Frequently asked questions

Four plans: Starter (free, for pilots getting started), Pro (individual pilots who fly regularly), Business (multi-pilot teams) and Enterprise (complex organizations). MAAC club members get a FREE Pro membership. See the full pricing comparison.

A Basic or Advanced Drone License is required to fly any drone over 250g in Canada. To add a pilot, you must enter their Pilot Certificate Number. Having proper certification is your responsibility. More in our resources section.

Drones between 250g and 25kg must be registered with Transport Canada. RPAS WILCO requires the Drone ID/Serial Number when adding a drone. Register at Transport Canada's Drone Management Portal. works seamlessly with RPAS WILCO.

Under CARs 901.27, a site survey is mandatory. Benefits: Regulatory Compliance, Risk Management, Operational Planning, Documentation (legal/insurance), and Efficiency. simplifies this in RPAS WILCO.

You need both a drone and a pilot entered into your account to access site surveys, flight logs, and checklists. See the pricing page.

Mobile: Create site surveys, complete checklists, air safety reports, advanced map. Web: Custom checklists (Pro), manage subscriptions/payments, Flight Reviewer Network, site surveys (all plans). Full feature list on our product overview.

A drone compliance platform by RPAS experts. Features: Interactive Airspace Map, Automated Site Surveys (NOTAMs/METARs), Flight Scheduling, Automated Flight Logs, and NAV CANADA Aeronautical Data Access. Learn more on the RPAS WILCO product page.

Altohelix, an RPAS WILCO partner, is a 100% Canadian-owned DJI Enterprise dealer. It also offers FARO 3D scanners and drone training. See our partners page.

RPAS WILCO is a drone compliance platform. RPAS Centre provides FREE training courses for RPAS pilots. Both support safe, compliant flying. Learn about the team on aimrobotics.io.

Open the Flight Reviewer Network map on the Flight Reviews page and filter reviewers by your province or city. Each reviewer card shows availability, certifications, specializations, and client ratings.

Send a booking request with your preferred date, time, location, and aircraft details. Reviewers typically respond within 48 hours to confirm or propose alternatives.

Complete the flight review at the agreed location. Once you pass, the reviewer submits your signed flight review declaration directly to Transport Canada. For a deeper walkthrough, see How to Book a Drone Flight Review.

The Small Advanced Exam is an online, multiple-choice knowledge test through the Transport Canada Drone Management Portal — it covers regulations, airspace, meteorology, and theory.

The Flight Review is a separate, in-person practical evaluation conducted by a certified flight reviewer. It assesses your hands-on competency with real-world scenarios, pre-flight planning, and radio procedures.

You need to pass BOTH to earn an Advanced RPAS pilot certificate. The exam comes first; the flight review typically follows. Full breakdown: Advanced Exam vs. Flight Review.

Drone flight review fees in Canada typically range from $200 to $450 CAD depending on the reviewer, location, travel requirements, and aircraft complexity. Urban markets like Toronto and Vancouver tend to be at the higher end; rural reviewers are often more affordable.

Prices on the Flight Reviewer Network are set by individual reviewers and shown on each reviewer's profile before you book. Expect to receive a confirmed quote within 48 hours of your booking request. See The Cost of a Drone Flight Review in Canada for regional price breakdowns.

To keep an Advanced RPAS pilot certificate active under CARs Part IX, Transport Canada requires recency activity every 24 months. A flight review counts as one of the qualifying recency activities.

Other recency options include completing a recurrent RPAS training course, passing the Small Advanced Exam again, or self-paced study exercises. The simplest path for most pilots is to book a recurrent flight review every two years. See Flight Review Recency Requirements for the full rule.

Bring your Advanced pilot certificate, a registered drone, a current site survey for the review location, proof of liability insurance if required, and any aircraft manuals the reviewer may ask to see.

Practise pre-flight planning — check NOTAMs, weather, airspace, and site hazards. Be ready to explain your decisions verbally, including how you would handle emergencies, lost-link, and airspace conflicts.

Rehearse radio procedures and communication with ATC/FSS for controlled airspace scenarios, even if your site is uncontrolled. Reviewers commonly assess this regardless of operating area. Complete prep guide: Preparing for Your Flight Review.

If a reviewer isn't satisfied with your competency, they will not submit a passing declaration to Transport Canada. You keep your Advanced certificate until any recency deadline, but you cannot use this review as proof of competency.

The reviewer will provide specific feedback on areas to improve — commonly pre-flight planning, airspace decision-making, or radio procedures. Use that feedback to study and practise, then book a follow-up review.

There is no formal waiting period or attempt limit. You can rebook with the same reviewer or a different one as soon as you feel prepared. See If You Don't Pass Your Flight Review for next steps.

Open the Flight Reviewer Network map on the Flight Reviews page. Pan and zoom to your region, or filter by province or city. Each pin represents a Transport Canada certified flight reviewer who has joined the network.

Click any pin to see the reviewer's certifications, availability window, specializations (urban, rural, BVLOS, night, etc.), typical pricing, and client ratings. You can send a booking request directly from their profile. See Drone Flight Reviewers Across Canada for a city-by-city guide.

Only the Advanced RPAS pilot certificate requires a flight review under CARs Part IX. A Basic certificate is issued after passing the Small Basic online exam alone — no flight review needed. See What Is a Drone Flight Review? for a deeper explanation.

If you plan to fly in controlled airspace, near people, or under a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC), you need the Advanced certificate — and therefore a flight review. Basic is sufficient only for uncontrolled airspace with no bystanders within 30m laterally.

Open any map in RPAS WILCO and tap the cloud icon. Read the Wind card at your actual flight altitude (drones cruise at 80-120 m, not at the 10 m a consumer forecast quotes): green is under 7 m/s, amber around 11 m/s, red at 14 m/s or more. Then check the nearest aerodrome's flight category and the geomagnetic Kp index for GPS reliability. Full walkthrough: Drone Weather: Wind at Altitude, METAR, and Kp.

Yes. Draw the area once under Configurations → Geometries on web, save it, and import it into any mission on web or mobile with a single click. Polygons cover closed areas; Paths cover linear routes and generate a 40 m corridor buffer automatically. You can also upload a KML or GeoJSON from a GIS tool. See Mission Geometry: Draw Once, Fly Anywhere.