RPAS Advanced study guide
RPAS Advanced · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
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 study guide has 7 sections and about 2,457 words.
01Air Law - CARs Part IX, Certification, Registration and Safety Assurance
Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations governs RPAS operations between 250 g and 25 kg and splits them into basic and advanced . Basic means visual line of sight, Class G airspace only, at least 30 m horizontally from every bystander and never over one.
374 words, about 2 min02Airspace - Classes, Structure, NOTAMs and Aerodromes
Canadian airspace is controlled Classes A to E, special-use Class F, and uncontrolled Class G. Class A begins at 18,000 ft ASL; Classes B, C and D cover the flight levels and terminal areas; Class D control zones typically extend 5 to 7 NM around airports up to about 3,000 ft above aerodrome elevation; Class E is controlled but does not require a VFR clearance for manned aircraft.
352 words, about 2 min03Navigation - Charts, Coordinates, GNSS and Lost Link
Use the VNC (1:500,000) for airspace and navigation, the VTA (1:250,000) for terminal detail and the CFS for aerodrome data. Positions are given as latitude/longitude in degrees, minutes and seconds; in Canada latitude is north and longitude is west.
350 words, about 2 min04Meteorology - Products, Wind, Stability, Icing and Visibility
METARs are routine hourly observations, SPECI reports special changes, TAFs are aerodrome forecasts with validity periods and TEMPO/BECMG/PROB30 change groups, GFAs give graphical cloud and weather plus icing and turbulence, AIRMETs and SIGMETs flag hazards, and PIREPs are pilot reports. Ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer; SKC means sky clear; vertical visibility appears when the sky is obscured.
340 words, about 2 min05Human Factors - Situational Awareness, Workload and Crew Resource Management
SA has three levels: perceiving what is happening, comprehending what it means, and projecting what happens next. Most RPAS losses of SA begin subtly - the aircraft drifts while the pilot watches the screen, or a bystander walks into the area while attention is on the battery warning.
354 words, about 2 min06Flight Operations - Site Survey, Performance, Emergencies and VLOS
Before launch, assess obstacles (wires, poles, trees, buildings), the launch and recovery area, bystander access, RF and GNSS interference, emergency landing options, and the airspace and NOTAM picture. Identify abort criteria and alternate landing sites and write them into the brief.
345 words, about 2 min07Radiotelephony - Procedures, Phraseology and Frequencies
Every transmission answers four questions: who you are calling, who you are, where you are, and what you want. Use the phonetic alphabet for registration or call signs, speak digits individually, and say "decimal" for the point.
342 words, about 2 min