RPAS Advanced case studies
RPAS Advanced · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The RPAS Advanced certificate is the Transport Canada credential a remote pilot needs to fly drones in advanced operations as defined in Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations - the category that covers flights in controlled airspace and operations close to bystanders, among other conditions. It is aimed at commercial operators and serious recreational pilots who need access to that airspace and those operating environments, and it sits a full step above the Basic certificate in both knowledge demand and regulatory responsibility. The RPAS Advanced case studies are 5 cases and about 4,049 words.
1The 450-Foot Favour: Advanced Certificate, Lapsed Review, and a Client in a Hurry
You are an RPAS contractor holding an Advanced Pilot Certificate issued 26 months ago; your last flight review with a reviewer was completed 27 months ago. You fly a 4.6 kg quadcopter for a roof inspection on a commercial building 2.6 km (1.4 NM) from the threshold of a certified aerodrome, inside a Class C control zone from the surface to 3,000 ft ASL.
745 words, about 4 min2Water Tower Inside a Class D Control Zone: Clearance, NOTAM, and a Dead Radio
An engineering firm needs photos of a water tower 1.2 NM southwest of the threshold of runway 27 at a regional airport. The airport has a Class D control zone from the surface to 3,000 ft ASL; Tower is on 118.7.
806 words, about 4 min3Degrees, Minutes, and a 120-Metre Tower on the Return Path
Your client sends the target coordinate for a bridge abutment as 45°18'36"N 075°40'12"W. Your planning app accepts decimal degrees; the site tablet shows a ±5 m GPS accuracy circle and defaults to NAD83.
771 words, about 4 min4Freezing Drizzle, Gusts Above Limit, and a Contract Deadline
The 1400Z METAR for your area reads: CYXU 121400Z 28015G25KT 3SM -FZDZ BR OVC008 M03/M04 A2992 RMK SC8. Surface temperature is −3 °C with a dewpoint of −4 °C.
805 words, about 4 min5Flight Eighteen-Thirty: Fatigue, a Missing Observer, and One More Orbit
It is the tenth flight of a 12-hour day: up at 0430, seven flights before noon, two more after a 40-minute lunch, and now 1830 local with about 25 minutes of usable daylight left. Your visual observer called in sick, so you are alone.
922 words, about 5 min