Day 1 — Drone Fundamentals & Flight Training
Morning
9:00 AM — Welcome & Introductions
Course introduction and overview of the two-day training program.
9:30 AM — Introduction to RPAS
Explore remotely piloted aircraft systems, their development, applications, aircraft configurations, propulsion systems, and fundamental principles of flight.
11:00 AM — Certification Process & Introduction to Air Law
Review Canadian Aviation Regulations, pilot certification requirements, and airspace restrictions. Learn how to determine the certification requirements applicable to your farm.
Afternoon — Lunch Provided
12:30 PM — On-Farm Uses of Drones
Explore agricultural drone applications using RGB, near-infrared, thermal, and LiDAR sensors, with practical examples from farming operations.
2:00 PM — Human Factors, Site Surveys & Pre-Flight Planning
Cover aviation human factors, weather considerations, navigation, radiotelephony, site surveys, and safe flight planning.
2:30 PM — Manual Flight Manoeuvres
Practice drone takeoffs, manual control, and point-of-interest flying under instructor supervision using DJI Mini aircraft.
3:45 PM — Emergency Management, Maintenance, Storage & Travel
Learn emergency procedures, equipment maintenance, safe transportation, storage practices, and battery management.
4:30 PM — End of Day 1
Day 2 — Agricultural Applications & Practical Flight
Morning
9:00 AM — Remote Sensing Workflows
Learn how drones generate agricultural maps and 3D models. Explore multispectral vegetation indices and workflows using Pix4Dfields and DJI Terra.
10:00 AM — Livestock & Other Farm Drone Applications
Explore thermal and zoom camera applications for locating, monitoring, and counting livestock, along with other agricultural uses.
10:30 AM — Introduction to Drone Spraying
Examine practical and regulatory considerations for applying agricultural products by drone, including herbicides, liquid fertilizers, and cover crop seeding.
11:15 AM — Achieving Accuracy
Understand spectral calibration, RTK/PPK positioning, and spray quality and width calibration for accurate mapping and application.
Afternoon — Fly Day, Lunch Provided
1:00 PM — Basic RPAS Exam Preparation
Review ground school concepts, relevant aviation regulations, and reference materials for Transport Canada's Basic RPAS exam.
1:30 PM — Optional Transport Canada Basic RPAS Exam
Opportunity to take the online Basic Operations exam. A separate $10 fee is payable to Transport Canada.
3:00 PM — Outdoor Flight Training
Practice operating Mavic 3 Enterprise and Matrice-series drones, including thermal and multispectral equipment. Complete group flight scenarios involving site surveys, emergency procedures, and pilot and visual observer responsibilities.
Outdoor activities are weather-dependent.
4:30 PM — Course Concludes
