Clearwater County owns and operates drones for a variety of reasons. They provide valuable accessibility for County operations and emergency preparedness, most commonly used for:
- Emergency Response
- FireSmart Data Compilation
- Research in GIS Mapping
Clearwater County operates as per Transport Canada safety regulations and has certified pilots.
Clearwater County strives to advertise on social media and website to let residents know when, where and why drones will be in the area for planned missions such as emergency preparedness mapping. In an emergency or during training events, time for public notification of drone flights may not be possible.
| Scheduled Flight Date(s) | Purpose | Approximate Location |
|---|---|---|
| April 17-19, 2024 (weather dependent) | Pre-planning for Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) team to coordinate a FireSmart clean up of trees. | Nearest to the manufactured home lots (known as Lynx Lookout) |
| May 1 - 31, 2022 (weather dependent) | Pre-planning for Wildland Urban Interface Fires, click here for more details on this project. | - Nordegg - West Country Subdivision - North Saskatchewan River Park - Echo Canyon - Horburg - Misty Valley - Saunders - Woodland Estates - Pine Ridge |
The following information is provided from Transport Canada.
If you fly your drone for fun and it weighs more than 250 grams (up to 35 kilograms) you are legally required to register your drone with Transport Canada and obtain a drone license.
Follow the basic safety rules below. Not doing so may put lives, aircraft and property at risk. If you fly where you are not allowed or choose not to follow any of the rules below, you could face serious penalties, including fines up to $3,000 and/or jail time.
To keep yourself and others safe, fly your drone:
- where you can see it at all times
- below 122 metres (400 feet) in the air
- away from bystanders, at a minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres for basic operations
- away from emergency operations and advertised events
- Avoid forest fires, outdoor concerts and parades
- away from airports and heliports
- 5.6 kilometres (3 nautical miles) from airports
- 1.9 kilometres (1 nautical mile) from heliports
- outside controlled airspace (for basic operations only)
- far away from other aircraft
- Don’t fly anywhere near airplanes, helicopters and other drones
Please note, Clearwater County cannot provide permissions for drone usage, as drones are classified as aircraft and fall under federal jurisdiction.
For full rules and regulations please visit:
https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/drone-safety/learn-rules-you-fly-your-drone