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Flying drone in Banff/Golden/Revelstoke area - legal?

FututerMavic

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Hi there,

I'm going to fly to canada in march 2019 and I'm wondering if I can bring my drone to film some nice shots in the nationals parks in the in Banff/Golden/Revelstoke area.

The reason why I'm asking is, because there are conflicting statements.
If I read the terms here: Flying your drone safely and legally (current rules) - Transport Canada I would be allowed to fly in the national parks.
But when I look here: Where to fly your drone (current rules) - Transport Canada I am not allowed to fly in national parks.

And in another thread here in the forum you recommened the app "UAV Forecast" to check, if it is legal to fly a drone or not. And if the app is right, I am allowed to fly in the national parks, because "only" the airports, heliports and stuff like that right in Banff, Golden and so on are marked as prohibited zones, but not the national parks itself.

I hope you can help me.

PS: If national parks are really no fly zones, where can I fly in canada? Between the Banff National Park border and the "Golden-Airport-Zone" maybe?

Thank you very much
Martin
 
Hi there,

I'm going to fly to canada in march 2019 and I'm wondering if I can bring my drone to film some nice shots in the nationals parks in the in Banff/Golden/Revelstoke area.

The reason why I'm asking is, because there are conflicting statements.
If I read the terms here: Flying your drone safely and legally (current rules) - Transport Canada I would be allowed to fly in the national parks.
But when I look here: Where to fly your drone (current rules) - Transport Canada I am not allowed to fly in national parks.

And in another thread here in the forum you recommened the app "UAV Forecast" to check, if it is legal to fly a drone or not. And if the app is right, I am allowed to fly in the national parks, because "only" the airports, heliports and stuff like that right in Banff, Golden and so on are marked as prohibited zones, but not the national parks itself.

I hope you can help me.

PS: If national parks are really no fly zones, where can I fly in canada? Between the Banff National Park border and the "Golden-Airport-Zone" maybe?

Thank you very much
Martin
all National Parks in Canada are NO FLY ZONES
you need special permission to fly
this is parks Canada website Use of drones at Parks Canada places
Flying a drone without park or site approval may result in law enforcement action and a fine of up to $25000.
 
Hi there,

I'm going to fly to canada in march 2019 and I'm wondering if I can bring my drone to film some nice shots in the nationals parks in the in Banff/Golden/Revelstoke area.

The reason why I'm asking is, because there are conflicting statements.
If I read the terms here: Flying your drone safely and legally (current rules) - Transport Canada I would be allowed to fly in the national parks.
But when I look here: Where to fly your drone (current rules) - Transport Canada I am not allowed to fly in national parks.

And in another thread here in the forum you recommened the app "UAV Forecast" to check, if it is legal to fly a drone or not. And if the app is right, I am allowed to fly in the national parks, because "only" the airports, heliports and stuff like that right in Banff, Golden and so on are marked as prohibited zones, but not the national parks itself.

I hope you can help me.

PS: If national parks are really no fly zones, where can I fly in canada? Between the Banff National Park border and the "Golden-Airport-Zone" maybe?

Thank you very much
Martin

Hello I live 2 hours out of jasper national park which is a sister park to Banff I have asked the rangers if there is any way to fly in the park and. Same reply always. No drones in the park. I’m sure it’s same with Banff. Along with all the other national parks in Canada.
a9ef282191332ed6a788f03820352ea8.jpg
 
Hopefully this helps: you can’t take off in any green areas
eeb044fb9fe550be48e4a5f2291bddd2.jpg


But as said in many a post before you can take off outside of park then fly in. Sorta dumb. And of course there’s nfzs on top of this. If you want to take the risk of getting caught and yer way back in the mountains go ahead and fly. But they are very serious and will charge you.
 
Thank you very much for your fast replies.

Hearing this, I think it's the best to let my drone at home because there not many areas left where I could fly my drone :(
 
Hopefully this helps: you can’t take off in any green areas
eeb044fb9fe550be48e4a5f2291bddd2.jpg


But as said in many a post before you can take off outside of park then fly in. Sorta dumb. And of course there’s nfzs on top of this. If you want to take the risk of getting caught and yer way back in the mountains go ahead and fly. But they are very serious and will charge you.

Revelstoke is circled
 
Unfortunately you cannot fly drones in any Canadian National Parks (that includes Banff and Jasper) without explicit permission from the park rangers, which is neither easy to get nor common to get.

There are lots of areas outside the parks you can fly but they are less accessible.

Don't let that put a damper on your visit though, just bring a traditional camera instead and you will still end up with dozens of incredible photos. In July/August the parks are often so busy they are generally unpleasant to be in but you should be fine in March, especially with how cold it is.

Also note the current forecasts for Banff/Jasper looking out to early March right now have lows of -23C (-10F) so bring warm clothes. February has been an unbelievably cold month and it's looking like at least the start of March will be no different.

If you are renting a car, insist that it has winter tires fitted or try find a company that offers that.
 
Last edited:
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Im guessing that with the release of the Mavic Mini, that specific "drone" will be allowed.
Since it wont be classified as such and will be classified as a toy.
Drones are stated to be 250g and up.
So with that, the mini bypasses almost all regulations for all the other dji drones.
 
Im guessing that with the release of the Mavic Mini, that specific "drone" will be allowed.
Since it wont be classified as such and will be classified as a toy.
Drones are stated to be 250g and up.
So with that, the mini bypasses almost all regulations for all the other dji drones.
You may want to contact Transport Canada on that one.When I spoke with them in person,they stated quite clearly that drones under 250 gram bypass licensing and registration. ALL OTHER RULES AND REGULATIONS APPLY AND WILL BE ENFORCED.People are often mistaken in that RPAS rules apply to drones,planes,etc.
Please dont "guess".
 
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Hi there,

I'm going to fly to canada in march 2019 and I'm wondering if I can bring my drone to film some nice shots in the nationals parks in the in Banff/Golden/Revelstoke area.

The reason why I'm asking is, because there are conflicting statements.
If I read the terms here: Flying your drone safely and legally (current rules) - Transport Canada I would be allowed to fly in the national parks.
But when I look here: Where to fly your drone (current rules) - Transport Canada I am not allowed to fly in national parks.

And in another thread here in the forum you recommened the app "UAV Forecast" to check, if it is legal to fly a drone or not. And if the app is right, I am allowed to fly in the national parks, because "only" the airports, heliports and stuff like that right in Banff, Golden and so on are marked as prohibited zones, but not the national parks itself.

I hope you can help me.

PS: If national parks are really no fly zones, where can I fly in canada? Between the Banff National Park border and the "Golden-Airport-Zone" maybe?

Thank you very much
Martin
You can't fly in National Parks. Also, if you are flying from out of country and not a resident, you cannot fly a drone.
 
  • you are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada or a corporation incorporated by or under the laws of Canada or a province
  • If you are a foreign operator (that is, you are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a corporation incorporated by or under federal or provincial and you want to fly in Canadian airspace), you must have an approved SFOC to fly a drone for any purpose (recreational, work or research).

    You must already be allowed to use the drone for the same purpose in your home country. Include your country’s approval or authorization with your application for the SFOC.
  • Drone flying is a popular hobby and useful in many fields of work. However, they also pose risks and can disturb wildlife and visitors. For these reasons, Parks Canada strictly limits the use of drones.

    Flying a drone without park or site approval may result in law enforcement action and a fine of up to $25000.

    Flying for fun
    All Parks Canada places are “no drone zones” for recreational use. Please leave your drone at home.



 
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