FAQs

  • For the basic and advanced courses you do NOT need a drone!

    You will require a drone for an in-person flight review. If you don’t have one but you need to do your flight review, don’t stress! We can probably lend you one. Send us a message (at the bottom of this page), and let us help you out.

  • That depends on what you want to do with your drone. If you are flying away from people and aerodromes (i.e. not in a city) in Class G airspace, then you can just get your Basic.

    You can check your class of airspace here. Don’t worry - in class we will break down how to use this information.

    If you want to fly commercially, near people, and in any airspace then you need your Advanced.

    The Advanced is our most popular course because it gives the flexibility to pilots to fly anywhere professionally.

  • We are excited to host you in our course, but we know sometimes life happens. That is why we are flexible about timing and the name of the person registered.

    Payment must be made upon registration. Once paid & registered, we do not provide refunds.

    Up to 7 days before the course start date, you can change course dates at no cost.

    Up to 48 hours before the course start date, you can change the name of who is attending at no cost.

  • Absolutely! Our courses are designed to be absolute beginner-friendly. However, there is enough challenging information included that we guarantee extreme drone buffs will learn something too. :)

  • First of all, you should know that we do a pretty darn good job of mimicking an in-person classroom environment over Zoom. You can network among your peers in our small group setting and ask questions to our experienced instructors. The course is NOT pre-recorded, it’s live, so we can ensure you get it done in three days and have the support you need while doing it.

    We do offer in-person courses for groups of 8+. Think you can get a group together? Send us a message to info@flysmarttraining.ca.

  • There is one (CAR 900.06), and it is very vague:

    “No person shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft system in such a reckless or negligent manner as to endanger or be likely to endanger aviation safety or the safety of any person.”

    In other words, you always are responsible for the safety of aircraft, people, animals and the environment that you’re flying around and in. Fly responsibly.

    Check out our blog post on this here.

  • Not yet, but stay tuned! We do offer customized training all the time and have taught groups about a range of specialties a lot over the years. We would love to do the same for you but if you think we should offer a particular type of training, drop us a line and let us know!

  • Instruction, all course materials, and everything you need to safely operate (checklists, emergency preparedness documents) are included. We do have to charge 5% GST on top of our course fees, and Transport Canada will charge you $10 to write the exam.

    Should you decide to do one, flight reviews are sold separately. But you get a 25% discount if you’re a grad from our course. :)

  • None, really...

    UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Many people support using a non-gendered name, so in Canada we adopted RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft System). Technically speaking, the drone itself is just RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft). And when you include the controller and other components needed for your mission, it is RPAS. We like the word drone to describe RPA/RPAS as it is familiar to a larger audience. But you can use any of these terms! To quote Shakespeare: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

  • We have hired students from our courses before! We’ve also had students hire other students in our courses (it is a great networking opportunity!).

    We hire seasonally for field crew positions at Hummingbird, and occasionally for full-time year round positions as well. Head to our careers page at Hummingbird Drones to see all vacant positions.

    Once you’ve been an Advanced pilot for 6 months, you may be eligible to become a Flight Reviewer for FlySmart. See the following FAQ & contact us if you think you’ll be a good fit!

  • The main requirements to become a Flight Reviewer are being at least 18 years of age and having had your Advanced RPAS license for more than six months. Check all the requirements here.

    If you meet the requirements, you can sit the Transport Canada exam.

    Passed? Congrats! You now need to pay your registration fee and become affiliated with a registered RPAS training school. Look no further! We hire talented pilots from all industries, all across Canada to be FlySmart Flight Reviewers. Send us a message to let us know you’re interested!

  • Being a TP15263 recognized training program means that FlySmart is recognized by the highest standards set forth by Transport Canada. This means you’re in good hands and safe skies.

  • Our students have a very high success rate at passing the Transport Canada exam after taking the course, but in case you need more support, our team is here to help! You are always welcome to contact us with your questions, and you can even take the course again anytime within one year, for free! We call it our “warranty” but really you just need to know that we’ve got your back. :)