Saskatoon pilot uneasy about sharing the sky with drones

Ron Garnett says it's a matter of time before he or another pilot crashes into a drone.

"They make me nervous primarily because they're invisible to radar," Garnettsaid. "They're just like loose cannons out there."

Garnetthas held his pilot's licence for 40years, and flies an ultralight aircraft to do commercial aerial photography.

"I'm watching a lot more carefully what else is in the air near me, but there's very little chance of seeing them," he said, as he prepared to take off from Corman Air Park, southeast of Saskatoon. "I could see a seagull easier than I could see a drone."

No one enforcing Transport Canada rules

Transport Canada has established guidelines for the recreational use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It also lays out more detailed permit criteria for UAVs weighing over 35 kilograms, and those used for commercial purposes.

Drones are prohibited from flying within nine kilometres of any airport or controlled airspace. Transport Canada allows exemptions to the no-fly zone for commercial UAV operators who successfully apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate

Recreational users are also asked to keep their aircraft within sight, to fly only during good weather, to keep the aircraft under 90 metres from ground level,and to avoid populated areas and moving vehicles.

However, several UAV enthusiasts tell CBC no one appears to enforcethose rules.

That's what worries Garnett.

"Pilots areall following the rules, and we spend a lot of money on training and that sort of thing." Garnettsaid. "Drones are not."

Drones used to survey new bridge site

Garnettis concerned about Graham Commuter Partners' use of drones to survey its construction site forthe North Commuter Parkway Bridge, which falls into Transport Canada's nine kilometer exclusionzone around the Saskatoon airport.

He noted its proximity to one of the main runways, and said the new bridge sitsdirectly under atraffic circuit smaller planes often use, during takeoffs and landings.

The City of Saskatoon's project manager, Dan Willems,saidGraham has obtained permission from Transport Canada to fly its UAV, and is doing so safely.

"The UAV operator must call the Saskatoon airport control tower no less than 15 minutes prior tolaunching the UAV and immediately after the UAV has landed," Willems said in an email to CBC.

No minimum operator qualification standards

Transport Canada'sregulations statein the case of Special Flight Operations Certificates, which are required for UAVs over 35 kilograms,"the UAV operator remains responsible for ensuring that their personnel have reached a satisfactory level of knowledge, experience and skill."

It's like the wild west out there.- Ron Garnett, pilot

Garnettsaidthat's not much comfort,

"There's no training, there's no licence required, there's no medicals for the people who operate them,"

He also wants to see the establishment ofa registration system, to track the owners of drones which fly away or crash.

"If a drone causes some damage and they do recover it, Transport Canada and the police have no way of determining who owns the drone," Garnett said. "It's like the wild west out there."