Day 1 — Drone Fundamentals & Ranch Applications
Morning
9:00 AM — Welcome & Introductions
Course introduction and overview of the training program.
9:30 AM — Drones as a Ranch Tool
Explore livestock applications, including locating missing animals with thermal cameras, observing herd behaviour, and supporting pasture management.
10:30 AM — Introduction to RPAS
Learn about remotely piloted aircraft systems, aircraft types, propulsion, flight principles, and common applications.
11:30 AM — Certification Process & Introduction to Air Law
Review Canadian Aviation Regulations, pilot certification requirements, and airspace restrictions relevant to ranch operations.
Afternoon — Lunch Provided
12:30 PM — Air Law (Continued)
Continue examining aviation regulations and operational requirements for safe drone use.
1:30 PM — Manual Flight Manoeuvres
Practice takeoffs, aircraft control, and reverse-stick manoeuvres using DJI Mini drones under instructor supervision.
3:00 PM — Human Factors, Site Surveys & Pre-Flight Planning
Learn aviation human factors, meteorology, navigation, radiotelephony, site surveys, and flight preparation.
3:45 PM — Emergency Management, Maintenance, Storage & Travel
Review emergency scenarios, equipment care, transportation, storage, and battery management.
4:30 PM — End of Day 1
Day 2 — Thermal Imaging & Practical Flight
Morning
9:00 AM — On-Farm Drone Uses
Explore drone applications beyond livestock monitoring, including crop scouting, remote sensing, and other farm operations.
10:15 AM — Thermal Drones: Settings, Tips & Tricks
Explore DJI Matrice 4 Thermal operation using DJI Pilot 2, including thermal camera settings, location sharing with pins, waypoint missions, and practical operating techniques.
11:00 AM — Remote Sensing Workflows
Learn the fundamentals of aerial mapping and 3D modelling, including flight planning and processing imagery with Pix4Dfields.
Afternoon — Fly Day, Lunch Provided
12:30 PM — Introduction to Spraying & Spreading Drones
Review agricultural product application, including herbicides, liquid fertilizers, and cover crop seeding. A demonstration may be conducted outdoors, weather permitting.
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 and Matrice 4-series drones with thermal and multispectral sensors. Complete supervised flight scenarios involving site surveys, emergency procedures, and pilot and visual observer responsibilities.
Outdoor activities are weather-dependent.
4:30 PM — Course Concludes
