THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN JULY 2020 AND THEREFORE THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN ARE NO LONGER UP-TO-DATE.

As pilots become less homebound as COVID-19 social distancing guidelines are relaxed across the country, they may begin to make plans to go flying beyond the confines of their local airport’s circuit.

However, each province and territory in Canada sets its own guidelines and regulations, which can be confusing at times. Nav Canada has gathered travel restriction information from across the country and tabulated them into a handy table which pilots can use in their flight planning.

Pilots are reminded that there is a mandatory 14-day period of self-isolation for people entering Canada, regardless of one’s citizenship or residency. That essentially rules out discretionary trips to the U.S. while the border restrictions are still in place.

The table is recreated below:

Image credit: Canada PNG

Canada has some of the strictest drone regulations in the developed world, having introduced an entirely new section, Part IX, to the Canadian Aviation Regulations on June 1, 2019. Drone ground school courses are on offer across the country. Coastal Drone Co, a company that offers drone operator training, has announced they’ve partnered with Best Buy Canada, entitling purchasers of eligible drones from the national electronics retailer to a free RPAS Ground School – Basic Operations course.

Operators of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) in Canada that falls into the weight category of 250 grams up to and including 25 kilograms are legally obliged to obtain a Pilot Certificate – Basic Operations. Drones in this category must also be registered with Transport Canada. The certification exam can be done online after paying a $10 fee. Given the relatively complex nature of the regulations, many find it difficult to pass the test on the first or even second attempt. Holders of a private pilot licence, or higher, may find passing the test easier, but still may want to avail themselves to the course, which normally costs $95.

An RPAS Pilot Certificate – Basic Operations allows the holder to operate 250-g to 25-kg drones in uncontrolled airspace, more than 30 metres from bystanders and never over bystanders. And there are many more rules.

Those who wish to fly drones that exceed these restrictions must obtain a Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations (and possibly a Special Flight Operations Certificate). In addition to another written exam, a practical flight test, administered by a TC-authorized examiner, must also be passed. Coastal Drone Co also offers a ground school for the Pilot Certificate – Advanced Operations for $599.

Coastal Drone Co co-founder and Operations Director is COPA board member Kate Klassen (British Columbia and Yukon).

Check out Coastal Drone Co’s and Best Buy Canada’s websites for more details.

Image credit: Coastal Drone Co

According to a recently released report from the Transportation Safety Board, a statistical analysis reveals a variety of indicators that show an overall downward trend in accident rates, but an uptick in fatalities, arising from aviation activities in Canada.

The TSB reports that in 2019 there were 226 air transportation accidents, up somewhat from the previous year (201), but down 12 percent from the 10-year average of 258. These numbers include all accidents that occurred in Canada, including those involving foreign-registered aircraft and those involving Canadian-registered aircraft abroad.

The 2019 total breaks down into the following categories:

• 176, or 78%, involving fixed-wing powered aeroplanes (but not including ultralights);
• 28, or 12%, involving helicopters;
• 18, or 8%, involving ultralights; and
• 5, or 2%, involving other aircraft types.

(Numbers may not add up as one accident can include more than one aircraft type.)

A further breakdown of the data identifies 83 accidents involved commercially registered aircraft, up from 66 in 2018, but still below the 10-year average of 88.

Privately operated aircraft accounted for 142 accidents, up from 134 in 2018, but still 13 percent below the 10-year average. One hundred and one involved Canadian-registered aeroplanes, and 131 accidents involved what Transport Canada and the TSB classify as recreational operators. Although up from 124 in 2018, the total is still below the below, by 17 percent, the 10-year average.

Of particular note is the number of fatalities that occurred in 2019, when 70 lost their lives in 33 fatal accidents compared with 38 fatalities in the 23 fatal accidents the year before. This count is 21 fatalities higher than the 10-year average of 52 fatalities in 30 fatal accidents.

The full TSB report is appended below.

Image credits: TSB

Slovenia-based aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel has obtained the first type certificate for an all-electric airplane to be issued anywhere in the world. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued the certificate to Pipistrel’s battery-operated Velis Electro in June.

The two-seat aircraft is designed for training, and follows on the company’s Alpha Electro, of which there is one in Canada, registered as an advanced ultralight to a private owner in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. The European company also manufactures electric motor-gliders.

