Expert available on the impact of new federal regulations on use of drones
TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2019 –In an effort to crack down on the use of drones in Canadian airspace, the federal government today announced strict new regulations to prohibit the operation of drones in a manner that could endanger others or aviation safety.
Some of the biggest additions are the requirement of pilot certificates, regulations on the weight of drones, who can operate them, where they can fly and what they can carry.
These new regulations come just weeks after drones wreaked havoc on London’s second busiest airport, Gatwick, in December, disrupting airspace and causing approximately 1,000 flights to be cancelled.
Costas Armenakis, Lassonde School of Engineering
Costas Armenakis, associate professor of geomatics engineering at the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, is available to comment on the impact these new regulations will have overall on users and in the area of research. He has over 35 years of research experience in photogrammetry, remote sensing, mapping and GIS, working on the acquisition, handling, processing and management of geo-spatial data and information from terrestrial, aerial and space-borne mapping sensors. His research interests are in the areas of photogrammetric engineering and remote sensing mapping, focusing on the unmanned mobile sensing and mapping systems and the use of unmanned aerial vehicle systems for geomatics and other applications.
He can comment on:
- Gaps which previously existed and currently exist on drone use, training, managing risk
- How new regulations impact regulators to detect and monitor the small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (drone or UAV) platforms in the sky, particularly in controlled air space, and the ability to identify the owner of a UAV
- How rules for flying UAV for work and /or research vary
- How the new rules from Transport Canada could help unify regulations for all users
- Restrictions on weight
- Recreational use versus non-recreational use and impact of regulations
York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
York U’s fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario’s Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
Media Contact:
Anjum Nayyar, York University Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543, anayyar@yorku.ca
