Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)
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Regulations are current to 2026-03-17 and last amended on 2025-04-01. Previous Versions
Part IX — Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (continued)
Subpart 1 — Small Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Medium Remotely Piloted Aircraft (continued)
- SOR/2025-70, s. 48
Division X — Training and Flight Review (continued)
Training Provider Requirements — RPAS Ground School Instruction
901.182 (1) No training provider shall deliver the RPAS ground school instruction referred to in paragraph 901.90(c) unless the training provider
(a) has made a declaration to the Minister in accordance with the requirements of section 921.08 of Standard 921 — Remotely Piloted Aircraft; and
(b) has appointed a chief ground instructor responsible for the delivery of the RPAS ground school instruction.
(2) A training provider shall inform the Minister within 30 days after any change in the appointment of a chief ground instructor.
Requirements for Chief Ground Instructor
901.183 No person shall act as chief ground instructor unless the person holds a pilot certificate — remotely piloted aircraft — level 1 complex operations issued under section 901.90 and endorsed with a flight reviewer rating under section 901.176.
Proof of Ground Instruction
901.184 A training provider shall provide written proof of completion to every person who completes the RPAS ground school instruction referred to in paragraph 901.90(c).
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Division XI — RPAS Declaration
Declaration
901.194 (1) A person who makes a declaration to the Minister in respect of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system and in respect of any technical requirement set out in Standard 922 shall do so in accordance with subsection (2).
(2) The declaration shall
(a) specify the legal name, trade name, if any, address and contact information of the person making the declaration and, in respect of the remotely piloted aircraft system,
(i) the name of the model,
(ii) the configurable elements of the system,
(iii) the operations described in section 901.69 or 901.87 that the model of system is intended to conduct, and
(iv) the technical requirements set out in Standard 922 that are the subject of the declaration; and
(b) indicate that the person making the declaration has verified that the model of system meets the technical requirements specified under subparagraph (a)(iv) and, in the case of a model for which an acceptance letter has been issued under section 901.196, has completed that verification using the means set out in the person’s application for an acceptance letter under subparagraph 901.196(2)(c)(ii).
(3) In the case of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system that is intended to conduct any of the operations described in paragraph 901.69(f) or (g) or 901.87(b), no person shall provide the Minister with a declaration referred to in subsection (1) unless an acceptance letter has been issued in respect of that model of system under section 901.196 in the two years before the making of the declaration.
(4) The declaration is invalid if
(a) the Minister has determined that the model of remotely piloted aircraft system does not meet the technical requirements specified under subparagraph (2)(a)(iv);
(b) the person who has made the declaration has provided a notification to the Minister under section 901.195; or
(c) the person who has made the declaration has failed to submit their annual report in accordance with section 901.199.
(5) In the case referred to in paragraph (4)(b) in respect of a notification referred to in paragraph 901.195(1)(b), the declaration is only invalid with respect to the operations described in paragraphs 901.69(f) and (g) and 901.87(b).
(6) In the case referred to in paragraph (4)(c), the declaration is only invalid with respect to the operations described in paragraphs 901.69(f) and (g) and 901.87(b) and only for the period during which the annual report is outstanding.
(7) A person who has made a declaration shall notify the Minister within 30 days after any change to the names, address or contact information referred to in paragraph (2)(a).
Notice to the Minister
901.195 (1) A person who has made a declaration referred to in section 901.194 shall notify the Minister of
(a) any deficiency related to the model of remotely piloted aircraft system that causes the model to no longer meet the technical requirements specified under subparagraph 901.194(2)(a)(iv); and
(b) the fact that they are no longer maintaining a service difficulty reporting system, if they are required to establish and maintain such a system under section 901.197.
(2) The person shall notify the Minister, in the case referred to in paragraph (1)(a), as soon as feasible after the deficiency is identified and, in the case referred to in paragraph (1)(b), on the day on which the person ceases to maintain the service difficulty reporting system.
Issuance of Acceptance Letter
901.196 (1) The Minister shall, on receipt of an application containing the information set out in subsection (2), issue an acceptance letter to the applicant in respect of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system that is the subject of the application, if the applicant demonstrates the ability to
(a) verify that the model of system meets the technical requirements set out in Standard 922 for which the applicant proposes to make a declaration referred to in section 901.194;
(b) establish and maintain a service difficulty reporting system that meets the requirements of section 901.197; and
(c) in the case of an applicant who manufactures an element of the remotely piloted aircraft system, ensure production consistency or, in the case of an applicant who provides a service that is an element of the system, ensure consistent activation and delivery of the service.