“The type certification of the Pipistrel Velis Electro is the first step towards the commercial use of electric aircraft, which is needed to make emission-free aviation feasible,” Pipistrel founder and CEO Ivo Boscarol said in a statement. “It is considerably quieter than other aeroplanes and produces no combustion gases at all.”

Thirty-one Velis Electros are on the order books to customers in seven different countries.

“AlpinAirPlanes GmbH is very proud to be given the great opportunity by Pipistrel to be part of this game-changing journey,” said launch customer spokesperson Marc B. Corpataux. “With more than 400 flight hours and 25 pilots introduced to the predecessor Alpha Electro, we are convinced of the suitability of electric flight in the daily flight school environment.” AlpinAirPlanes plans to base 12 Velis Electros at 10 separate airfields in Switzerland.

Not only will these aircraft be emissions-free in the air, the charging of their batteries will also be emissions-free. “Each base will be equipped with 150 m² of photovoltaic panels, producing electricity for 12,000 flight hours per year on the Velis Electro,” Corpataux added.

Pipistrel also manufactures and makes available to third parties a type-certified electric propulsion system.

“For EASA, the type certification of this aircraft marks a significant dual milestone,” said the head of EASA’s general aviation department. “On 18^th of May 2020, we type-certified its engine as the first electric engine – now we have followed up with the first type certification of a plane flying that engine.”

Given the much smaller number of moving parts in electrically powered aircraft, and the reliability of electric motors, operating costs for these training aircraft will be substantially lower than for their traditional reciprocating engine-powered peers. This should prove to greatly change pilot training costs, especially at the private licence stage.

There has been a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement since 2011 between Transport Canada and the EASA on aircraft certification. Can we expect the Velis Electro to appear on these shores soon?

Photos courtesy of Pipistrel

Residents of a sparsely populated area east of the Ontario community of Cayuga are complaining about the noise being generated by the two light airplanes used to carry skydivers aloft from the Cayuga East airport (CAF2), a grass airstrip located on a farm approximately five kilometres east from the centre of the village of about 1,500 people.

The County of Haldimand (the municipal authority), in response to the complaining neighbours, is attempting to pressure Transport Canada (TC) to intervene against Skydive Ontario, the operator of the skydive centre. They say they are ‘bombarded daily with noise’ throughout the summer. Neighbours have also been lodging their complaints directly with the federal regulator, as well as with local MP Diane Finley, local MPP Toby Barrett and their local council.

County mayor Ken Hewitt is finding his hands are tied due to the paramountcy of federal jurisdiction over matters of aviation, meaning that local regulations concerning land use, noise, building permits, etc. cannot be applied.

“It is apparent that the operation of this business is upsetting and intrusive on many levels,” said Hewitt. “This has led the county to consider possible avenues to regulate the operation of the business to address the issues raised by residents.” Among other things, the County is taking issue with a hangar Skydive Ontario had built on the site, for which the Haldimand County Council complained to TC. The mayor is also complaining about the alleged “…discharge of a firearm on a property used for aviation purposes.”

Image credit: Google Earth

The City of Timmins, Ontario is embarking on a runway and taxiway resurfacing project at the city-owned airport (CYTS) thanks to a $5.085 million grant from Transport Canada’s Airside Capital Assistance Program (ACAP). The remaining funds will come from the City of Timmins, whose airport reserves account currently stands at $6,801,365.

The work is in response to an assessment that considered the existing surfaces were “nearing end of life and require major rehabilitation.”

Runway 03-21, the main runway, was approved for the grant, but not Runway 10-28, which was not in as bad a condition as the other one. It will nevertheless be resurfaced at the time as the other surfaces, paid for completely out of the City’s airport reserve fund.

“This is going to take a good chunk of our reserves…obviously,” said airport manager Dave Dayment. “If there’s going to be a year to do it for lack of traffic then … this is probably the year to do it.”

The project is slated to begin as soon as possible, possibly by the end of July, and is estimated to take three months to complete. Paving of the runways will take place consecutively, but Dayment estimates the airport will be closed for three to five days when paving at runway intersections takes place.

Timmins airport serves as an administration and maintenance base for Air Creebec.

“The airport is obviously a very, very valuable asset for the community and it shows that Timmins is definitely a hub for Northeastern Ontario and points north as well,” said Timmins mayor George Pirie.

Photo credit: Wikipedia/P199