and land stewardship projects, and cultural monitoring and heritage protection.

These skills are also relevant for municipal, provincial, and federal operations. As public agencies and private companies expand their use of drone technology, the demand for job-ready pilots who understand both technical and procedural requirements continues to grow. The Métis Drone program helps meet that demand while supporting Indigenous leadership in advanced technology fields.

About the REISD (Métis Drone) Program

The Rupertsland Emergency and Industry Skills Program (REISD), branded as Métis Drone, is a national initiative focused on developing fully certified Métis RPAS pilots. Funded by Rupertsland Institute, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, the Government of Canada, and IN-FLIGHT Data, the program offers free Advanced RPAS certification for Métis Citizens, hands-on flight training on multiple platforms, and advanced EVLOS and BVLOS-readiness skills.

Participants also gain real-world industrial and emergency mission experience. The program is designed to support community safety, economic opportunity, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship, while increasing Indigenous participation in Canada’s fast-growing drone sector. Organizations interested in hiring graduates or working with future cohorts can contact info@metisdrone.ca or visit www.metisdrone.ca.

About IN-FLIGHT Data

IN-FLIGHT Data is a Canadian advanced drone operations and training company with experience in Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), complex airspace operations, emergency management, and industrial inspection. The company is one of Canada’s first Transport Canada Certified RPAS Operators (RPOC) and develops national-scale RPAS training programs.

IN-FLIGHT Data works with government, industry, Indigenous communities, and academic partners to design training and operations that emphasize safety, regulatory compliance, and mission-ready skills. More information is available at www.inflightdata.ca.

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