(2) The applicant shall provide the following information:
(a) the applicant’s legal name, trade name, if any, address and contact information;
(b) a concept of operations that includes
(i) a description of the principal design features and specifications of the remotely piloted aircraft system, including a technical description of
(A) the remotely piloted aircraft, including the category of aircraft, such as a fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft, hybrid aircraft or lighter-than-air aircraft, and
(B) all other elements of the system that are required for it to meet the technical requirements identified under subparagraph (c)(i),
(ii) an indication of the operations described in section 901.69 or 901.87 that the model of system is intended to conduct,
(iii) a description of any operating limitations of the system, including personnel or environmental limitations, that must be adhered to in order for the system to meet the technical requirements identified under subparagraph (c)(i),
(iv) any procedures for operating the system, instructions for integrating and testing the elements of the system and instructions related to the servicing and maintenance of the system, and
(v) any mandatory actions that must be completed in order for the system to meet the technical requirements identified under subparagraph (c)(i);
(c) a declaration plan that identifies
(i) the technical requirements set out in Standard 922 for which the applicant proposes to make a declaration referred to in section 901.194,
(ii) the means to be used to demonstrate that the model system meets the technical requirements referred to in subparagraph (i), including any industry standards that will be followed and any proposed deviations from those standards, and how those means will demonstrate that the system meets those technical requirements,
(iii) the resources necessary for carrying out the demonstration referred to in subparagraph (ii), and
(iv) the schedule for carrying out the demonstration referred to in subparagraph (ii);
(d) copies in English or French, or both, of all standards the applicant intends to follow to demonstrate that the system meets the technical requirements identified under subparagraph (c)(i);
(e) documentation that demonstrates that the applicant has, or has access to, the technical capability to
(i) conduct the design analyses and tests required to demonstrate that the system meets the technical requirements identified under subparagraph (c)(i),
(ii) manufacture any elements of the remotely piloted aircraft system for which the applicant is the manufacturer, and
(iii) support the operation of the remotely piloted aircraft system in service;
(f) in the case of an applicant who manufactures an element of the system, a manufacturing plan that includes a description of the
(i) manufacturing processes, including how the applicant will ensure production consistency,
(ii) quality control procedures, including with respect to work performed by a supplier contracted by the applicant, and
(iii) configuration management processes for all aspects of production;
(g) in the case of an applicant who provides a service that is an element of the system, a commissioning plan that includes a description of the
(i) procedures and tests for the service’s activation, and
(ii) procedures for verifying that the service is functioning as intended; and
(h) a product support plan that describes how the applicant will support the operation of the system in service, including
(i) a description of the service difficulty reporting system that the applicant will establish under section 901.197,
(ii) a description of the modifications that can be performed on the system by a person other than the applicant and any instructions with respect to those modifications,
(iii) a description of the required system maintenance and how the system, or elements of it, can be returned for maintenance, and
(iv) a description of how any mandatory actions will be made available to each user of the model of system.
Establishing a Service Difficulty Reporting System
901.197 (1) If a declaration referred to in section 901.194 is made in respect of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system for which an acceptance letter has been issued under section 901.196, the person who has made the declaration shall establish and maintain a service difficulty reporting system for the purpose of receiving, recording, analyzing and investigating reports and information concerning any reportable service difficulty related to that model.
(2) The service difficulty reporting system shall include
(a) a means for receiving reports and information concerning any reportable service difficulty; and
(b) instructions regarding what information must be submitted to the person who has made the declaration.
Investigation of Service Difficulty Reports
901.198 If a person receives a service difficulty report in respect of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system for which they have made a declaration referred to in section 901.194 and for which an acceptance letter has been issued under section 901.196, that person shall investigate the service difficulty and, if it results from a deficiency in the model that causes the system to no longer meet the technical requirements specified under subparagraph 901.194(2)(a)(iv), develop a mandatory action to rectify the deficiency.
Annual Report
901.199 (1) A person who has made a declaration referred to in section 901.194 in respect of a model of remotely piloted aircraft system for which an acceptance letter has been issued under section 901.196 shall submit to the Minister an annual report in respect of that model.
(2) The annual report shall include
(a) the name of the person submitting the report;
(b) the name of the model of remotely piloted aircraft system;
(c) the actual, if available, or estimated total number of hours of operation in Canada of systems of that model during the year to which the annual report relates; and
(d) the number of reportable service difficulty reports received during the year to which the annual report relates, a summary of the reports in respect of which mandatory actions were developed and a description of those mandatory actions.
(3) The annual report shall be submitted to the Minister each year by not later than the anniversary of the day on which the declaration referred to in section 901.194 was made.
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