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Quebec-based land survey firm Arpentage Parleciel has become the first recipient of a compliant operator special flight operations certificate (SFOC) for its unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations. This means that the company no longer has to notify Transport Canada before flying in most parts of the Canadian province.
According to Spectral Aviation — the firm that provided Arpentage Parleciel with UAS pilot training — this type of SFOC is less restrictive compared to a complex or simplified operator type. To receive the certification, Arpentage Parleciel had to prove its compliance on three major criteria: the vehicle, pilot qualifications, and manuals and procedures.
The drone the company chose to certificate is the Infinitejib Surveyor 630 — a drone designed for technical data acquisition. It has been listed as a “compliant” UAS since May 2016. At the end of training, Spectral Aviation hands out certificates, which the firm claims enabled Arpentage Parleciel to show Transport Canada it was qualified. The courses were based on Transport Canada’s TP15263.
“Unlike recent incidents involving [UAS] being flown dangerously close to manned aircraft,” Spectral Aviation said, “it is encouraging to see companies increasingly concerned about their safe integration to the Canadian airspace and, while aiming for compliancy, being granted more operational freedom by Transport Canada.”